11/10/20 – I’m Almost An Ice Cube!

This morning, you woke up at 7a and got yourself dressed. I asked if you had good sleep and you said “why yes!” We had two more house showings today so we weren’t able to make breakfast & mess up the kitchen. You were excited that meant we HAD to stop and get donuts! Before we left, you decided you needed to change your clothes because you needed to wear a pretty dress to your dentist appointment lol.

In the car on the way to Dr. Mac, I was singing and you said “Mom, can you please stop singing? I can’t enjoy the song if you are singing.”

I picked you up after Spanish class & I had to bring Harry because one of the showings was at 5:30p. You were so excited that he came to pick you up. You brought him to the gate so Ms. Ida could pet him. We headed home really quick to drop Harry off. In the car, you asked “can you turn down the air conditioner? I’m chilly!! I’m almost an ice cube!” That cracks me up because you are always hot! When we got home, you were playing in your kitchen and realized there was a new rolling pin. You ran into my room and said “thanks for the new rolling pin mom!” I was surprised you noticed!!

  • Riding home with Harry!
  • Ready to pague la cuenta!

We met Daddy at Mi Pueblo for dinner because again we have two more showings tomorrow. You were practicing “como te llamas?” which you had just learned in class today. You would yell it out randomly as servers walked by and then get made that they didn’t respond. I told you they weren’t having a conversation with you and didn’t know you were talking to them. You were still not happy about that lol.

Of course you wanted to ride home with Daddy. When I got home, I took you to bed and we read a few stories. You insisted on sleeping at the foot of the bed & you wanted Harry to sleep with you. I told you that you could sleep upside down if you just lay still and close your eyes. You were out in 5 minutes!

Grandma Noot received two offers on the house while I was in with you! I’m so excited to make progress toward making our dream home a reality!

I love you so much!

11/9/20 – Italian Passport Success!

You slept like a rock in your bed last night and woke up with dry night pants for the 3rd day in a row. We got dressed and ready earlier than expected, so we stopped for a quick bagel before heading to the Italian Consulate. In the car on the way there you said “Coffee is like when you are exhausted and you need to wake up” because you were worried Daddy might not get a coffee. Although the tropical storm wasn’t bad at all, all the Starbucks and donut shops were closed.

When we arrived at the Consulate, you were excited to be there. You played quietly and sat with Daddy while I was working with the Deputy. Because of the storm, the person who needed to finalize our marriage license, which allows them to register your birth in Italy, wasn’t there, so they have to mail your passport as soon as that is complete. I did receive mine and you wanted to hold it, look at it and carry it around. I was so happy to get it and when I finally had it in my hand, it made me tear up. I have waited 5 years for this day and I’m so grateful to pass Italian Citizenship on to you. I hope you love this beautiful country and appreciate your citizenship as much as I do.

  • Girl on a passport mission!
  • Afraid to get wet
  • You crack me up with crossed legs!
  • Passport Success!!

We headed back to hotel to pack up and hit the road back home since we couldn’t enjoy the pool. The drive was easy and not too much rain. We stopped in Naples for lunch. You never did nap which surprised me. We played lots of games and you quizzed us about words that started with letters you picked.

As soon as we got home, Grandma Noot asked if she could show our house at 6:30p so we unpacked quick and watched Lion Guard, so we weren’t tempted to tear up the toy room lol! We took Harry and went to Hob Nob for dinner since he needed to be out of the house too. You were grumpy at dinner and didn’t eat much. We had to stop at the office to grab groceries, which I accidentally had delivered there. Romo was still working and you were excited to show her that Harry was with us.

On the way home you were trying to fall asleep. I didn’t realize HOW tired you were. We went straight to bed and you were completely zonked out by 8:15p. You were a champ this weekend….really the last two weeks.

I love you so much!

11/8/20 – You Don’t Have to Sleep With Me

This morning, we had to get ready for our open house, get ready for photos with Santa and get ready to leave for Miami! You wanted me to paint your nails to match mine…red with Christmas trees, so I gave it a try! They were so cute!

We had a Santa experience photoshoot this morning and you got to write your letter to Santa and watch Frozen II while we waited for our turn. Daddy helped you with your letter and you threw me a few curveballs by adding some new things you hadn’t asked for before, like a toy sleigh, a snowflake toy and a Christmas tree toy. Then you said “you can tell the rest, I’m worried about the movie.” lol. During the shoot you got to make cookies with Santa, eat the cookies and you were so excited that you got a candy cane. I never actually let you eat one before and you were very excited to try it.

