Notice the New Ticker On Our Blog?

Introducing..... our newest little developing Silvestro! Yes, we are adding to our family, and we got our first look ultrasound last week so I have the initial portraits, so cute! It's amazing how we could see the fingers so clearly, considering it's the size of a lime this week (according to baby center). I do love how baby center always compares the size to fruits and vegetables, I always look forward to the weekly email. We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet, we will find out at the 18 week ultrasound (if baby co-operates). Yes I want to find out! How else am I going to fulfill my OCD nature by preparing everything ahead of time, and figure out who will share rooms and such?

Focusing on the Positive Interactions Between Vince and Zoë

This morning Vince decided to speak in Zoë's language, so they sat face to face on the floor taking turns talking serious gibberish to each other and then cracking up at one another. It was the cutest 2 minutes the two of them have had together. Zoë would talk like she normally does, waving her hands and pointing... then Vince would imitate her sounds and they'd both break out laughing. Vince ended the conversation stating that none of us can understand Zoë because she speaks 'baby Spanish'.

The two of them also had a positive interaction two weekends ago, but unfortunately for us it was at 11pm. We were at Mike's cousin's house the night before a wedding, and all of us were sleeping in the same room. Vince and Zoë were in separate pack and play cribs, about 10 feet from each other. They were both so overtired, but Zoë would NOT lie down. She kept standing up in her pack and play babbling, and Vince would try to hold it in, but he kept cracking up. That only encouraged her more..... she'd let out some babble talk, he'd crack up, she'd snicker and do it again. Repeat this for at least half an hour, and you have two exhausted parents and one particular angry mama (although we did get a mild kick out of it).

Growing Up Too Fast

Well I completely forgot about the tradition I'm trying to uphold where I take a picture of the kids in one of our shirts every year on their birthdays! oops.. remembered it today. So what if it's a month late right? We'll see how many more years I can get out of this tradition, but it is cute to see the pictures from previous years.

Vince, in his Dad's shirt

first born

1 year

2 years

3 years!

Zoë, in my college shirt

first born

1 year

The Chihuly Exhibit

It sounds crazy to take a toddler and a 1 year old to see a glass exhibit at the local fine arts museum, but I decided to try it anyway. With the help of our good friend Kathryn, we were able to navigate through the loads of people (and walkers/wheel chairs/etc.) with our stroller and get a good look at all the glass exhibits while they were on display at the MFA in Boston. I LOVE any kind of glass art, stained glass, blown glass, etc. I love the bright colors and amazing formations that can happen with mixing sand and fire. Vince enjoyed seeing the different displays as well, and we managed to get through without damaging anything! It's truly amazing how this guy Chihuly, who has one eye no less, makes his glass art. Here's a little video I found that shows a little bit of the art in the making, click on this: chihuly

The Icicle Tower, which will hopefully become a permanent feature here!

The Ikebana Boat, awesome.... I want it floating in my pool

Tabac Baskets

Neodymium Reeds on Logs

This Year's Brino Reunion

On July 9th we packed up the car and headed to New York for Mike's mother's family reunion, and it couldn't have been a more gorgeous day to spend on Sacandaga Lake. There was an abundance of amazing food, the kids had fun at the beach, and it was just nice to spend some time visiting with family that we haven't seen in a long time.

Every year at the reunion, after the sun goes down, they have a bonfire on the beach and light fire works. I WISH I got the picture of this year's bonfire, but I was too busy running away from the beach to take pictures. The combination of a 15 foot high pile of wood, too much wind, too much gasoline applied to said pile of wood, and one tree that was too close to the fire.... well, made this bonfire session a little crazy. If I close my eyes I can still see the flames catching the tree on fire, and a bunch of Brinos running away and retreating from the crazy flames and embers that were spreading across where everyone was sitting! The next thing I see is someone running to get garbage cans to fill up at the lake to douse the flames. Well thank goodness it worked. Vince had a minor casualty with a hole burned in his shirt from an ember, and between that and Zoë jumping 10 feet when the first firework went off, well we knew it was time to go home. But will we be back next year?! I hope so!! It was a great time.....

Vince was able to spend time with his cousins Noelle and Andrew, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Neal, and Nonna and Pop-Pop.

Zoë, Nonna, and wind

Just a bit of the family....

Neal and Mike kept watch at the shore

Vince played at the beach all day

The kids had fun with a piñata!

Zoë and Aunt Perina share a secret

Uncle Tony became our babysitter for the morning, he and Zoë spent some good couch time together so we could all go to breakfast. We thought she would sleep for a while but come to find out we were barely out of the driveway when she woke up... but Uncle Tony took good care of her for us...

Then it was off to Lake George for a couple of days to relax. Vince played his first ever game of mini golf, he got a hole in one!

We got to help celebrate Neal's birthday with a nice dinner on the Lake

Noelle and Zoë got matching dresses from Nonna on their last trip to Italy, we did take a few shots but I thought this one was the cutest, with Nonna and Pop-Pop in the back.

Zoë liked Aunt Lisa's "paddy cakes on steroids"..... super fast, got a cute pic

Riding around Lake George on steamboat Mini Ha-Ha