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Spring has come and we kicked it off with a fun birthday party on board of the Star of India, an ancient ship, rebuilt and anchored in San Diego Bay.

Of course, the party had a pirate theme, and our own private pirate, Swordfish, entertained the kids with games, stories, a tour and sea chanties.

It was definitely a different kind of party, and not too painful to attend, even though, by the end, I felt a little sea sick.

We did our typical San Diego things, like picnics at the bay, and visits to the zoo. This time we had a chance to see two babies, a three weeks old gorilla, hanging, literally, on his mom and breastfeeding, and a new born hippo, well at least his legs and behind, under the water.

We also got the chance to see the youngest panda up close and personal.

Keegan posing on the lion at the entrance

We also planned a quick camping trip to Anza Borrego. No, we did not forget how painful our last camping experience was, but we are stubborn: Keegan will enjoy camping, like it or not. Well, he does love the tent part of camping, but he resents the hikes or anything else we want to do.

We arrived in the afternoon, and set up the tent in the midst of strong winds, which is always fun, but at least they were warm winds. I had basically lost my voice due to a cold, but I was still able to communicate somehow, and even reprimand Keegan with loud whispers if necessary. Once we were all set up, we went exploring for a few minutes. Check out this huge tree trunk. Someone decided to make a face out of this dry bush…

After dinner and s’mores, we went to the campfire. A park ranger talked about the nature and animals of Anza Borrego, and brought along many animals skins and fur to touch and explore: a bobcat,  a mountain lions, a badger, a racoon, etc. It was pretty interesting. By the then Keegan was running on fumes, and even if he tried to complain because Matt and I dared to stand outside the tent for a few minutes watching the stars, he collapsed promptly.

The next morning, bright and early, someone was up, and there was no way to keep him quiet and in the tent, so we went for our planned hike at Palm Canyon by 7am. It actually worked out well, because the trail was mainly in the shade, and so much more pleasant. There were plenty of rocks to climb, and at first Keegan really enjoyed himself; he admitted as much. But his enthusiasm only lasted about 20 minutes, replaced by whining till we reached the palm oasis. It was beautiful. Despite the drought, there was still some water flowing.

Keegan, mr antsy pants, did not want to rest or relaxed. He was determined to get down as fast as possible, so we could go home and he could watch TV. Oh, the youth today! We started our hike down, with him leading the way, and temperatures rising. We almost made it to the bottom, when all of the sudden, Keegan was nowhere to be found. We thought he would have been waiting for us at the car, but there was no trace of him in the parking lot. We had a few minutes of panic, till when Matt, tracing the path back, found him crying with another hiker that found him alone on the wrong path and very kindly stayed with him and waited for us. What a relief…see what happen when you rush to go watch TV instead of enjoying the nature?? I am kidding, we were all VERY happy to be reunited, and big hugs and cuddles made everyone feel better.

After packing up camp, we stopped at the Visitors’ Center, to learn more of the desert and check out other trails we can try next time…this was as much as we could push him. We got back to the truck, and headed back to San Diego. Keegan quickly fell asleep, and Matt and I enjoyed a quiet drive back — and no traffic — sipping our coffee and caffe moka. We were home in the early afternoon, in time for the adults nap.

All in all this trip went slightly better than previous, so we have hope. Baby steps…

Easter snicked up on us. It was in early April, but the weather was nice and warm. Keegan’s Spring Break was the week before, and he enjoyed a YMCA camp. Despite being really resistant to the idea, he ended up really enjoying it. He especially liked the trip to the Build A Bear workshop, where he got to build his own stuffed teddy bear. I was a little surprised he was be into it, but after all, he is a huge fan of stuffed animals, and at last count, he sleeps with 7/8 ones every night.

We did not planned too much, but we started the Easter weekend with a trip to Sky High Sports, a huge indoor trampoline park with our neighbor Kelton. It was fun: it is a large warehouse filled with trampolines, and the kids, and adults, can bounce around free form, or play a mean game of dodgeball or even jump in a pit filled with foam. What made it even better is that we were there very early, so they had the whole place to themselves for a while.

When we got home, I took a nice nap and then we got ready to paint our Easter eggs. This year we got a Star Wars set. I always wonder why we even bother. It takes a while to set up, and he is finished in a few minutes…and of course, he does not eat the eggs. Anyway, he had fun.

On Easter morning, we set them up in a nice display.

The day, of course started super early, with the annual Easter Eggs Hunt in the yard, meaning we got up before 6 to scatter the eggs around, without even bothering hiding them (no time). Keegan knows that we are the Easter bunny, so he now makes requests! He still does enjoy the hunt, though, so here we go.