As soon as we left, you fell asleep in the car. We headed straight to Miami. We still are not sure if our passport appointment will be cancelled because of the storm (Hurricane Eta has had a crazy path and it’s still not certain if it will affect Miami). The drive was not bad, just light rain the whole way. You missed it because you slept 2.5 hours!

When we got to the hotel, you were excited to see our room and play. The wind and rain had really picked up. Daddy somehow got the window to open & you two were storm chasing from our room lol! We had dinner at the hotel so we didn’t have to contend with the weather. You changed into another dress & changed from Anna to Elsa braids a hundred times before dinner lol.

  • Face First Into Chocolate Ice Cream!

After dinner, the rain had stopped again, so we walked around the property to check it out. It was so pretty. The Biltmore Coral Gables has a 600,000 sq ft pool, which is one of the main reasons I booked it. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t permit us to swim! We headed back up to the room to play.

Of course, you stayed up a little later than usual because of your long nap. You & I headed to bed to snuggle and you told me “you don’t have to sleep with me Mama. You can sleep in your bed because it’s right there.” I asked if you were telling me to change beds. You said “no, you can stay here if you want. I’m just saying that you CAN go to your bed because I’m 4.” Good to know sweet girl. I told you I prefer to snuggle with you. You were out in no time.

I love you so much!!!!

11/7/20 – I Use These Things Now

This morning, you slept in until 8:30a & we skipped gymnastics to get more rest. You were still coughing last night and came to my room around midnight. When you woke up, your rolled over and gave me a huge hug. You were so excited to pack for Miami. We are leaving tomorrow after our Santa photos to get our Italian passports on Monday.

Daddy made breakfast and put your plate in front of you on the bar. You said “I want a big girl plate please. I’m 4 and a half, I use these things now!” After breakfast, you ran with me to the bank to get money orders for the passports & we ran some errands. All of a sudden you were starving & you asked to go to a restaurant, so we called Daddy to see if he wanted to meet us for lunch. He made a few suggestions and you said “how about Cheesecake Factory!” so that’s where we went!

After lunch, you went to Benderson Park with Daddy to play. You played on the play ground, ran through the maze and when you were finished you just wanted to sit in front seat with him and chat. I ran some errands and did some Christmas shopping since I had a few minutes alone.

When I got home, I needed to run to the office to finish some paperwork for our passports so you came with me. By the time we finished, you were starving again, so we met Daddy at Gecko’s. Very seldom do we eat out twice in a day and you thought that was pretty cool. You are the only kid I know who eats snack on the way into the restaurant! You were eating your leftover bread from lunch walking into Gecko’s.

After dinner, you took a nice long bath and then we watched Rio 2 for a little bit in my bed. I told you it was time to get night pants on and you insisted you still wanted to watch the movie. I told you we need to get some sleep because we are going to see Santa tomorrow. You said “I don’t want to see Santa!” I said, “you don’t? Why not?” You said, “I’m just fibbin’ I want to see Santa!” I turned on the weather channel because there’s a hurricane nearing Cuba and it may impact Miami, possible affecting our passport appointments. I said there’s a storm we need to watch. You said “oh man, that’s big!” then you rolled over and started snoring like a lawn mower! lol. I have no idea how you fell asleep so fast!

I love you so much!

11/6/20 – I Just Need to Rest

You coughed so much in the middle of the night that I decided to keep you home for the day. Chrissy and Olivia hung out with you for a couple of hours while I ran and did two closings. You all ate breakfast outside on the lanai and then you were playing. You both were running back and forth and you sat down and said running made your tummy hurt. Olivia went and asked if you were ok. You said “I’m ok Baby O. I just need to rest.”

I came back shortly after and we read books and snuggled for a bit. By 2p you were up and playing for the rest of the day. You definitely turned the corner. Grandma Noot called to check on you and she agreed to come over and hang out. We made dinner and you even ate some food finally!!!!

You got to do some Lingos with Daddy and then you were playing with your letter magnets with Grandma Noot. Somehow, you conned her into pretending to be Mufasa & you were Scar. You were throwing her off the back of the couch, reenacting the scene where he falls off the cliff. You were laughing soooo hard. It was good to see you feeling so much better!

I fell asleep with you in your bed and I didn’t wake up until after 11. I went to bed and then you came to my room not much after. I prefer to have you sleeping with me when you don’t feel good. You sleep so much better. I hope you feel better tomorrow.

I love you so much!

