Friday, November 28, 2014

Graditude

It's been a long time, I know, I just can't seem to put the time together and just write, I get distracted so easily, plus when LB is awake I am unplugged. It's a Ceccarello house rule. But enough of my OCDness and onto some more relevant and exciting updates...
Lawd, where the h*ll do I begin, see that's what I get for being such a sucky blogger, and letting my OCD kick in.
Well lets start off with Luca is now officially as of today 18 months, yes that means in 6 months he will be 2!!! WTH. So what's new with him? He is 100% off the boob. I have been getting shit from people (I wont name names) about nursing Luca...I never let it get to me, and I loved every moment, and so did Luca so basically I just silently told people to f* ck off and mind their own business, it felt right to me, and Luca was happy healthy and everything was just rainbows and butterflies... Until he would not go to sleep anymore... The only time I would nurse him was when he was very upset (and if homeopathic remedies did not do the trick... which was rare) and when I put him down for his afternoon nap, and at bedtime. It was all going well, but for some reason about a month ago he just would refuse to fall asleep. I'm talking an hour 1/2 of trying to but a toddler to bed is NOT fun. I tried everything,  and he would ONLY WANT ME!
So I decided it was time. No more boob. I was ready and I knew Luca was too.
The only mistake I did was I did not savor the last time i nursed Luca. I still tear up now, my sweet baby boy is growing up so ridiculously fast, and I didn't even take the time to cherish those sweet moments. Well anyway I get beat myself up about it or just move on. Which is what I did, and I am doing. Luca never asked for "num nums" again. That was the easy part. The hard part of "operation no boob" was the actual getting him to sleep part, which was why I weaned him in the first place! Well, we (Marco and I) set a new routine. Bath at 7, dinner at 7:30, playtime, Marco reads (while I clean up dinner) around 8:30 with Luca's chamomile tea (yes, just like an old man) than brush teeth. Luca says night night to Papa' and I take over. Light a candle, we (I) tell each other what we did that day, and what we are thankful for. We say night night to about everything in his room, blow out candle and I put him in his bed, he talks for about 5 minutes and I sing and rub his back. Hes out by 9. Score.
If he wakes up at night, which is rare, all I have to do is go into his room, and rub his back for a minute (and put the covers back over him, which is actually pointless, because after 2 seconds he out from under them... damn winter). Luca refuses to sleep with any stuffed animal, just his 2 blankies he snuggles with.
The transition has been amazing. Bittersweet, but amazing. I know I did the right thing, at the right time.
One problem. Getting Sick. Luca has never really gotten sick, just maybe a snotty nose, or a cough, but nothing that he has had to take anything for. Well after I totally weaned Luca he got a fever for 24 hours, than two weeks later a fever that lasted 4 days, than a runny nose, than a cough, than a fever... Well you get the point, this kid was not doing well. I couldn't understand why, yes maybe the absolute crap weather wasn't helping much, but why was he always getting sick? And if you know me I hate giving him medicine. I was doing everything the alternative way, until it got to the point where we had to give him a non homeopathic solution. It helped, but not really in the long. I was researching and than it totally occurred to me. While nursing Luca I was giving him all the nutrients he needed, and when I stopped his immune system totally went crazy, and therefor... Fevers, and coughs, and snots, oh my! Well that made me feel like the Mommy of the year. My fault my son gets sick. Gawd this Mamma thing. Its hard! But for the moment hes fine, happy healthy and a talking machine!! He is a human parakeet. His favorite activities include, any sort or car play, coloring, owls, putting toilet paper down the toilet, while saying nonono Duka. He is head over heals in love with our 9 year old neighbor Anna, and insists on seeing her every time he sees her door, which is all the time, since she lives right across the hall. The excuses I make up... you should hear them. "No Luca, Anna cannot play, she is going nanna. She is going cacca. She has a bobo", etc... He does not know what "Anna is at school means". All the other excuses seem totally legit to him. LB also loves going to our piazza's Ludoteca, which is basically a place where kids and parents can go to chat (parents) and drink coffee (parents) and play with toys (kids) and lick foreign objects (Luca). It's a win win solution on shitty days where we cant go to the park. Score.
We are in less than 3 weeks leaving for Baltimore, Luca, Marco, Franco and I will be stateside for more than a month. We are so excited. So excited.
I promise promise I will be posting more often, I just wrote a short book. Not okay. Ps my computer is really hating me, and has not been cooperating AT ALL, I apologize in advance for the crap pictures and the quality. We had a fierce battle, and my mac won. It really needs to get checked out.
morning reading

he only looks innocent  

LB playing with uncooked penne pasta. Sorry about the flash

My design, Marco and Franco's work. forward facing shelves. Luca LOVES them. So sweet


playing with Mamma's jewelry while Mamma folds cloths... over and over again

close up, the wood we used was left over oak from our floors, we had sitting in the basement

check out his owl hat. and his owl scarf

Marco thought that Luca's  Stokke placemat needed a facelift. Every week he puts new drawings in it... so LB can give food to everything on the mat... before himself. Meals in our house are not rushed

