Happy First Birthday Matthew!!

February 27, 2009

Dear Matthew,

For as long as I can remember, my life was destined to include three little boys. One year ago, my dream was fulfilled when we welcomed you into our lives. As I look at you each day, you are a constant reminder of how precious life is. I cherish every moment with you and delight in watching you explore and learn. Although I am saddened that this day is already upon us, I will cherish all the memories of you in your first year of life. You are such a sweet and precious little boy and I am proud to be your Mommy.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Matty Moose! I love you! XXOO

Many Miles

It's been a whirlwind week thus far as I count down the days until the emotional end on Friday when I tell my littlest (and last) child Happy 1st Birthday. I am struggling to get through each day, and am puzzled as to why I'm so teary eyed about the birthday thing. Maybe it's the fact that he is no longer a baby, maybe that I know he is my last one, maybe that I know that no matter how much I may or may not want more kids the factory is closed. It's time for me to move on and look forward to the next 18 years of raising my boys and watching them grow into bright young men.

In the meantime, life goes on, and the miles are racking up on the Camry. The boys and I ventured to Bakersfield on Friday night so that I could work on Saturday. Might I add that before we drove to Nana's house, I took a trip to Goleta and back which equated to 250 miles. On Saturday the boys enjoyed some time at the park and, as I understand, Matthew cracked up watching Dominic being pushed on the swings. His day will come soon enough. Sunday was a much needed day off. Joshua attended his best friend Cole's birthday party at the bowling alley while Jim and I took Dom and Matty to Wendy's and the grocery store. This was Matthew's first Wendy's visit where he actually ate chicken nuggets, fries, and oranges. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Monday came early with a 5:20am departure to Camarillo for a training class. Add another 365 miles to the Camry for that trip....and then another 220 miles for a return trip to Bakersfield yesterday. I am looking forward to the rest of this week when my travel lightens up. I love driving, but enough is enough. Today I'm off to San Luis Obispo and then to a Health Fair here in town. I'm also looking forward to a trip to Costco this evening to pick up goodies for the grand event this weekend.

Please say a little prayer for me that I make it through this week in one piece.

Let's Play Ball

After arriving home from Bakersfield last night Matthew decided it was time to play. He delighted in playing a game of "catch" (his version includes rolling the ball) with Angie. They both enjoyed another game of the same this morning. I know deep down inside Angie really does enjoy having the boys around to play with. She especially enjoys their toys...namely the ones that roll!

Priceless Smiles

Where did a year go?

For those of you who have seen or spoken to me in the past few days, you would agree that I am having a tough time dealing with the reality that Matthew will be one in a week. Where did my baby go? I keep thinking about the past year, and wondering where the heck it went. Wasn't it just yesterday that I peered into that little glass bassinet in the hospital and grinned from ear to ear as I gushed over my precious newborn? What a blessing this little guy has been to all of us. I can only pray that he stays happy and healthy, and continues to be the sweet little guy that awakens with me each morning and snuggles with me each night.

P.S. Today is picture day - keep your fingers crossed that they turn out perfect!

Thank you Mrs. Spencer

It was the "SH%&" just as my car door latched shut yesterday that started my day off, but it was what would ensue that set the tone of my day. Yes, I locked my keys in my car as I was dropping Joshua off at school yesterday. Knowing I had to be in SLO by 8:30 to open the store, I had very little time to spare (thank goodness I got out early yesterday). I marched into Joshua's classroom and declared to Mrs. Spencer, his teacher, that I had just locked my keys (and everything else for that matter) in my car. She quickly offered up her cell phone for me to call someone. Of course, with no cell phone of my own and Jim at a different station I had no clue who to call. I muttled that my friend from down the street had already left so I couldn't get her to stop by to pick up my extra car key. Hearing that, Mrs. Spencer pulled her car keys out and asked if I'd like to take her car home to get my spare key - WOW! She was in no rush for me to return and was happy to help. I quickly rushed out to her car (a Camry that is identical to ours) and headed home for my keys. Within 20 minutes I was back in my Camry and on the road to SLO.

Thank you, Mrs. Spencer, for making my day better, and for being such a terrific teacher and friend. Our world has definitely been blessed with you in it.

A Song to Remind Me About my Boys

I found this song tonight as I was creating Matthew's playlist. Every time I listen to it, it makes me cry. I believe it is a mixture of artist, including Lady Antebellum. You can find it on iTunes under "Never Alone" if you like it. Turn up the volume and listen to this one.

Disneyland Take 3

Can you believe this was already trip #3 to Disneyland in 2009? The funny thing is that over the course of two days, we barely spent 6 hours in either of the two parks. Sunday and Monday were more than just a trip to Disneyland, it was a Schallock family reunion! We ventured to the resort with my mom to meet up with my sister and her family from Utah. In addition, Jim and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary on Sunday, and my niece celebrated her 6th birthday on Monday. Despite the weather upset, we enjoyed our trip.

Day 1 - Sunday

We awoke early and scrambled to get everyone ready to leave Bakersfield. Because we now have a full backseat, my mom had to drive her own car. Dominic insisted on riding with her...I laughed because I knew he would be Mr. Chatterbox in the back seat (and he was). After a pit stop in Castaic, Dominic joined us in the Tahoe for a movie, and we finished our drive in freeway hell. Actually, the drive wasn't too bad until we hit the East LA interchange and found a traffic accident blocking 4 of 6 lanes right where three freeways branch off.

