They're 2 they're 4 they're 6 they're 8...

Saturday:

3:42am...why am I up???? Shaun has a full belly but he's not sleepy...great. So we sat up for a few hrs and I tried to convince him to sleep but he wasn't having it. Finally by 5:45 he surrendered ...but by that point I was up so instead of sleeping I texted Aunt Aunts (aka Alicia) because she was already in route to NY for the big party. Everyone must have been excited for today because the whole house was up by 8am...guess it's time to get moving. So Mike & I headed to the store for bagels and some last minute items while Nini & PopPop handled the boys. I realised late last night that I didn't have a charger for our camcorder so we went to go look for one while we were out. Of course once we got to the store there were a billion options and we didn't have the camcorder with us so we just left and Mike said he would go back later with the camcorder. We have had this camcorder a since before Lino was born and we hardly ever use it...usually we forget or we forget to charge it and when we want t use it we can't because its dead. Either way we are pretty bad about using it so I want to take advantage of it today if possible to record all the fun Lino is going to have.  It's going to be a beautiful day today which is great for the pool party!  While we were out I got to talk to my grandma for a while which was nice, I missed hearing her voice. 

Once we got home Aunt Aunts was already at the house. She did her auntly duties and put Shaun to sleep...nice!  She also got a nice welcome when she or to the house. Lino ran to her and gave her a kiss which was super nice. Even Siesta was excited to see her...she jumped up all over her leg from the excitement! We got all caught up on how things were going for her and how things were going for us in Ireland. She was so impressed with my friend making skills as well and she loves reading the blog. But she hates all the spelling errors...to bad. We had a good laugh about my horrible spelling and how I didn't even really care that it was that horrible. Hahaha. Then Nini joined in on the fun of making fun of my spelling too...we all had a good laugh. Good thing I'm a good sport and can laugh at myself...otherwise it could have been bad :-)  So since they were making fun of my spelling I took a quick survey on how bad my spelling is on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst. Aunt Aunts initially said 4 followed by when she reads the blog she just wants to go thru and red line all my mistakes...I was dying laughing. I told her that wasn't as bad as I thought she would say...so I was happy. Then she was like can you at least spell clothes right...I know that I'm spelling it wrong but I've been typing it that way for so long that I just don't think about it...but have no fear I'll do my best to fix it. Then Mike said it was a 3...and again...not as bad as I thought it would be. Then Nini chimed in with a 4.5 but I think she was just trying to get a reaction out of me...but it didn't work...I think she really thinks its a 4...so again not as bad as I thought it would be. She was like, your last post was horrible...I couldn't understand what you were trying to say, I had to read it 2x to figure it out...hahahaha. Like I said in my first blog...I'm a horrible speller and I just type like I talk which isn't always proper and I usually type this in a mad panic while holding/playing with Shaun and its usually between the hours of 10:30pm - 1:00am and I'm typing on my little phone and don't have time to go back and double check spelling and grammar ...so not the best of conditions. But it's all good, I like the imperfections ...the boys will enjoy making fun of mommy when they read this when they are older. Oh and most people won't read this after a few months so no reason to try and pretend I'm a good speller. Oh oh oh another factor is that I have this Irish phone with the Irish dictionary so spell check doesn't really help me out...all this stuff is stacked up against me...hahahaha. The one comment that I did take to heart is that the background of the blog makes it a little hard to read and that the font is a little small...so I'll try to fix that and await more feedback. 

So anyway we finished prepping for the party and Mike went to get the 2 hero sandwhiches...6ft of meat!  Lino, Alicia and Mike went in for a pre-party dip but it was cold so they didnt stay in long. A little cuddle time to stay warm...

Lino loves jumping in...I can't help but take a picture every time he does it...

The group pic in the pool!

Then we got our second guest (Aunt Aunts was first of course) Tash & Sarah in from Philly!!! It was good to see them because they haven't seen Lino since their wedding last year. So of course Mike was happy to see Tash and they just chatted it up like no one else was around...which is pretty normal. Next guest was right at 1pm...Roseann & Jeff. They brought the cakes with them...one was the Thomas the train themed #3...for Lino of course and a shamrock for our going away...she made the shamrock herself...which was pretty cool. 

