... my birthday!

It's my birthday!  That is right ... and so here is how the day progressed:

1.  Breakfast in bed ... the family room couch ... as I woke up before my little one.  (Yes, she is still my little one!)

Notice the vase ... :) ... gossip magazines for my reading pleasure on my lazy birthday morn ... 

 Wheat thins in the shape of a heart ...

Melted cheese stick in the form of a "J" ... yummy ...

 A beautiful birthday balloon and card ... my dresses ... (gift) did not arrive on time ... so I will have an extended bday day when my presents actually arrive!


2. Lunch/Dinner at 131 Main ... one of my favorite restaurants!

Sorry for the non-artistic lunch/dinner pics ... it was late and we were starving!

 They have the best roasted artichokes and french fries!

 Creamed Spinach Dip ... for the table!

Filet Mignon and Smashed Red Potatoes ... (You know me ... I love angled pictures ... this one was a little excessive! :)

Ribs, Smashed Potatoes and Peanut and Ginger Slaw ... delicious!

Brownie alla mode in lieu of cake!

Yes, indeed, 131 never disappoints!

 The girls trying in an attempt at a "spontaneous" pic!

We were unable to make it ... but this actually was the spontaneous shot!

St. Peter's Cathedral - Another excessively angled pic .. I had my portrait lens and it was time for Mass ... this is the best I could do!

3. Mass at St. Peter's Cathedral - we have been in Charlotte for four years now and we had yet to go to Mass at the Cathedral ... I am more the traditional king of person ... no modern Church services for me ...  I have not gone to Mass in a while ... my faith has always been solid, but I have been somewhat distanced from the outward representations of my religion ... lately I feel that I should get back to taking the time to dedicate to my faith ... and the girls along with me ...  it was a beautiful service ... I am happy and hope I will have the consistency to keep this up with my family ... seems foolish to say, but lately it is too easy to let life get in the way!  

4. Movie.  I have been meaning to see 50/50, but for some reason or another we have been unable to go ... Mr. ... semplicemente ... j, was going to drop us off at the movies, run back home to feed and walk Dante and then come back to get us ... I realized that this really didn't make any sense ... so we decided to go home together ...  On our way home Nana said that 50/50 was rated R, so probably a movie to tough for Tittina ... it was a beautiful day so the movie was an extra that was not really needed.

5.  TV and relaxing at home.  So now we cuddle in front of a TV with a nice episode of Desperate Housewives and PanAm as we prepare for a brand new week!

What a wonderful birthday spent with my family ... hoping you had a wonderful day and of course a wonderful week to come!

... a dopo ... J

... quick update ... my new office ...

I am so very happy about my new office ... the purging of the papers and cleaning of the files I have been super productive ... opening and closing of the windows ... ahhhh ... when my friend L. saw me taking a pic of the office she just had to laugh ... I know only me ... I am so very happy though ... I love it ...

... and this is the breakfast of the day ... delicious! 

And now off I go running with the girls ... agenda for the day ... mani and pedi, them not me ... (I had mine already ... yeah) ... haircut ... Nana not Tittina ... off to buy a present for Tittina's boyfriend ... Nana is going to help at her friend's sisters wedding as a waitress ... how fun!  ... run back home and they get ready for two parties and if I feel up to it after all that running go to see a movie ... ahh just reading about my day makes me tired ... give me Chai Tea and my cozy bed ... it is cold outside!

Before I sign off ... countdown ... -1 ... my b-day is tomorrow.

... a dopo ... J

... it seems as everyday is bittersweet ...

As you know this is my daughter's senior year.  Lately everything seems bittersweet ... I know it may seem foolish and please do not get me wrong ... my heart is filled with excitement and happiness, but all events come with a myriad of emotions that at times is overwhelming.

I am so proud of my senior ... the beautiful intelligent young woman she has become ... the wonderful things she has accomplished despite my frequent travels ... her wonderful being ... 

Last night was her last football game of the season ... Homecoming ... we lost ... only by one point and to a school that I hate highly dislike ... they had a horrible gesture at the end of the game that was really distasteful ... We never like loosing, nobody does, but we especially hate loosing against them!

At the end of the game there were tears, yes ... there was the loss, but more importantly there was the fact that it was in fact the last game ... I guess I see her happy, upset, excited and nervous all at the same time and I want to protect her and make it all better ... but it is getting harder and harder for her life is becoming more and more her own ... no more asking for permission when there will be a college party ... no more curfews will be set ... no more sitting on the couch waiting for her to finish her homework ... no more yelling at her to clean up her messy room ... oh wait!  This is a good one!  

I am so very happy, so very blessed and so very melancholic ... I love her and am excited for this new chapter to begin ... (but I am allowed my moments right!)

"Central" not her school but the arch-rival ... part of a dance ... pre-game show!

Nana and the BFF! 

Nana and the Homecoming Queen!

Seniors!

Tittina was part of the Homecoming Court ... something I still don't quite get but the kids seem to love it.

Getting ready ...