3 generations of Ceccarellos. 

with his beloved Nonna


cucù... ECCOMI!

checking out every rock

loves puzzles, terrible at it though...

in the mountains coloring on a cafés table

purple cabbage and potato risotto. This boy eats everything. Lets see how long it lasts...

The Ludoteca has great balls

Saturday morning cartoons... while mamma makes breakfast:)







Monday, October 27, 2014

Celebrating and Changes

I am so thankful for the memories and moments between Luca and my Grandpa

post about a truly inspiring and incredible man, who left us recently. There really are not enough words and space to acknowledge his love for his family and friends, the earth, and his passion for building. He was a master of all things wood, he could create gorgeous furniture, bowls, and so much more. He was always ready to teach you, and answer any questions about making anything by scratch. He was always a hard worker, patient, and so informed about anything happing in the word. He was a professor a reader, and oh so much more. He lived to the fullest and went peacefully. He is being missed terribly, but I am so honored to have called him my Grandpa, and if I turn out to be half the person he was, I truly would be blessed.
Marco looks okay in mountain gear too, na?

I am missing my Grandpa, but also celebrating his life. And forever telling him thank you for being the incredible man he was. He was a gift to the world.
 We are also celebrating fall, yes fall. It is getting cooler, crispier (can I use that to describe fall?) But I am thankful for this weather, a reminder to thank each day as they come and go. Especially the ones that bring a warm sun, and leave a clear sky. Just fyi the colder and shorter the days get here in Venice, the more grey they get, and wet, and humid. But you know what? I am thankful fir those days too.
We have been lucky though, fall has been perfect, I mean we even went swimming in Croatia a week ago! Granted the next day the temperature dropped 10 degrees, but hey, cra weather?
LB thrives and grows each day, more words, more crumbs, more mess, more laughs, more moments of pure frustration, and of smiles, and of new hairdos! (yes, I cut his hair, it was time, and so many people might want to wallop me. Sorry, I had no more patients for screaming sessions… He wanted dreads! I was/am not ready for them… not yet… maybe when your 18) He now listens, when you talk (lawd knows what goes on in his head) but he truly understand! English and Italian. So many proud Mamma moments.  But when they (whoever they are) say babies grow before your eyes, it is 100% true. Every day he amazes us.
My next post will be more specific on his toddler progressions, but now all I want to say is thank you to  the goodness of this earth. A prayer that there will still be goodness in this earth when little ones become big, hoping I will be a positive teacher to the little ones, to keep the goodness on this earth. And now, wishing you a day of positivity and goodness. 

Water baby

Water boys

In his element

Pooped. Too much mountain air.

A swim on October 19th? Why not?

Hey you! Watchu doin?

Impromptu volley game, after an impromptu bbq

Probably pointing to an imaginary airplane.  For the 100th time. Camilla is so over it