11/5/20 – I Want to Wait For Harry

We both stayed home today because you weren’t feeling good. You did eat an egg for breakfast and have some bunny crackers for a snack as well. We watched Toy Story 3 & 4 and snuggled on the couch. We had to get you dressed because Harold had to go to the groomer. You chose a Frozen nightgown & crocs!

When we got to PetCo you were an instant celebrity. Everyone was talking to you, asking you what your dog’s name is and one worker even took you to the treat bin and let you choose some treats for Harry. After we dropped him off, you sat down on the curb outside the store to wait for him. I told you we have to go because he’s going to be there for a long time.

You weren’t happy about leaving him, but you finally acquiesced. We FaceCalled Aunt Deb in the parking lot (you thought she needed the play by play update apparently lol) and then I tried to get you to eat lunch. You didn’t want anything. Not even ice cream! Instead, you asked to go to the library. You wanted to go to the library yesterday after pictures because we parked in their lot, but they didn’t open until 10. So, we went to Fruitville library & you got to pick anything you wanted. You handled your own checkout and scanned each book for the clerk. We left with about 30 books! We came home and immediately read at least half of them outside on the lanai! The weather was gorgeous.

I was surprised that you didn’t doze off and nap today. It was the perfect lazy day for it. You never did eat lunch. We went to get Harry when he was ready and we had some yogurt popsicles when we got back.

I made a grilled cheese for you for dinner. It took you all evening to eat it and you eventually ate 3 of 4 triangles. While you were watching TV, you grabbed your blanket and laid on the floor. All of a sudden you were out cold at 7:30p. I went to my room, turned down the bed and fluffed your pillow. I picked you up, carried you to my room and gently laid you in my bed. You immediately resumed snoring. Two minutes later, you were sitting straight up lol. We watched Ferdinand the Bull, you ate a little more of your grilled cheese and then you wrapped your arms around mine and were asleep in about an hour. You definitely need the rest.

I love you so much!

;

11/4/20 – Smiles For Miles

We had to get up extra early this morning because we had to take our Christmas photos with Alisa Sue this morning at 7a. I woke you up around 6:15a & you surprisingly woke up relatively happy, although slowly. I packed everything in the car last night to minimize what needed to be done this morning. You chose to ride with Daddy & you guys left just a few minutes before me. Unfortunately, you had to come back home to pick me up because my car battery was dead. I wasn’t thrilled that I had to move all the stuff I packed to Daddy’s car and that made us run a few minutes late, which I hate.

When we got out of the car, I realized I had forgotten to grab one box with our fuzzy white blanket and my shoes. All of our pictures just had to cut my feet off so you couldn’t see my flip flops lol!

You were absolutely riveting today. Every photo was a stellar smile and your eyes were lit up. We stopped at several cools spots downtown and every picture you took was great. You were so happy and snuggly. The look in your eyes when you were looking at us or kissing us was just pure love. Every photo she showed me in the camera was stunning. Twirly dress pictures, me & you kissing pictures, you hugging Daddy. All adorable. Then, you were complaining that you were chilly. It was a little cool & breezy, but I was surprised you were so frozen. Alisa makes you laugh every time she turns around, so she always gets the perfect shot. After we finished, we took Daddy to Five-O Donuts and then we headed to school. You told Ms. Amber at the gate that Ms. Alisa said hello!

I got this message from school. “This week at school we focused on corn. We discussed the different parts and the 3 different types. Feed corn, popcorn and sweet corn. They also worked hard strengthening their fine motor skills as the created their own multi color corn and plucked the kernels off the corn. We also worked on upper number recognition (10-20) with rote counting and one to one correspondence.”

At my office, a client stopped by to drop off a surprise for me. She painted a painting of you and I together and it was so pretty. It made me cry. The way to my heart is definitely through you!

Chrissy & Olivia picked you up from school. She said you didn’t look like you felt good. You were bummed because you thought I was going to pick you up. You were lethargic and didn’t eat any of your lunch, except a few bites of your sandwich. She brought you to my office and we ran to pick up my car at the dealership. When I got home, you were laying on the couch watching Toy Story. You ate some broccoli soup, but not a ton. You laid on my until I took you to bed at 8p. You wanted to watch Toy Story 2 in my bed. I told you it was too late and we would watch tomorrow. You said “ok Mama, goodnight.” I hope you sleep well & feel much better tomorrow.

I love you so much!

11/3/20 – Buenos Dias!

I didn’t feel you come to bed during the night, but when I woke up, you were snuggled up against me close. I stayed there, kissing your forehead for about 10 minutes…I could have stayed for an hour. I got up to do yoga and when I came back you were snoring so hard. You woke up and came out while I was making your lunch. It took a bit to get your dressed and ready today. You were a little whiny since you woke up because you went to bed so late the last couple of nights. You got it together and we had a good ride to school.

