Mrytle Beach with the cousins

Good Morning!

Early Christmas

Ghita enjoyed eating her presents

Luciano LOVED all his presents.

Bella got a lot of good loot too!

Big girl with a cracker.

Christmas came early this year.  The kids opened up their gifts today on the west coast.  They were super thrilled with everything.  We spent the afternoon putting together many lego sets.  I think I enjoyed it more than Bella who prefers to play with them after.  She spent the afternoon playing with her Friends pool set in her room.

Bella's Christmas Recital

Bella played the role of Mary.

Here she is with her manger.

Luciano's Christmas Concert

Luciano enjoyed this so much he asked the principle if he could join the choir.  He starts in January and will sing in church once a month.

Picture time.

 After the recital they had refreshments in the church hall where you can see the kids holiday ornaments their classes made.

Bella's class ornament

Luciano's class ornament

Luciano's Gingerbread house

Bella's Medusa costume has been changed into an elegant party dress.  And the heritage outfit will be her Christmas dress.

Ghita's first birthday

She was super excited about the singing, fire and food and squealed through the song.

This time around I went to the pros for the cupcakes, "Sprinkles".

Gingerbread House 2013

Living Nativity

Bella the angel and Luciano the wise man.

Christmas Card 2013

Yup, I got a winner!

Post Thanksgiving hangout

Ghita likes to climb in baskets

Thanksgiving 2013

Luciano rolling out the pie crust.

Kid's table

After dinner playtime.

Ghita's new friend

Ghita ate non-stop then went home and slept it off for 12 hours.

Carolyn made a wonderful juicy turkey on her 25th anniversary of being a vegetarian.

Sunday

After church the kids and I went to Disney for lunch and a few rides. Ghita LOVES Rosetta they shared some good laughs.

And here is how Dad spent his Sunday on set.

Star Student

Luciano is star student this week.  This means he has a board dedicated to him at school with pictures of him and his family, he gets to tell the weather report, go to the front of the line and on Friday he gets to give everyone a small gift that comes out of the treasure box.  The treasure box is a cardboard box that he gets to decorate.  Most kids just wrap it in paper but not Luciano.  He worked out a dragon design with Dad.

Describing the dragon.

Here he is with his board.

Heritage Day

Thanks Grandma for the last minute costume request for an Italian outfit.  Bella was excited to go to school in it.

Luciano's latest work

Here his is with his painting from last week and today's turtle. Each week they work from a masters image, learn about the artist and do their take on it. This week was this girl. And poof she is turned into a teenage mutant ninja turtle.