And of course he found the dog poo

He wanted to take it home to Italy

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Kombucha, Kimchi and Italy

I'll be honest, it's been a perfectly sweet summer. Everything that a summer could offer, took full advantage of it all. It was so great to be around my family and friends, it just sucked big time that Marco couldn't be there to enjoy it all with us. But thats just life, well, ours that is. I hate complaining because when it's Marco's off season we get to have him around all the time, even a month in the States for Christmas this year y'all!
Anyway summer was amazing, but reality is, that it does not last forever. Did you know that?! Crazy huh? Luca and I had to slowly say goodbye to swimming in his pool, or bucket, or tupperware, whatever he could get his hands on, goodbye to eating dinners outside on the deck, goodbyes to peaches, watermelon, berries, his beloved cat Luna, his Pop's, Gram, Zia, and everyone else in between. We also had to say goodbye to Kombucha, Kimchi, and Chia Seeds! Going from my mothers   hippyish, natural, Steiner lifestyle to, well, Italy, is always (lets just say) different. Luca's toys that he plays with at my parents house are what my brother, sister and I played with as kids, so pretty much anything edible. Wood. Wool. Maybe not delicious, but nonetheless edible. Luca's toys here on the other hand are either hand me downs from cousins on Marco's side, or gifts from friends and family. You can tell the toys that Gram and Pops gave him because they don't make noise and are not made in China. I'm not complaining, or taking sides, just pointing things out. No sugar at Grams, the more sugar the better with Nonno and Nonna. So You know what I stand in between. No extremes either way. Works for us. A little plastic wont kill him (unless he eats it god forbid) and a lick of ice cream here and there will probably just temporarily make Luca's eyes pop out. Simple things. Sweet things. I like it that way.
So we made it back home, without any meltdowns or drama, just maybe a Little Bean hand in every passengers cup as we make it down the isles… Luckily the flight was full of happy elderly couples on a group trip to Italy for a cruise, so having a sticky hand in their cups was not a first time for many of them. Reminded them of their grandchildren. They were probably just saying that because they felt sorry for the single Mamma with bed head running after the brat. Luca slept maybe 2 hours or the 7 hour flight. Which was during the night btw. LUCKILY he was happy sitting next to me racing his cars up and down my face as I tried too sleep. I slept a total of zero minutes. BUT LB was happy, and that was SO important. For everyone on the plane.
When we arrived Luca was in a sort of shock. He couldn't believe that Marco wasn't just a screen in front of him, he couldn't believe that he was back in his car seat, oh and the toys! He was in utter shock. It didn't matter that he had not slept for nearly 15 hours, having his Papa' and toys that made noise was enough fuel to keep him going for another 4 hours of total bliss.
Than LB and I took a 5 hour nap.
I wont tell you about the next 5 nights though. I am doing you a favor trust me. I would like to forget about them.
BUUUUUUUT (fingers crossed, knock on wood) Luca has been sleeping 11 hours straight in is own bed. Miracles happen folks!
Doing what he does best

Labor Day fun on the river

in his element

In his element again

Chillin at the cabin with dear friends


cousins and serious business

Innocent?

Molly and Coralie live in France, Luca and I live in Italy. We come to the States to get together. Duh.


Papa' and his co captain

Just thought I would throw this in… painted the bathroom. The white just wasn't working.

Helen and Brian's wedding. So sweet and stunning location. I have grown up in MD and never knew places like that were even in the State

Brig and Billy 4 EVA!

checkin the situation out

Bmore represent!

Friday, August 22, 2014

How We Roll

This is how we've been rolling these sweet summer days.
First off we had a fabulously fun family vacation down South, and spent a week in Ashville NC where my brother lives and goes to school. First time there and let me tell you, Ashville folk know whats going on. That city is FULL of life, and such diversity. Oh and SO many fantastic restaurants!
The only poo part of the whole vacation deal is the traveling, Luca is the worst car rider ever. So much drama. I mean can't he just breath, take in the sights and, and look out the window. No. He must have CONSTANT entertainment, which sometimes includes me sticking things up my nose. Oh the things we do for our kids. Oh and thank GAWD for iPads and Peppa Pig. He can watch about a third of an episode without complaining (an episode is 10 min) so after about a 3 minutes of Peppa I have to shove something up my nose again. And so on and so forth. For 9 hours.
Soo other than car riding, its pretty smooth sailing, except for your occasional screams of frustration, when he can't get a hold of the cats tail, or get his toy duck to waddle right. Or the nights when he randomly starts screaming only to wake up the whole neighborhood (okay not really) but he really is such a comedian and ladies man. He flirts with any female from the age of 3 to 93. Weirdo.
Our days are filled with playing in the pool, biking to the new (actually old) but just discovered park, biking distance from my parents house) hanging out with family outside (SO taking advantage of having huge outside space), picnics, summer food, Luca gets tagged along on Mamma's dates with girlfriends (yes I am THAT Mom), well anyway pretty much not really worth writing about, but we ARE having a pretty darn sweet summer. We just miss the skipper who is out and about from Greece to Montenegro to Croatia, but we do get lucky and talk to him just about every day (unless they are near some remote island so the wireless is crap. First world problems. So pretty much we can't complain.
walks on the mountains of Ashville

checking out the world from above

LB's obsession with water

Zia and Zio

Summer always needs walks to the ice cream parlor

Captain Justin just taking us out on his boat in Columbia SC

ALWAYS helping Gram. (or throwing dirt on her) He is her shadow



Aaaaaaand than he ate Sh*t. And cried bloody murder

Who has picnics like hobos on the garden of the Biltmore. We do. Duh. haha oops, Sophie I just noticed Luca's hand. Typical.

my button nose bean. Just like Mamma. Sorry LB.

Where there is water, there is Luca naked

Look at the above caption. 


everyday.

just the perfect hight to get whacked in the face by tall grass

it's a tight table situation