Today was your first Spanish class with Ms. Ida. When I picked you up, you were singing “Buenos Dias….Como estas.” We had to run back to my office for a few minutes so I could finish a closing. You ate some fruit and cheese while I finished and chatted with Bianca. As soon as I finished, we headed home to cook dinner. You were very easily upset all evening. You were tired & hungry, but hardly ate dinner. I took you to your room at 7:45p to read books and snuggle. We have pictures tomorrow super early (7a) and I don’t want you to be tired. You were out around 8:30p.

I love you so much!

11/2/20 – You Better Watch On Me!

You woke up at 7:30a and came out in the living room saying Good morning! When you were getting dressed, you decided you wanted to wear your America clothes…I told you election day is tomorrow, you should save your America clothes for that. The Giants play tonight, and they have America colors, so you should wear some Giants gear. Surprisingly, you agreed and chose to wear a cheerleader dress. I braided your hair and you got really upset because I couldn’t put your Elsa braid into your braid. I finally got you to calm down and hugged you for a few minutes. I’m not sure why you were so upset, but I didn’t want you to start the day this way.

You were cracking me up on the way to school. You were super excited about the candy corns that Aunt Deb gave you and you were telling me “I’m a big fan of Candy Corn. When I see it I’m going straight to it. Once I see it I’m gonna open the lid and tear it up. Yeah Boy. You better watch on me mom & tell me to stop because I’m gonna eat it fast!” What’s funny is you have never even tried candy corn before!

Today was your first Monday gymnastics class. We had to switch from Thursdays because this week you start taking Spanish class with Ms. Ida after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You had a great class and really took to heart Coach Nickie telling you that you are almost ready to move up to the 5 year old class. You had great listening ears and you were her class leader and demonstrator. She told you after class if you keep it up you will be moving up in no time!

After class, we headed home to make dinner. As we drove by Benderson Park you asked if we could stop to play. Sure, G, why not!?!?! The temperature dropped as soon as the sun started to go down & you still just wanted to wear your leotard. Good thing I brought your Giants shirt because it was breezy & even you got a little chilly. You had fun playing, climbing & swinging. We ran races in the hay maze & you smoked me every time! We played for about an hour & a half & then we were hungry.

Instead of cooking, we met Daddy at Cheesecake Factory. You walked right up to the hostess stand and politely asked for a table for three please! You wolfed down your grilled salmon and right before my food came you “yelled” at the table “I have to poooooooooop!! It’s coming now!” Yeah, that was awesome lol. We went and you were right! We made it just in time! You crack me up. On the way back to the table, we had to walk only on the blue square tiles because there were alligators on the floor!

At home, we played Jenga & checkers with Daddy. Once I said well it’s 9p, we need to go read books, you clung to Daddy and said he was taking you to bed. You got up twice for more water, once to pee and then once to come to the living room to play in your kitchen. It was 10:15p. I marched you back to your room, rocked you in the chair, and you were out in 5 min. Mama don’t play lol!!

I love you so much!

11/1/20 – Cheese Pizza

The clocks fell back an hour this morning & you didn’t get up until 8am. We played quietly while Daddy slept in a bit. We made breakfast, then headed to Urfer Park to meet Juniper & Eliza. We haven’t seen them since your birthday party. The two of you had so much fun playing together & of course sharing snacks. You insisted on wearing your mermaid tail despite it not being ideal park attire lol. We played really hard for about 2 hours & you were so hot & sweaty. I finally convinced you to take a break in the air conditioning of the car.

You wanted to go back out and play, but after some serious negotiating, you eventually agreed to go get some lunch. I asked what you were in the mood for & you immediately belted out “cheese pizza!” So, we headed to Joey D’s for pizza. You were dancing in the dining room like a champ. We took our leftovers home to Daddy (he stayed back to work for a little bit) and then we grabbed all the 3 Musketeers candy out of your trick or treat basket & headed over to visit Ms. Sandy. It was so good to see her. You were excited to give her the candy and gave her tons of hugs.

When we got home, you took a shower with me. I had to go to a funeral & you stayed with Daddy. You guys watched The Little Mermaid and played Jenga. When I got home, you were playing in the toy room in your jammies and Elsa braid. We played for a bit then went to your room to read books and do Lingos. You were lights out after some snuggles by 9p. What a fantastic weekend.

I love you so much!