The LaGreca Family

Sometimes, Joe and I feel like our house is a zoo.  NCL will get a MILLION toys out and scatter them ALL over the place — then take one of the toy bins, put it on his head as a “hat” – and run ALL over the house, screaming.   OR – he will get his big firetruck (given to us by my boss) and turn the buttons on and drive that all over the place. The noise of that firetruck would drive anyone crazy – but it especially drives Joe crazy. I am really surprised that thing hasn’t “disappeared” yet..he he.  Oh – and then..the dog will start his routine of running crazy all over the place and barking.  I tell ya – a zoo.

Since I had President’s Day off this year – we decided to get outside, in the 80+ degree weather, and visit the zoo.

Note to self: never visit the zoo on a holiday.  The parking lot was INSANE and I have never seen so many people at our zoo (probably because we go when no one else is there – since we have annual passes).

Joe dropped us off and parked the car. So, we decided to have a snack and watch the flamingos and ducks.

Nicholas wanted to visit the elephants. I wish I could type out the word he uses for elephants…but I can’t. It’s more like a sound and it’s long.  It’s almost the sound a rooster makes – we laugh everytime.

On the way to the Elephant Odyssey – we had to stop to play with the coin machine. We didn’t have to put any money in – NCL was perfectly happy to turn the crank a few times.

(These two pictures will have to serve as my Week 29.5 pictures. It’s all I have during the time I was sick)

After 400 miles of travel (did I mention it was 80+ degrees?), we finally made it to the *New* Elephant Odyssey exhibit (it’s probably the newest addition to the zoo, but it was finished awhile back. I hadn’t been before).

(Yes, Nicholas needs another haircut…oh Gina…I wish you lived closer. I am actually thinking of trying to re-create your haircut on NCL…what a joke that will be – I was not meant to cut hair!)

Although NCL enjoyed watching the real elephants – he thoroughly enjoyed playing with this giant, fake elephant:

Being that it was almost lunch time, AND I was starting to run out of energy, (the day before this was the day I was in the urgent care for the sinus infection — we went on this little adventure, after I battled a 2 hour pounding-headache in the morning) it was time to make the 400 mile journey to the Zoo’s Exit (mostly uphill) and then the 56 mile journey to the car once outside the gates.

The rest of the afternoon went like this:

(1) Turn A/C on FULL BLAST in the car – all the way home

(2) Eat lunch – Mexican food we picked up on the way home

(3) Mommy and NCL – Take a looong nap

Usually, I am blogging about “a first” that Nicholas has had — and of course, there are always LOTS of firsts for a little person.  This time, I have a first that Joe and I experienced together.

We made an APPLE PIE.  From scratch. Together.  And it was a first for BOTH of us.

Joe had the idea last week – he just decided he wanted to make an apple pie.  I must admit, I wasn’t fond of the idea.  I have NEVER made a pastry from scratch – and I was convinced it was going to be hard and it would turn out bad. (Yes, it’s true – I like to do things that I KNOW will turn out well — I have a problem with failure.  Cooking/Baking does not come naturally to me – I have only learned how to cook, sort of, over the last 5-10 years).

I started with making the dough, and once I got them into these two balls – I was convinced something was wrong with them. I was petrified of having to roll them out.

So, I set the dough aside (hoping that Joe would do the hard part) – and got to work on the apples.  Wow! It takes a long time to skin and core apples (no, I don’t have an apple corer).  But, I will admit – the best part about the task was the fact that I could sit at the kitchen table and do it (much easier on the back).

I got lucky – Joe agreed to do the hard part!  He put the bottom crust in the pie plate and then got to work on the top.

Joe was a professional.  What would have been a disaster (if I had done it) turned out to be absolutely perfect! And, he even added some creativity (he gets a perfect 10 for display).

I didn’t take a picture of us actually eating the pie (oops), but we brought it to a friend’s house for dessert.  I must say (and I am not trying to “toot my own horn”) that our 1st apple pie was REALLY good. The crust was flaky (just how Joe likes it) and the apples were delicious.  I am still shocked!  I guess, now that I have done it, it really isn’t that hard (the crust is the most important thing). We have a few modifications to the recipe (at least 3-4 more apples) and maybe a little more cinnamon, but we were both SO happy with the outcome (and when you add vanilla ice cream……YUM!)

Miller – we are going to give you a run for your money.  When you get home from London – the apple pie competition is ON!

