who should I vote for?????

I am absolutely flummoxed by this year's election. Perhaps it is because I am a taxpayer and scared of threats of socialism creeping in. Perhaps it is because I am scared of more of what has occurred in the last eight years. Perhaps it is because our economy is tanking quickly and we all want someone to save us. Perhaps it is because I have been bit by the celebrity bug. With the election ticker counting down quickly, I must make a decision.....and soon. I will "pull the lever". I believe it is necessary to teach our children the importance that our vote counts. I just don't know who it will be for.

unhealthy obsessions

I am obsessed, obsessed, obsessed with this.

we found the great pumpkin!

We had a great deal of fun at Critz Farms this weekend - the girls did very well searching for the great pumpkin and we brought home four VERY LARGE pumpkins! We will be enjoying roasted pumpkin seeds for weeks!

happy weekend!

A little family time here.

And more friend {and family} time on the family farm!

And of course, the most important thing to do for my husband this weekend is this.

a day in the life of moi

A very old and dear friend of mine has a phenomenal blog and has been posting stories from readers and friends about a day in their life. As I crawled into the shower this morning, I was envying many of these mothers, because I am exhausted from a day in the life of me.

Yesterday was a pretty average day. Awake between 5:00 and 5:30, which is when our 4-year-old Abby climbs into bed with us. She is up for the day and wants to be with us - she does not go back to sleep once the morning air hits her eyes. So, she spends anywhere from 5 minutes to a half hour wiggling between us in our bed. I love snuggling with my girls, but at this hour of the day, it is the number one reason I covet a California King size bed.

My daily aim is to be out the door and headed to the office by 7:00 am. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, who doubles as the father of the century, because he actually enjoys spending the morning time with the kids, getting them ready for their days.

Although our office "rule" is that I take no appointments before 9:00, so that I have two solid hours to get actual work done, my appointments keep creeping earlier and earlier. On this day, my appointments started at 8:30. By 9:30 I had to be in Family Court for four morning court appearances. Once I got to Family Court, the added another court appearance, which is never a good sign for my day.

At noon, I quickly scoot back to the office to finishing preparing for my afternoon trial and hopefully grab a bite for lunch. My very wonderful law partner {and life partner} runs out to grab me a healthy wrap and a not so healthy soda {ahhhhhh....blessed caffeine}.

Back to court by 1:00 for a sixth court appearance, plus a custody trial. We remain in the rather {contentious} custody trial until nearly 5:00, by which time my nerves are absolutely shot.

Custody trials {more on these some other time} are the most difficult part of what I do. Having two {or more} people that love a child and truly feel they can provide the best life for a child fight over that child's best interests is emotionally exhausting. And, it is so much more than emotions, because I have to endure the emotions to keep the legal procedures, and my client's rights, in check.

After court, quickly run home to dinner and get the girls ready for the evening. Abby has ballet class on Tuesday evenings, so we are all back out the door before 6:00. On this night, we also are stopping to pay respects to a truly wonderful man, Benny, who was a community icon and whose family was interwoven themselves with our own.

Then, I am back out the door to local town court to represent a client on criminal charges at 7:00 p.m. I am finally back home, for the end of my day, at 8:00.

Unfortunately, I have missed bathe, book and bed time. Izzy is already tucked in and Abby has one foot in the bedroom. Quick snuggles, then I am back to work. I finally finish my paperwork for the office around 10:30, which is when I collapse into bed.

Then of course, the hamster wheel began again this morning at 5:15 when Abigail climbed into bed.

I do love my life.......some days I just wish it was more......quiet.

Hope a day in the life of you is a happy one!

i love this book

I absolutely love this book.

"The Little Yellow Leaf" by Carin Berger.

When I ran into First Edition to pick up some birthday gifts for an adorable little 3-year-old named Tanner, I saw this book set on the Thanksgiving display. I quickly "leafed" through the pages and saw enough to be interested.

The story of friendship and facing fears of the unknown is rather simplistic, but is incredibly apropos for our little ones. I love too the illustrations, which used recycled paper as composite for the trees, leafs and littlest details.

Please check this book out - adorable!

happy international day of non-violence

In an {unrelated} follow-up to my posts about divorce - here's a cheer to today!

I wish more people could celebrate and embody the best of Gandhi in this world.

divorce-cakes

So, I am a divorce lawyer.....that is my chosen profession. Before you simply stop reading out of disgust, please know that I love what I do.

My parents were divorced while I was in college. It was a life-rocking event, fraught with many emotions, most being hyper-charged. At the time, I only knew one other kid that I had grown up with whose parents had divorced. It was taboo. It was forboden. It was just wrong.