After that the guest just started trickling in. Mike and PopPop kept asking me if I was going to get into the water because I usually don't...it's hard work to fix my hair after getting it wet but I told them I would since its Lino's birthday... :-/  So we had a nice crowd and a lot of loyal blog readers...whoop whoop!!! Everyone had a comment about it...pretty much all good and I was amazed. I still got a few comments about my cloths vs clothes and about the background but that was about it...sweet. So other than the blog the other nice thing was that Shaun and Lino were out for a nap at the same time!!! Nini had tried to put Lino down first but he wasn't having it and he came to sit with me outside on the deck. But I knew he was tired so I just rocked him until he fell asleep...sweet success!!!!

So both boys were sleep...Shaun was sleeping with Nan and Lino in the bed. That hardly ever happens...and they both slept for about 2hrs if not more...perfect!!! Shaun was the first to wake up and everyone was on him like white on rice...he loves the attention anyway and he was thrilled to be held by all the family and friends...you didn't hear a peep out of him. Then sometime around 3 or so Lino made his grand appearance. He's not a great waker upper so it took a few min for him to warm up to everyone...it took me telling him that everyone was here for his birthday party to get him to break out of his shell. He was so excited to have his birthday party and to open his gifts that we had to open one gift right away!!!  That made him super happy!!! So after that he played for a while but he never forgot about the rest of the gifts so we were not able to distract him for long so we just opened gifts. He is so loved its amazing. He got a ton of cars and trains he was so excited. He has so many cars that he could become a car dealer...it's unreal. He loves everyone of his toys too...he usually takes his newest ones to bed with...it's really cute. He had a ball...and he wanted to open every single toy but we had to put a stop to that. He had over 50 cars/trains already so I think it was safe to save a few for another day. 

So I could tell Mike was getting a hankering to toss me in the water but I had my cell phone in my pocket and my camera around my neck so he wasn't going to dare risk getting those wet and having to replace them...that was part of my master plan. So since he was giving me the eye I figured it was a good time to toss him in...especially since I know I'm going to get it soon. He was totally caught off guard...wish I could have got a pic of his face...but this was the after math. 

Here are some more pics from the party...

Then one of my friends from work made it to the party, Barbara and her family, I was really excited to see her. So I got into the pool with her for a few min but like I thought the water was cold.  And by that time, it was later in the day and the sun wasn't shinning directly on the pool so it made it even worse.  Once I got out I new it would only be a matter of min until Mike was able to accomplish what he was waiting all day to do...I'm just waiting on it.  So we pulled out the cake and Lino was so excited to get his cake...he squealed with excitement when he saw it...Nini did a good job with the design. I've never heard him squeal like that. Speaking of Nini...she worked me like a slave...I barely got a break. It was a constant...get me this, go get that, go say hello to this person and that person, fix the food station, get me a drink, etc. I put in a lot of work to keep her happy all for nothing...I feel no love what so ever...hahahaha. So when the cake came out so did the famous banana pudding...then the drama really got started.  Aunt Aunts Alicia was really excited about the banana pudding and she thought that Nini made it for her but I told her she made it for me.  This has always been a debate, Aunt Aunt's swore up and down that the pudding was for her because she commented on facebook about how she had a hankering for some of momma Cutaia's banana pudding.  I was like that is bullshit!!!!  I asked for banana pudding when we talked about having Lino's birthday party there so she made it for me.  So we went back and forth about it for a little while then we decided to set the record straight and ask the source.  So we ask Nini and she gives some BS answer about her making the pudding for Alicia because she asked for it on Facebook!  I was just floored...I couldn't believe it...I don't believe it.  So I had to give Nini the 3rd degree and a huge guilt trip...I told her I had worked super hard all day for the party and that I was looking forward to the pudding and that I had put all those nice things in the blog last week about her in prep for having pudding and blah blah blah.  She got a big kick out of that.  Then I was like I can't believe you didn't make that for me, I thought you loved me...I think that did it...she couldn't hold up the front any longer...her love for me took over and she grabbed me to kiss me...even tho I resisted and didn't want anything to do with her (wink wink).  All that to say, the banana pudding was for me!!!!  I love that stuff!!  Oh, so all that and I didn't even get to have very much of it.  I just new that there was going to be a lot left so I didn't scoop in on it right away but I should have.  I mean we had 2 cakes, a big dish of brownies, 2 boxes of cookies and a big dish of banana pudding so there is no way that all that was going to be gone...right????  WRONG!!!!  By the time I got back around to getting some pudding and after Aunt Aunt's gave me the heads up that there was hardly any pudding left, there was barely 2 squares left!!!!  Amazing, they killed that stuff...its so good.  So I quickly made me a plate and started to dig in when Lino said he needed to poop and it was my turn to take him...so I put my pudding down on the table...big mistake...and go into the house.  I was only gone for 5-10min and my pudding was gone!!!  WTF?!?!?!  I was looking all over for it and then found out that PopPop had threw it out...he was cleaning up...I was crushed.  I just knew that there wasn't any more left but thankfully there was one square left...so I was saved...and it was good!  Thanks Nini!!!!!  Then Mike finally was able to toss me into the pool...that a-hole. He tossed me so hard that I scrapped my foot on the cement...no bueno...talk about painful. 