This was one of the most precious things I have seen in a long time.  Daddy teaching Nicholas how to prepare a meal.  NCL is a GREAT helper!

(I was stretching my back in the livingroom and listening to Joe teach NCL how to make stuffed peppers. I just HAD to get up and grab the video camera. These are the things I will enjoy watching for years to come.  Just click PLAY below to watch the little dude make dinner!)

I wanted to do one last post on the LaGreca Family Christmas Vacation - Buffalo, NY.  A recap of the 19 days that we were back east and some pictures/events that I missed.

We were SO blessed to have a fantastic place to stay for our entire vacation.  We can’t thank Chuck and Angie enough for keeping us for such a long time!  I was so worried about Nicholas’ behavior – since we had weeks/months of very bad behavior prior to arriving in Buffalo.  We couldn’t have asked for a better behaved 2 year old – who had to sleep in a Pack-in-play the entire time – in a room that wasn’t familiar.  He did GREAT!

(1) For nearly 3 weeks…we ate…and ate…and ate.  Even after his “food strike” in Nov/Dec, NCL somehow found his appetite and ate his way through Buffalo with the rest of us.

(2) I totally forgot to post about one event…Making Italian Sausage!  Joe and I didn’t have time to make any sausage in 2009 (we usually schedule the “Sausage Fest” in November, so we have sausage for Christmas).   The family decided to make sausage on New Year Eve (during the day) and then Joe BBQ’d it — outside, in the snow.

I can’t even tell you how GOOD the sausage was. AND – with Costanzo’s rolls…..wow!  It was a delicious meal! (I really wish we had bread in CA like they do in Buffalo – those of you who have never been to New York — you are really missing out! It’s amazing!)

(3) I have already posted a million pictures of the boy in the snow…but, there was one (or two, or three) days that it was just TOO cold to go outside and play in the snow.  On one of those days, I had to work – so Joe was in charge of occupying the boy. NCL got to do something he has never done before (another 1st) — he got to play at the McDonald’s PlayLand! From what I heard, he had a blast!

(4) I know I already posted pictures from our first hockey game in Buffalo – but I was lucky enough to go to 2 hockey games..and Joe ended up going to 1 more game on New Years day.  I think I can speak for both of us on this – we had a GREAT time at the games.  I actually really enjoyed watching the Sabres play on TV as well.  Hockey is a lot more exciting than I thought.  It was so fun to see a few games in person.  Thanks SOOOO much to Grant and Mary! We really owe you!

(Mary, Joe and Grant – sorry this picture looks SO bad. Grant emailed the picture and for some reason, I had a really hard time importing it – so, this is what I got. I gave up after trying for 3 nights.  Oh well!)

As always, it was good to get home.  We had a decent flight (2 legs) home. NCL only slept 45 minutes the entire day, but he really did great.  We couldn’t have asked for anything more. After going through all the of mail (35+ Christmas cards and a bunch of junk mail), I crawled into bed and slept for 5 hours straight!!  It was heavenly. I don’t remember the last time I slept THAT many hours in a row (I am pretty sure it was before I got pregnant).  And, on top of getting to sleep in our own beds….it’s been AT LEAST 75 degrees everyday that we have been home.  We went from 14 degrees and snowing….to 75+ degrees and sweating.  (I have to admit, I do miss the snow – if for nothing else, it WORE the boy OUT!….and it was beautiful. A White Christmas is SO much better than a San Diego 80 degree Christmas…..if only the snow went away after the New Years Day…I might consider moving to Buffalo).

…………..As they say in Hollywood….”That’s a WRAP!”

(Note: I successfully posted 14 blog entries while we were on vacation.  I was shocked, but very excited that I was able to keep up with everything..and didn’t save it until I got home.  It would have NEVER been done!)

New for NCL, anyway.  We got out the little saucer and the boys took NCL for a few spins around the front yard, drive-way and neighborhood.

After shoveling and “sledding” in the neighborhood, we decided to take a short drive to  Chestnut Ridge and check out the sledding down a bigger hill.

I don’t think I have to tell you that it was REALLY, REALLY cold out there. In the picture above – Joe is sledding down with NCL on his lap – and the snow is going right up his jeans….OUCH!

After a few runs down the hill – we all wanted to warm up a bit. In the park building, they had a fantastic fire going – I could have sat there for an hour to thaw out.