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!