But, my family has survived that trauma. Yes, there are some lasting scars that will always remain raw, but our family has overall turned out for the better.

I think it is because of this life-shaking time occurring simultaneous with the time in which I was blossoming as an individual is why I love what I do. I love being a divorce lawyer.

The issues come very simply to me. I am passionate about my clients and their families. Yes, sometimes I am more of a social worker than a profound legal machine, but that's part of the glory. I am simply a person helping another person get through a difficult period of their life.

I have been a divorce lawyer for over seven years. I love it. Sure, there are days that I hate it. But, I wouldn't chose any other area of the law in which to practice.

So, when I saw this post this morning, I knew I needed to share it. Let the divorce be a merry occasion - I love finding occasions to celebrate! And the width of my hips demonstrate that I am the first to celebrate with cake! As "she" famously said - "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!"

oh henry!

My BFF Jenny Linn and her loving husband Will and their daughter Samme welcomed a new member to their family on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. William Henry Newcomer VI weighed in at 6 lbs. 3 oz.

Henry, You are absolutely beautiful and a very blessed little boy. Your family already loves you more than you can ever imagine!!

Sara, Thank you for the gift you have given. You have touched more hearts than you can imagine. May you always have happiness and sunshine in your life.

Jenny and Will, I am so envious of these early parenting days!! While we all know how sleepless they can be, we all know just how precious they are!!

Samme, You are going to be such a magnificent big sister! Make sure to teach Henry all those important things about being a great kid! He is going to need help learning how to drink tea and you will have to make some mud pies for him to enjoy. Once he is a little bigger, he can be the dinosaur to your princess (Daddy will always be your knight in shining armor!). Make sure to give Henry many smooches for all of us.

We love you all and cannot wait to meet Henry!

XXOO

let's go norwich

Steve and I were so incredibly privileged to grow up in a small town that placed a great deal of emphasis on our local school system. When we were in high school, we were fortunate to be in classes that were very athletic. Our '93 and '94 football and basketball teams made to state finals, becoming state champions. We were a part of an incredible movement of Norwich pride, when the teams traveled throughout the state to compete. It still swells my heart to recall attending basketball games in Glens Falls and to see this giant arena filled with people I knew from my hometown, swathed in purple.

Now that we have returned to our hometown to raise our precious girls, we have made a conscious effort to expose them to that hometown pride. I have already begun to notice that if the girls hear the word "Norwich" on the radio, they will become excited about hearing the word... their pride exhibiting at such a young age.

In Norwich, the high school football and basketball games are a BIG deal. The entire community comes out to support our high school athletics program. It is an EVENT. Although we know many people in the community, we don't know any of the players, per se, but when it comes down to it, we want the girls exposed to the community pride that exists in Norwich.

So, tonight, as Norwich kicks off, I am hoping that our girls are not only picking up something about the rules of football, but that they are also learning a great deal about where they come from and what is important in life.

Go Norwich!

going to the chapel and they're gonna get married

Alexis, one of my very best friends and Isabella's godmother, is getting married! Yippee!! The wedding is ten days away and we are all VERY excited.

I have the very great honor to serve as her matron of honor and Steven is also deeply honored to be reading at the service.

This last month before the wedding I have been thining about her frequently, knowing so well that this is when the stress of it all comes to bear.

Now, the last month before my wedding to Steven dearest was...delightful. It was not until the last week that Bridezilla came out. Steven was a treasure during our entire engagement, he went above and beyond helping me to get all the details taken care of and was exceedingly patient during whatever crisis I faced on a {daily} basis for our eighteen-month engagement. But, that last week was AWFUL. On Monday, I learned that they were unable to get the flowers I wanted. On Tuesday, I discovered that we had purchased the wrong votive holders for the favors. On Wednesday, I learned that I had misspelled my grandmother's name in the program...and had to find ivory colored white-out to make corrections. At some point during the week I ended up locked in a closet crying and yelling at Steve as if it were the end of the world. We've all been there....which is why I have been happy thoughts to Alexis this past month. On the phone last night she says that Vin has been just great this week, so much help and she doesn't know how she would get throught this without him. I told her that's because it is the "week before" the "week before" the wedding.

We know that if you survive the trauma of wedding planning together, you are made to last!

Alexis, I continue to send you happiness and thoughts of joy and smooth-planning these next ten days. Everything will be beautiful and I wish I was closer to help with all the last minute details!!! XXOO

it's raining money!

why oh why could I not have been Florida this morning!!!!

the next mia?

