Happy Birthday Cash!

thank you, abby, for this....

thank you, family. I asked for a 'crazy' shot- this is all you could muster up? please note my husband, and aunt V- why are you trying to kiss me?

I wanted a pic of my dad and his twin- so mauri played dead...

To my family: I love you- and you are all losers:) I was looking through all of these pictures from Cash 's party and i cannot stop laughing. wow. To our friends: do we really have any? based on party attendance I say no. kidding- and I love you, too. Anyway- Cash's party was fun fun fun in the sun again- I hope he always loves the pool parties he will be thrown. He was much happier this year- if you remember our rendition of happy birthday brought him to tears last year...

and what a year it has been! To my little Cash: I love you more than words can say. You are my little angel (sometimes demon) and you make me laugh every day. I think you know that you have me, your papa and nana, and definitely your dad wrapped around your little finger. I love to hear the new words you say every day with your little whistly 's'. I love that you don't want us to see you being sweet so you only do sweet things when we turn around. I love that you have learned to defend yourself against your brother (very well, I might add) and when the tables turn and he starts to cry you go and pat him and say 'it's ok, brother'... I love your 'BIG bites'. I love your screams at the top of your lungs...not really, but one day I will look back on this post and miss them, I'm sure. To my husband and three boys: I am the luckiest girl in the world.

First trip to the Beach!

My Dad and Pierce


Maurice being a starfish

My Darling Lex

The Fame minus the wee one

nana and papa- livin' it up like young folk...

Maurice in the 'rainforest'- being the mule like a champ

Me in the shark cage- don't worry guys, it wasn't really in the ocean.

fish.

My wonderful husband took a little time off work (finally!) to dedicate to the new fam- so we decided to take the boys to the beach last week. We knew they would love it- just not how much! They could have stayed on that sand all day! it truly was the perfect vacay for our little family. I felt really old packing up a cooler and taking a roadtrip with just us...maybe thats because we really are old. Anywho- we spent four days down there- we went to moody gardens and it was fun but hot; and then pretty much just alternated from the pool to the beach and back again. My kind of vacation. The 'rents came down for a day and stayed with us, too, which was such a treat. Who knew the elderly could be such party animals?! I was so glad they decided to come-Not only do the boys LOVE them, but it allowed us to play a little more- and it gave me some company while I nursed at the beach (which is not exactly the most ideal place to nurse, believe it or not). I would say all in all it was a great success and we definitely have ourselves some good memories. Like the speeding ticket I got at 1:45 am :) I love female cops...

Nos haces falta, Aba!

My how the time flies! We had Mi suegra in this last week and man did the boys love her:) Pierce managed to convince her to do puzzles with him every time I looked up-no joke- probably 10 times a day I would hear "aba, can you play puzzles for me?". I felt sorry for her- but he was so happy!! We had YUMMY food every night- (lo siento, aba - she probably has carpel tunnel syndrome from all of the chirmole(sp?) I made her chop)...and we even weathered an emergency together! Pierce's gymnastics called and said he broke his wrist- so we carted the clan to pick him up and take him to the doctor. not only did his hand not even look bruised... but from the moment we got him he was back to his old tricks and hitting his brother with his "broken" hand. I have to say the absolute highlight of the visit was your art, aba. For your enjoyment, I have documented her artistic genius with a photograph (a picture is worth a thousand words). Pierce asked her to draw a car for him- so sweet- and she got to work... I came over and found the so-called "car" and had to get my camera. Who knew we had such talent running through our blood? You decide for yourself what we should call it- a car? a house? a tractor house car? but wait...how does the tiny driver man drive like that with his whole body floating in the window? LOVE YOU!!! Oh- and there's a good one of Mauri's hair

summertime at the Dardano's

Just thought I would share a few more family pics from the past week down here in D-town. We haven't been up to much except for swimming, boating, and wrestling (the boys- not me). Little Lex is such a sweetie and the boys can't keep stop kissing him. They always want to hold him and 'feed' him -not breastfeed-but with their plastic food- or with real food now that I think about it.. Cash has grown up so much in the past few weeks I can't believe it. He is talking so much now- it almost makes me a little bit sad. He isn't my baby anymore:( He sure is funny, though. In this first shot you see him naked on our back porch (not a change from the norm- my boys live in diapers/underwear/or completely naked, as I'm sure if you have eyes you have noticed) but what you don't see is what happened in the few minutes after the photo. He took a little poo on the ground without mauri or myself noticing (not white trash at all)- and we only realized it when he picked up one of the tiny turds and handed it to Mauricio. Mauri, not realizing what it was and assuming that cash was trying to hand him fake food or something- took it from him with such enthusiasm and then put it up to his nose...I am laughing out loud right now...if you could have seen his face!!!

The New Fam!

It has been a busy busy busy few weeks here at the casa:) I think I am going to make it through the next couple of years...I'm not certain- but hopeful. My four boys are definitely going to make it interesting! Pierce and Cash are crazy. they are starting to play together more and more- (probably because they realize that they are eachothers' best bet for a good time- I'm no longer fun and interesting I guess) and they are loud and rough and everything else you would expect two boys to be. I used to freak out when they would start to wrestle or when one of them would get a little bit rough- but now that I have to let things run their course a little bit i am surprised to see that they actually really enjoy themselves when they are in danger of getting hurt. I don't understand boys- probably why I got stuck with them...

We are starting to get out a little bit more- and its a good thing because I think they were starting to get a little bit stir crazy...see below:

I looked out the front window yesterday and saw this...

Pierce loving on Lex- he started to cry in my arms the other day and Pierce said "here, let me hold him.." love it..

I tried to do a little work out video at home- then the boys confiscated my weights and took over my spot...

My three little boys..

This is my favorite. Cash has a little bit of a shoe fetish- he always wants to wear shoes- mine, Pierce's, dad's, Lex's- whoever- but his absolute favorites are these snow boots- fur lined snow boots that we try to keep hidden. We hide them because he will NOT take them off for any reason but he will cry and cry when he gets super hot and sweaty. obviously he found them this day and right in time to go to the pool!

This is Pierce break dancing in the bathtub. and yes, that is a bobby pin in his hair. Mauri was giving the boys a bath and when I walked in he (Mauricio) had pinned his hair back with my bobby pins and then decided that the boys needed it, too. I wish I had gotten a pic of mauri...
I guess this is what happens when a new baby comes home from the hospital with a pacifier. Neither of them EVER took a pacifier when they were babies- but now they 'need' one.

You can't tell here, but they are pushing eachother around in a carseat I just brought in- at full speed...



Here they locked me out of the study- so they could scream at the top of their lungs without getting in trouble-

And here they are saying "Thank you, Aba for our shirts! We love you:) Come see us!!!!!!Here's cash with the shoe thing again... hands and feet:)