I couldn't believe that I got scrapped up like that...and it hurt like heck!!! I was so mad at him but it was also funny. That freaking water was cold...and my hair was wet...geeze o peez o!  Even tho I hated being thrown in the water I still love my hubby...so we made up and took a pic...love him

Even tho we kissed and made up Mike still was trying to get me into the pool but I was yelling at him about my foot so he gave up.  Then I decided to push him in but I was having a hard time with it so Aunt Aunt's had to step in to help me...and of course he went in...fully clothed!!!  hahahaha...thats so what he gets.  Every time there is a pool party it is a constant battle...he spends the whole day trying to push me into the water...over and over and over again.  Its mad...but its funny too...but mad all at the same time.  Then we both went in the pool together at some point too...like I said its a constant battle.  Usually with no winner... At some point PopPop tried to push me into the pool too and he almost had me but I was able to get him in instead.  He told me after he got out of the pool that he was going to take me in with him but he felt sorry for me because of my foot...not sure if I believe him or not but regardless he went in and I didn't...thank goodness.

So everyone seemed to have a good time, there was tones of food but you wouldn't know it because there was nothing left!!!  Nini and Nan did a great job with the food selection and of all the food that we had all I had was 2 chicken strips and Nini maybe had a bite of Lino's chicken strip...that was it.  I'm glad everyone had a good time and that so many people came out to see us.  It was nice to meet some of Nini's friends that we have heard about but never met and to see some family that we haven't seen for a while. So the crowd died off pretty late...Nini knows how to throw a party.  At the end it was just Tash, Sarah, Mike and PopPop outside.  Nini & I were inside with the boys and away from the mosquito's!!!!  But I did go outside for a little while especially when I heard talks of "belly bombers!!"  While waiting for our special late night treat we had some very interesting conversations...Aunt Aunt's is going to start a Harem and it sounds like Tash might be interested in joining...but I'm not so sure Sarah is OK with that.  She didn't ask us to join but I think it would be weird to apart of her Harem especially when we kind of consider her our daughter...but she's the boys Aunt...its a weird family circle...way to complicated to explain in the blog.  That could be a whole blog by its self.  But it was funny to listen in...Aunt Aunt's is great.  They were also talking about how Mike and I ended up with 2 boys and that was a totally hilarious conversation too...way more detail and info being shared with friends that probably doesn't need to be shared again.  Oh I love these conversations...priceless.  So the belly bombers arrive and I find out that this was Sarah's first experience...I couldn't believe it.  We all had stories about why we called it belly bombers...its funny to hear why and when people eat them.  Mike and I actually like the taste so make sure we get some every time we are in NY and in Chicago...plus they are a good late night/drinking snack.  Tash and Aunt Aunt's seem to only like them when they are drinking/drunk as part of a late night snack.  Then we got into the discussion about the impact of the bombers...that might be a little too much for the blog...but lets just say it was funny. So I had to take a pic of Sarah to capture the moment of her first bite of a belly bomber...hopefully tomorrow she will be ok :-)  Sarah seemed to enjoy them and even went back for another one...good thing we had 25 of them for the 6 of us (me, Mike, Aunt Aunt's, Sarah, Tash and PopPop) 

          

After my snack I had to go in, it was too cool outside and I knew the mosquitoes were out but thankfully I had on a long sleeved shirt and Mike's pants.  They stayed out for a while but only after getting a nice dose of Off...but I think it was a little too late for that.  Eventually the party really ended and we all went to sleep.  What a great day...I'm pooped...have to save the blogging for Sunday.

Sunday:

Everyone actually slept in which was surprisingly but still up by 8am.  Lino was ready for the pool bright and early of course even tho it was cold...so he got in...crazy kid.  He wanted me to get in with him but it was too cold of course plus I was still trying to protect my injury from yesterday...which was still hurting.  Lino did the doctor work on it yesterday and he put the bandaid on it but he put the tape part on the womb...so it hurt like heck when I took it off.  Anyway, I can't believe how bad it looks...I had to take another pic...ignore the toe nails...those are getting taken care of tomorrow I hope!