We arrived at the resort (Paradise Pier) just after 11am and checked in. I was happy to see that our room was ready this go-round, and that the front desk agent (Eric - he was really nice) remembered our anniversary; presenting us with two Mickey and Minnie pins to wear for the day. After unloading, we headed to the Rainforest Cafe for some lunch and to meet up with my sister. My niece had no clue we were coming down for her birthday so she was excited to see us all. Although the rain was light, it was still rather cold outside. We decided to visit California Adventure, but only stayed for a few hours. My sister insisted that we watch the Aladdin stage show....WOW!! If you haven't seen this one yet, it's well worth the wait! It was a 45 minute psuedo Broadway show with singing and dancing, and really cool flying! Dominic LOVED it and even commented "I like that guy" referring to Aladdin. From there we headed back to the merry-go-round and rode that twice (since there was no wait and they didn't make us get off), and then waited about 30 minutes to ride Midway Mania - my favorite!! The boys wanted to ride the Jellyfish ride, and then the Zephyr's. By the time we finished it was 4:45pm, and we headed out as the cold weather was getting to be a bit much for everyone.

Jim and I cleaned up and went to a nice dinner at the sushi restaurant downstairs while my mom took the boys to dinner and put them to bed. After eating dinner, we ventured over to the gift shop in the hotel and decided to partake in pin trading gear since I still had the $69 fun card from my birthday last month. We chose two lanyards, annual pass holders, and about 11 pins to a total of $130 - YIKES!! The lady at the counter was nice enough to five us 4 free trading pins since it was our anniversary. We finished the evening eating a big banana split! I still can't believe it's been 7 years - time sure does fly!

Day 2

We awoke early to prepare for Ella's birthday breakfast at 7:30am. We all had a blast visiting the characters, and Ella enjoyed opening her gifts. Matthew and Lilo flirted for what seemed like 20 minutes, and then he took a bite out of Max's nose. The older kids enjoyed playing the island hopper game with Stitch....TWICE! The weather was not so pretty outside, but we loaded the car and all headed over to Disneyland. We expected that since we arrived shortly after they opened (around 9:30am), we could hit a multitude of rides and hit the road by 2pm...we didn't make it that far. We knew the rain was about to hit, but were not prepared for what would ensue after we rode Indiana Jones and Pirates. Upon exiting from Pirates, we returned to our stroller in a downpour and found every last inch of it soaked...including everything underneath it. Despite the fact that we dropped $30 on rain parka's, we all were suffering from wet feet, pants, hoods, etc. After fighting the water on It's a Small World (which was pretty cool with the new additions), we loaded up and headed to the car. It was only 11:30am. Thankfully the boys had an extra change of clothes, so they rode home dry.

We stopped at Islands in Santa Clarita for lunch, and then drove through snow on I-5 before arriving home at 5pm. Might I add that my jeans were still wet 6 hours later when we arrived home.

Despite the weather, we enjoyed spending time with my sister, her family, and my mom. We will plan our next trip for April or May when the weather is nice, and the crowds are still dismal. I've posted several photos below....thank you, Pattie, for providing me with a few extra!

This is one of the things I love about Jim - his sense of humor!

Gotta love Blogger - I can't get this one rotated.

Joshua and Ella


The Riggio and Huestis Families
Pattie, Ella, Owen, Mike, Pam, Matthew, Jim, Joshua, and Dominic

Can you tell we're twins?

Like mother, like daughters! We all commented on how much we look alike.

Matty asking for more (look at his hands)

Happy Birthday, Ella!

Matty takes a bite out of Max

Owen, Ella, Dominic and Joshua - you'll notice Tigger is hiding under the eaves

Sleeping Angels

Every night we end up with a minimum of 1 little guy in our bed.....last night it was two! Even after spreading them apart, the two little guys always migrate back and cuddle together to sleep. I know that all too quickly these moments will be memories as they grow older and wish to keep their distance from one another. For now, I will cherish my mornings with sights like this.

Should I be shocked that Matthew absolutely loves the frosting inside Oreo's? We took this shot at dinner last night, as he dug the frosting out and fed himself. What a sugar rush! I cannot seem to rotate the video, so you will have to use your imagination and peer at it from the side.

One Man Down

As I stumbled around this morning at 3am to get a bottle for Matthew, it donned on my that I hadn't seen Leo all night. I frantically searched the house and realized that he was not in it. Once again, it seems he has slipped out an open door and is lost in our neighborhood. Please say a little prayer for him (and me) today that he finds his way back home. He is an inside cat and doesn't know what to do when presented with an obstacle outdoors. He is certainly a big part of our lives and I hate to see him gone.

UPDATE: As expected, Leo was hiding out in his favorite bush next door. There's no telling how long he had been there, but as soon as I pulled him out, scooped him up, and he realized it was me, he curled up and just melted into my arms. Poor little guy - I can only imagine how terrified he was. Hopefully he just remembers that bush and always goes there if he gets out since I know where to find him. I am relieved that he is home and has a few lives left.

Another PB&J Boy

Every once in a while I mix up my breakfast and substitute a PB&J sandwich. Today was one of those days. I decided to give Matty a bite and guess what? He loved it! I guess I have another kid who loves the basics.

Go Cardinals!

Happy Superbowl Sunday!! Although Jim is sad that his Rams didn't make it to this glorious day, he IS rooting for the Cardinals since Kurt Warner was the Rams Superbowl MVP several years ago.....he's still trying to figure out why he is now playing for the Cardinals. Despite which team you are rooting for, enjoy some chips and dip, a glass of beer, and a few hot wings while you watch the game today.