Abigail was so excited yesterday. She kept telling everyone that it was her first day of basketball. Close enough....it was her first day of soccer. She had a blast!!!

Many of Abby's friends were part of the "team" - Emma, Nicholas, Addyson, Alexis, Xander. They are all very cute!
Iz and Daddy had a great time too. Iz was "trapped" on the playground for most of the practice - the swings are an absolute toddler draw!

We are looking forward to many more hours aside the soccer field, as Abby follows in the footsteps of Chel, Ree Ree and Mia......

happy birthday poppy skip

go big blue

When I married my husband, I took a vow. Yes, for better and for worse and all that. The most important vow to my husband though was the one where I give him sixteen days a year. Sixteen days of Giants football.

Now, growing up, my father was a Giants fan. He still is.

My mother is a Giants fan.

My stepfather is a Giants fan.

My siblings are Giants fans.

My best friend is a Giants fan.

My best friend's entire family are Giants fans. (okay, we give exception to her loving husband, but only because he permits Samme to be a Giants fan)

Even my sixth grade teacher was a die hard Giants fan.

It only made sense that I married one.

Now that we have children, our children are Giants fans. My husband will tell anyone who asks, our family's blood runs blue. You have to understand however, that we are only Giants fans. We do not observe any other sport. We only watch the Giants. It is akin to religion in our house. It is also akin to blasphemy if you praise any other team in my husband's presence.

This is the second week of my Husband's allotted eighteen. We awoke this morning to chanting in the house of "Goooooo Giants!!" Of course, place that in the mouths of babes and it sounds more like Gooooo Shiansh, but it still is impossibly cute.

We all adorn our Giants gear. The troubling thing about the first weeks of the season is that our girls are so young that nothing from last year fits. Of course, between work, school, extracurricular activities and LIFE, I have forgotten to get Iz her new jersey this year. Oh, what an {absolutely awful} mommy I felt like this morning as I had my jersey on, Abby put her jersey on and Daddy got his jersey on. Then the crestfallen, heartbroken little face of our home's biggest Giants fan. Iz was crushed.....no Giants jersey that fits!

Daddy attempted distraction by a trip to the kids gym, while I ran to the grocery store. In my journey, I quickly ran over to the sports store. I searched and searched - lo and behold, tucked behind many racks were a few remaining jerseys. Of course, the shirts are ten sizes too big, even in a child's small. But for our Iz, that is of no consequence, it merely makes it a dress! Iz could not contain her excitement when I brought the token home. There was much hopping up and down, shrieking, and general mayhem....over a Giants jersey. You should have seen the beaming coming from Daddy's face.

Now our children, ages 3 and 4, are not such devout fans that they are actually able to sit and watch the Giants game, but it is spirit that counts. It is probably for the best anyway, given that my normally even-headed husband is prone to swearing on par with a sailor during game time. The girls run off...playing with their babies, playing house, playing princess {while wearing their jerseys of course} intermittantly shouting "Go Giants!" when the spirit overcomes them.

Thank heavens they won, my life will remain sane for the next week. Only fourteen more weeks to go. If I am incredibly lucky, we will get eighteen more weeks - although the extra four are fraught with more tension than the preceding sixteen!!!

Go Giants!!

me love cookie

As mommies everywhere know, our children develop overwhelming fascinations {obsessions?} with the characters they observe in their life. Many mothers I have spoken with agree that some of this is dependent on the very unhealthy over marketization of everything in this day and age....also known as the Disney syndrome.

Yes, both of our beautiful girls adore Ariel and in fact anything at all Disney Princess. Abigail's favorite princess actually oscillates between Ariel and Cinderella at the moment. Isabella will run to anything Ariel and also has an unnatural affinity for Spiderman. The girls also, of course, attract to anything relating to horse, any characters that can be seen on Playhouse Disney, Dora the Explorer and other PBS icons, and much to Mommy's chagrin, Spongebob Squarepants.

These affinities borne by our children come nothing close to Isabella's love of Cookie Monster.

Isabella loves Cookie Monster.

She will tell us at least once daily that she plans to marry Cookie Monster. Not only will she tell us, but she makes sure that every person in her orbital life also knows that she is going to marry Cookie Monster. Steve picked up Isabella from PreSchool the other day and was talking to her teacher about how her day went. Mrs. Jones advised Daddy that Isabella had told her earlier in the day that she would be marrying Cookie Monster. Mrs. Jones has been a teacher with BOCES for over twenty years. She may have taught my own sister and brother when they were enrolled at BOCES. This is the first she has heard of a child marrying Cookie Monster. Apparently, she isn't the only teacher Isabella told that day. The teachers were conferring the following day and discovered that she had told each of them, individually, that she would be marrying Cookie Monster. You have to understand that not only is it a simple matter of fact in her life that she will be marrying Cookie Monster, but when she tells you, this inner ray of sunshine seems to explode, which exudes from her every pore, a smile overcomes her face and her eyes twinkle with an exceptional shine. You cannot help but truly feel that she will marry Cookie Monster.