So Nini had got the boys these really cute shirts that we tried to get them to wear for the party yesterday...well Shaun wore his but Lino was in and out of the pool so he didn't have any time for a shirt.  So today I was finally able to get a picture of them in their shirts...these are too cute...and they are ethnically appropriate too...PERFECT!!!  How cute is this...

      

If you can't read it, it say's Shaun I'm the little brother and Lino I''m the big 

Mike and Aunt Aunt's went to get breakfast and I started to write up the blog from yesterday...too much to type so I had to cut it down a little.  When they got back they got into the pool and played a little pool volleyball.  Again, Mike asked me to get in but there was no way I was going into that water...it was cloudy today and the sun was only in and out every once in a while so I knew the water was going to be way to cold for me.  So they played around for a while...they love the water and then they threw me the ball...why I have no idea.  So instead of me just tossing it back in the water I decided to do a little drop kick...bad idea.  So the ball bounces on the opposite side of the pool then bounces over the fence to the neighbors yard.  Apparently these neighbors are not the nicest so no one wanted to go get the ball...so I had to...I guess it was my fault so I should go get it.  So I go to get the ball, and I notice that the front door is open and there was a screen door and some dogs.  So instead of me knocking I just yelled in "hello!"  Well the dogs went crazy...there was a big pit bull girl dog at the door and she just started barking up a storm and then jumped up on the screen door.  Well she was a big ol thing and she just went right thru the door...and came right out at me!!!  I wasn't sure if she was nice or not but she was barking at me and kind of scared me.  The owner or lady in the house was so mad...she started yelling at her and chasing her to get her to come back into the house...with no luck.  So she runs back in the house...for what I don't know...but I can tell the dog is friendly so I call her over and she comes to me.  I was able to get her collar and pull her into the house...whew.  That was crazy.  The lady was so mad...the screen was ripped and then the other dog, a little one jumped out...what a mess.  I had to do everything I could to not laugh.  So once we gathered all the dogs she went to get the ball for me...and she didn't seem to upset about the ball so that was good.  To funny!!

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking with the family.  Even tho the weather wasn't the greatest it was at least cool out side so we just hung around and talked.  Shaun enjoyed some quality time with PopPop and Siesta...she is fasinated with Siesta but I don't think the feeling is mutual.  At least Siesta doesn't snap at him as much as she does with Lino...maybe she knows that he is a baby...or maybe she doesn't...hard to tell.  

At some point I was typing up my blog while everyone was talking and Aunt Aunt's suggested that I type on the computer...what a novel idea! I had all these excuses about transfering my pictures from the phone to the computer but after I actually thought about it, it wasn't really that big of an issue.  But it made it so much easier.  I can see my spelling mistakes much easier and I feel like I can type a lot quicker too...its like I just got  a boost in technology...hahahaha.   So then I was really into the blog and we were suppose to go and do a little shopping before we head out but that got canceled.  We also had said we would BBQ but the threat of rain X'ed that idea too.  So the next idea was to have Nini make lasagna...yum yum...bingo!  So Mike & Aunt Aunt's went to get all the stuff we needed and I kept typing.  When Mike left I saw that he had on some weird looking flip flops and realized that he had on Nini's shoes.  Why the heck does he have on girls shoes???  Oh that's because I threw him in the pool with his cloths on and shoes on...so his shoes were soaking wet still and he didn't want to wear wet shoes...he would rather wear girls flip flops.  I about peed my pants...it was too funny.

About a hr later they are back and I am still typing up the blog...it is a massive one.  Aunt Aunt's and Nini were both like where is the blog...hounding me like crazy.  I couldn't believe it...I have crazy fans...just crazy.  So I had to put them to ease and reminded them that there is only one post for the weekend because its just too much work to post Sat & Sun.  I don't think they liked that response but it is what it is. Later, I got to talk to my dad and Teri...it was good to catch up with them and hear their voices.  I can't wait for them to get the iphone so that we can talk more regularly.  

Dinner was amazing...of course...home made lasagna with focacia bread and salad...yum!!!  

No wonder I can't loose any weight...this is just crazy.  After dinner Mike, Aunt Aunt's and Lino took another dip in the pool...crazy people.  They love the pool...and even tho it was cold they enjoyed every moment of it.  Now it's time to try and get ready to head back to Ireland.  Need to do a little packing and wash a load of laundry (I'm sure it won't take 4 hrs just to wash and "dry" a small load).  I almost don't want to do any laundry because I think it might make me cry in envy.

Another great weekend...