Weekend Catch-up

Saturday was really a super one over here in Gasperini-Ville!

We had M's first SOCCER game (which ended up being just a practice.) Can you guess who's already counting down the days until next Saturday?! He was so excited and ran around so exuberantly the whole time. I think I'm slightly afraid for the other team! He's definitely our speedy, little sports wonder!

Follow that with an afternoon of ND football (sad loss!), playdate with friends William and Syd, and nighttime campout in Mimi and Papa's backyard!! Isn't our Papa the best?! Look at this set up!

S'mores, of course!

While the cat's asleep...

The mice will play!

Love these guys BIG.

And where was I during all of this wonderful fun, you ask?

Cozy and warm in my bed, while my baby slept soundly in the other room.

40% of Gasperini-Ville was well-rested Sunday! :)

Preschool Meet and Greet

Was this a forced photo or what? :) They'll thank me later.

The boys enjoyed meeting their new teachers and fellow students on Friday! Neither of them knows many students in his class, so the sky's the limit on making new friends. Great things to come this year... School starts tomorrow!! M will go four days and T will go three. J and I will be on our own. Thank goodness I have my squishie to keep me company!

WTC

While in NYC, we were finally able to visit the site of 9/11...

Though we couldn't see much besides the barriers, it was still important for me to be there.

I can't believe it's been eight years.

God bless America.

Big Apple Shots

What a weekend GG and I had in The Big Apple for K and B's wedding!

The best part about it was returning Sunday night and having all day on Monday to get caught up on laundry, etc. before heading back into the work week!! The kids had a ball with Mimi and Papa in Crozet and we all convened here Monday morning for coffee and bagels to share of our adventures. We ate up the boys and they seemed to be happy having us home. The weekend did us all well! :)

Our trip recap

Friday 4:15am--we oversleep our alarm at 3:45am because we've packed until 1am! GG thankfully awakens from his beautiful, classical music-filled dream at 4:15. Thankfully, we have little to accomplish and are still on schedule and able to leave by 4:20am. All is well.

6:00am--flight to JFK on Jet Blue. Okay, we are official fans of Jet Blue. GG catches up on ESPN news while B-mama watches infomercials(!) and now thinks there is a miraculous new product to teach her children how to read. lol. We enjoy ourselves.

7:13am--we land and make our way to the airbus and subway. This takes much longer than anticipated bc we have no idea where we are going and neither does anyone else. GG and I soon realize that we are both used to being "alpha" and have to adjust to being a complimentary couple again. Where are the kids when we need them?! :) We eventually make it to the subway and realize we are part of the morning commute and stand most of the hour ride into the city! Crazy!

10am--meet up with our friends, the A family, and enjoy bagels on their beautiful apt. terrace... later on, a run in Central Park with J and baby C; such a gorgeous green space

Friday afternoon: a quick jaunt to the Natural History Museum

B-mama, the former Oceanology teacher, loving the Blue Whale exhibit.

Afterward, we sat on a park bench outside just because we could.

Feeling the effects of the 3 hours of sleep!

That evening: a delicious and authentic Italian meal with the beautiful A's!

They are the best!

Afterward we enjoyed a tour of their apt. building, ending on the roof.

Our friend, J, and his girlfriend, S, met up with us later and we had such a good time communing with these great people.

Saturday brought a fun Italian brunch in the city with Princeton pals.

Followed by a K's lovely evening wedding at a church on Park

and then the reception down at the Fulton Market on the southeast side of Manhattan.

Here is baby C at the wedding brunch the next morning--what a sweetie!

And her mommy and me, enjoying the brunch (and weekend) together!

Later that afternoon, GG and I were maneuvering our way to the Brooklyn Bridge and happened to see our friend PJ's campaign posters in a supermarket nearby. How cool that we know someone running for city council in NYC! Go PJ!

We did venture across the bridge to Brooklyn and the rain held out (thank goodness!) After a lovely dinner, we headed back and caught the subway back to JFK. What a brilliant time!

M Musings

M: "Mommy, Jesus lives inside of me!"

B-mama: "Yes, He lives in your heart."

M: "I think Jesus is pushing out of my tummy when I'm really full."

Stepping Out

New York City, here we come!

I picked up these shoes yesterday in the hopes they will add some sparkle to our Labor Day weekend getaway to The Big Apple. We are heading into the city for the wedding of our good friend and couldn't be more excited. Meanwhile, the boys will be enjoying a weekend with Mimi and Papa (thank you!)

In assessing my duds and accessories for the weekend, I quickly realized it had been some time (we're talking 5 years) since I had invested in elegant shoes for a dress. Thankfully the ones I bought back then have stayed in style long enough to last through the last five years of weddings and events! Time to update! Off the boys and I went to DSW. Okay, first of all, hello amazing! I was in awe of the sheer quantity of shoes they had in stock. It was awesome!! And most, while designer labels, are at least 30% off retail cost. Not too shabby. I was like a little girl in a candy store... but with three small boys in tow. Poor guys, having to wait around while their mom tried on shoes. I can imagine little worse for a small child. Alas, they were constantly up to no good and there are only so many places in the store for timeouts, so I quickly perused and found these gems. Off we went.

They are just what I need at this point in my life--a little glam, a little glitz, but just enough to feel elegant and special for an evening out. Can't wait!

Trouble