Her b-friend was her escort ... how fun! Excuse the humungous boutonniere, I am not versed in the matter ... thought I was in good hands by going to a nice florist instead of the neighborhood super market!  Obviously ... I was wrong.  Thought that counts, thought that counts ... yes that was the mantra!

Tittina and the Prince!

Okay picture overload ... but they were so cute.

And as the rain set in and the cold weather took over the night slowly proceeded ... this is the beautiful image I am left with ... my girls ... my beautiful and lovely girls ...

A dopo ... J

... he is SOOOO lucky, I love him!

Today's post is dedicated to my shoes ... yes, you read right ... my shoes!  As 99.9% of the women in this world ... I am addicted to shoes ... 

But first things first ... I have written in other posts before that I always wait for the girls downstairs while they finish their homework ... I am not always awake, but I am there ... like I wanted my mom to be there when I had late study nights.  

Monday night was no different, (well, in actuality it was Tuesday as it was 1:03 AM), I fell asleep on the couch ... I recall Valentina telling me around 12:00 AM that she was done with her homework ... and then I remember falling back into my slumber!  Ahhh, why!  Usually I go up with her, but, of course not this time around ... I just stayed in the family room's couch dreaming ... dreaming ... only to be woken up by a chomping sound. Soon enough as I scanned the room and looked for my four legged son ... and sure enough he was the one responsible for the chomping sound. 

I remember clasping my hands together and saying, please, please don't let it be my camera ... half awake I looked at the coffee table and there it was ... my camera ... I sighed in relief. I swiftly grabbed my phone and shone the light on Dante ... and he had something I couldn't really make out ... I clasped my hands again and said ... please, please let it be a sock ... much to my distress I saw it was my shoe ... hands clasped I said, please, please, lets hope he just got the shoe ... hands now unclasped, breath held and light on ... I realized that he got my shoe and chomped on it really good ... and this is what I saw through my tears ... okay, there were no tears because I was flaming MAD!

You are kidding me, right !!! Is he acting innocent!  With all the cheap and old shoes that I have, WHY! WHY! did he choose one of my favorite pairs ...  I have tons of flip flops and shoes, old shoes too, why did he choose these shoes !!! Needless to say ... my plan did not go as I had hoped.

He is soooo lucky I love him ... or he would be working to pay back my shoes !!!  Oh, I was soooo depressed ... but this too passed!

***

Yesterday I moved to a new office, ex-HR office and you know what!  I love it! I have moved three times while with my company.  My first office was on the first floor ... I loved it!  My boss had shown me my office while the building was still in construction ... so this office had a special place in my heart ... aside from having my BFF in the office next door. Bonus!

Then I moved upstairs in the midst of the marketing department.  I liked my office, still very big, but no window or natural light.  

Then yesterday a third move ...  you see all "my" people are outside of the US, so I am a department of "me, myself and I", and really should be in an area that is on its own.

We are moving a few people around, departments that are growing, new desk requirements, so I ended up at the former HR office ... I love it ... I have a window again ... and I have the choice of when to put the window treatments up or down ... I love it!  This morning when I got in the sun was shining all over my new office ... I love it!  (Did I say that I love it! already?  Sorry, but I do!)

Hopefully not many more office moves for a while!

***

Breakfast in the new office ... Crispix and 1% milk!  

 Tomorrow I will give you a sneak peak at my new office ... looking good!

I am so happy ... I took advantage of the move to do cleanup ... I had a huge stack of paper to throw away ... I am actually ready for 2012!  How cool is that!

***

We are out of the State Cup ... that is right Tittina lost her game ... so loss means no states!  It is sad, because they deserved to go to States ... but that is it ... for this season ... this is it!  One more tournament, and that is it for the year.  I guess she can know rest a little.

***

My eyes are closing, Tittina is in the home office studying .... so I better go hide everything that is edible or not, and everything that looks scrumptious.

I should go now as I am starting to type what my mind is dreaming ... Tittina hurry up! I yell ...  OK, I don't yell, but the rest is true!

All my best ... grazie a tutti ... J

... pasta for dinner ...

Today we went to the last game of the Volleyball season ... it was a good season,  but now it is time for a little rest.  I am excited that V will have a little more time for herself ... time to do homework at a normal hour ...

Dinner was so easy tonight ... just because I had already made the ragu' the day before yesterday ... so I just had to boil the pasta, make a quick salad ... and that was it.  I actually wanted Penne and with my full cupboard of pasta in all sizes and shapes, there were no penne to be found.

Usually my pasta boxes all face the same way ... note to self:  organize pantry!

All shapes and sizes ... but no Penne! You can't tell, but there is an additional row of pasta behind this row ... there is also more pasta to the right ... I just had a macro lens I was too lazy to change!  

We finally decided on Farfalle ... my friend C. always makes fun of how we actually choose the format and type of pasta with great care ... but in my household the type of pasta is EXTREMELY important!  There is a specific mood for one or the other, and there is a specific pasta depending on the sauce.

So here they are Farfalle al Ragu' ... 

Now back to my waiting for Tittina to finish her homework, yell a little, correct a little spanish homework ... and yes, falling asleep on the house.