Now, Isabella has thought out this marriage. She has truly embraced the idea of what it is to marry the Cookie Monster. She will tell you that all they will eat is cookies. She will also tell you that once she marries Cookie Monster, she will turn blue, just like him. {who needs a diamond when you can simply turn blue?} She will also tell you that she will be living with him on Sesame Street.

I suppose that Daddy is okay with this marriage, given that he is generally opposed to even the idea of our girls having male friends, let alone considering the idea of marriage. This is also a marriage that will not be nearly as costly as that of Abigail, who had decided two years ago {at the age of three} that she would be married in a French Chateau. Truly, a French Chateau. She has picked out the particular French Chateau, a picture of it is hanging on our refrigerator.

In the meantime, we are remembering this beautiful innocence of Isabella.....saving up on this memory and storing it in a safe place. We, of course, intend to remark about it in our toast to her on her wedding day.

XXOO

my little sunshine

My little ray of sunshine started ballet class last night. The poor sweetheart was absolutely thrilled at the start of the dance year....she has been looking forward to it for weeks. In the past month, she has developed a "Mommy! Watch this!" mantra that includes her striking a dance pose which is truly heartfelt. With not even one week of our first year of school under our belt, Steve and I rushed through our day and court appearances throughout the county (not to mention the obligatory overnighted dance clothes and shoes!), a quick dinner and so forth in order to get her to class on time. She practically leaped her heart out to get as quickly as she could from the car to the dance studio, demanding to know where "Miss Samantha" was so that she could begin her class as soon as possible. The last four minutes before class was to begin was absolutely excruciating for this little 4-year-old! Finally, Miss Samantha was ready and the dozen or so prima ballerinas were herded into the room.

Mommy patiently waited in the waiting room - a blessed found hour of time for Mommy to catch up on mail and so forth from the office that was stowed in my {giant} purse. After the hour was up, a very red-cheeked ballerina emerged, with eyes filled with tears. When I kneeled down to ask how her first day of ballet was, the tears nearly burst-forth and she whispered that she "just couldn't do all the moves". Oh, my. Mommy's already very full heart nearly exploded in grief. After an enveloping hug and gentle kisses to the ballerina's forehead, Miss Samantha explained that there were some tears during class and that she was permitted to sit to the side for a short while.

Sweet little ballerina, we patiently explained, it comes with many hours of practice. It took Miss Samantha many years to be as wonderful as she is. And we know that your talent is lying just before the surface, ready to explode. And, you are Four Years Old. Do we not all recall how necessary it was at that age to be just perfect at everything? How you have lived life so long and should just be able to do everything just so?

After we returned home to bathtime and "homework", our little sunshine was able to demonstrate all that she had learned her first day of ballet. The leaps were especially impressive {run, run, leap!}.

We embolden our girls to know that they can and will be the best at anything their precious hearts' desire. But, oh, how it breaks Mommy's heart to have to explain the disappointment when it doesn't come immediately.

Cheer up little girl! It is only Nine more months until you are up on that stage again, dancing your little heart out!!

XXOO

Drum Roll Please.......

Okay. So I have been busy for the last {seven} months. However, someone has been encouraging me to get on the ball, so I must. With the new school year upon us, I have endeavor to make many life changes to ensure a better quality, higher functioning life for the whole family.

One of the promises I have made to myself is to blog more regularly so that I may keep all of our dear friends and family updated on the life and times of all things Natoli. Too many of our closest and dearest live either 2 hours away or 2,000 miles away and we are not able to enjoy their wonderful company on a daily basis. I have enjoyed their family posts for some time now and want to return the favor.

So, check back often, as I hope to post more regularly!

kids, law and the eiffel tower

I have been inspired by reviewing the blogs of so many friends, acquaintances and others, that I felt it was time to share my own....so here we are. With so many interests and involvements, I don't know that it is possible to narrow down to a single theme, although I am sure one will present itself eventually. I would like to use the opportunity to share the enjoyment of our little ladies, who serve as my own personal inspiration to get up and out of bed in the morning. I hope you are able to join me on this wonderful journey.