So with this I wish all of you a good night!  A domani ... J

... First Powderpuff Game ...

Yesterday it was the Powderpuff Football game for the girls.  Last year I was traveling and missed it only to receive a call in Mexico in the middle of a show telling me how rude one sister or the other and their friends had been.  Words had been exchanged, there was not one story that matched!  Needless to say it was very hard for me to deal with this drama long distance!  

The above is a very short summary, believe me their were tears and scolding, yelling and emails ... it was NOT pretty.  So as you can gather I was NOT looking forward to this year's event.

The first game went on without much drama ... Sophomores (Tittina's team) vs. Freshman.  The game was civil and the Sophomores came out in front 8 - 0.  

The Freshman (or is it Freshmen?) cheerleaders were great ... the Sophomore cheerleaders were no where in sight ... (most were at a school soccer game!).

(You can see Tittina in her yellow cleats)

Then it was the Seniors (Nana's Team) turn against the Juniors.  All good until the last 3 minutes, that is when things started getting a little heated ... yet not too bad.  The Seniors won 16 - 0.

Pre-game huddle.  Nana is sporting Carolina Blue Socks ... or as close as the Carolina Blue she could get!

***

Sophomore cheering ???  Who knows who?  (Seniors for her sister? Uhmmm, I can't guarantee!)

Finally ... it was time for the showdown ... Seniors vs. Sophomores!  (I of course have a daughter in both grades ... I did double cheering and double clapping!)

It was ROUGH ... a very rough game, especially towards the end ... things started getting ugly!  There were always two girls on Valentina ... she is a tough cookie ... they had to take care of her I guess ...

Not in focus - but you get the picture!

Here we go the two teams, the two girls ... yellow cleats, blue tights!

Let's just say that by the end of the night everyone was kind of upset, but aside from the change in mood towards the end, it was an exciting game.

Score 8 - 6 Sophomores win ... Class of 2014 wins again!

I am sure glad that I have one more year before I have to do this again! (And I am even happier that I will only have one child to cheer on!)

... a dopo ... J

... and the countdown begins ... - 7

Yes, the countdown begins ... Sunday is my b-day ... and the countdown really isn't about celebrating my b-day anymore, however I do care about finally starting to live the year I wanted live ... I am NOT where I want to be ... I am not running like I should or want to ... lately I am full of excuses ... I have no energy, this is true ... but still I could push myself a little harder ... I have not been as good as I should even with Dante's walks ... even more excuses ... I have to get a hold of this!  

I really like to feel great on my b-day ... start ... with energy ... feeling that am doing things I want to be doing through a new year a new chapter in my life.  This year I have not been that successful ... after my injury I lost all the drive that used to come so easily for my workouts ... but, I want to get back.  


I also want to get back to a going to Mass.  My faith is strong and has always been ... it is very complicated though ... but that would be for another post ... I love going to Church, but when it is empty and I can be alone with my thoughts and my prayers ... but I have been thinking that I need to get back to going to Church even if I am with my thoughts while Mass is going on ... I want to know that I take time out of my day to go to Mass.  This one is going to be hard, I know, because I know myself ... I do not always coincide with the way the Catholic Church has changed ... I go against the trend ... I like traditional mass ... the way it used to be ... and today ... well, lets just say it is not like it used to be.  But I want to start going more regularly.  So, I will keep you posted!

***

The morning was lazy ... I woke up ... stayed up for a little bit ... just enough to calm my hunger with yummy Crispix.

Without intention I fell back asleep ... I am embarrassed to say at what time Tittina and I woke up ... it was VERY late ... lets just say that the day was almost half-over when we woke up ... and lets just say after I woke up I rushed to make lunch ... hint ... hint!

Lunch was incredibly satisfying and delicious ... I know, I have said it before ... I am modest this way ... :)

The weather was perfect so we decided to go out to the Greenway for a walk with Dante, before he got too comfy in our lounge chairs ... 


Judging from the paw prints, guess who is the one taking advantage of those chairs lately.

Here we are at the Greenway ... and I am walking, not running :( At least I got a little walking in though.

He made lots of friends along the way ...

 

The girls had to cleanup at school after last night's Boo Bash ... and they both had things to prepare for the upcoming Powderpuff game and spirit week ... so  it was only us three ... Dante, Mr. ... semplicemente ... j, and I ... 

I just can't believe that they have grown so much ... I am so happy that they have their activities and their lives but I miss them and moments like these, simple beautiful moments on the couch laughing with Dante, watching TV.

Dante the banana loving doggy! 

Dinner

This recipe is from my sister in law ... Arroz con Almendras ...  or  Rice with Almonds ... well, I did not have almonds in my house tonight, so I completed the dish without the almonds ... I have to admit the almonds do give the rice a unique flavor, but the rice was so good that even like this everyone went back for seconds ... so Mamma was happy!

Now the house is winding down as we prepare for a new week and the countdown begins ... minus 7.

... a dopo ... a domani ... buon lavoro a tutti ... J