As always we went a bit overboard…but he was really happy, and really enjoyed all  his candy.

Keegan and Matt, prepared a delicious breakfast…helping with a meal was part of Keegan’s homework, and as you can see, he is really excited about it.

The end results were great, though, and I enjoyed our delicious brunch, with eggs, potatoes and chocolate chips pancakes. Yum.

Keegan’s favorite, however, was the awesome Lindtt chocolate bunny, he carefully chose as his big treat. It was delicious!

In the afternoon, we went to visit Keegan’s cousins, Jimmy and Kirana, that had just arrived in San Diego for a few days vacation. Kirana prepared a really fun treasure hunt for Keegan that led to a very cute outfit. What a nice idea! The kids played in the pool and then we relaxed at the hotel, enjoying the free appetizers.

Keegan was excited about seeing his cousins, and he spent Monday and Wednesday afternoon with them at the hotel, playing and swimming in the pool. This was great for me too, since I got some ME-time.

Matt prepared a delicious dinner on Tuesday night, and we all had a good time, especially the kids.

the Rubik’s cube is back!

Our dinner experiment was the chocolate covered ice cream in the shape of the Millennium Falcon. It looked great, but the chocolate cover was so thick it made it hard to eat. Well, it was our first attempt, and we had back up dessert.

On the last night of their stay, we went to eat some unhealthy food at Red Robin and we got a final cousins’ shot. Everyone was a little sad, but we the kids definitively had a fun time together. See you soon!

February and March has been quiet and crazy at the same time. Matt, unfortunately, has not been healing as fast as we wished and he was not able to get back to work till the end of February.

Keegan has been really great during this difficult time. I do not know if it is because he grew up and matured, or maybe because he was worried, or maybe because we are all a little changed from what happened, or maybe because the parenting techniques we have been trying are starting to work, but he cut down on whining and tantrums, and he is A LOT more compliant, and less demanding and moody. I guess it does not really matter why: we are just enjoying it!

Our normal life, whatever that is, has been put a little on hold as we all recovered, but we still found a way to do some fun stuff. Haircuts are a necessity, but Keegan is happy to go because he sees his favorite stylist, Breanda, who is really funny, and then, he knows that we will have some junk food lunch afterwards.

He did not like the style this time, claiming it is too short, but I think he is very handsome.

My friend Meggie came to visit in the middle of February, and we enjoyed some quiet time together and beautiful walks. She also brought Keegan 2 red envelopes for Lunar New Year, $10 total. What a generous gift! This year, is the year of the Goat (or sheep or ram), and according to Chinese horoscope is a year of peace and calm after the “galloping horse” of last year. We hope so.

Keegan and I celebrate the new year at Seaworld. We enjoyed rides and the usual exhibits, including the 3d “helicopter ride” over the Arctic, and the turtle ride. Looking at these cool sea turtles and tropical fish I thought about Hawaii…I really  wish we were there now! Hopefully we will be able to get back soon.

They also had a cool celebration, with special food, decorations and shows, such as the Chinese acrobats – amazing- and local Taiko drummers. I think I have found the instrument for Keegan! Combine powerful drum hitting with jumping around and dancing: can you think of anything that is best suited for him?

Talking about drumming, Keegan had been practicing for most of February for a special show, called the Doo- Daa parade. Each kid was supposed to create his own drum, meaning, each parents had to go crazy trying to build one. Then, by class, they performed a show/competition, on a chilly, breezy Friday afternoon. Even if his class did not win, I know he had fun. He is the one with a green hat, orange shirt,gray/green pants and red shoes on the left side.

Keegan also had the chance to experiment some firsts:

•  Matt showed him how to play pool. For as bad as he was, being his first time, he still a lot better than me.

• We finally went to the circus. Keegan has been asking a lot about it, so I took him to Circus Vargas with Sara, her boyfriend and their girls. It was pretty cool. Of course, there were no animals, but the artists were spectacular.

Keegan liked all the acts, especially the trampoline guys. By the end of the show, he got to pose with the two motorcycle guys, that rode inside a cage…pretty insane.

While it is not a first, he even got to spend a really fun afternoon with his friend Ezra: movie, pizza and then sleepover. So it was a great time for us too. Again, we did not do anything spectacular, but we watched a nice movie in the theater and had a quiet dinner, and most importantly, we got to wake up with no rush in the morning. By the time we picked him up at noon he was still all wired up and playing. When we got home, we had a quick lunch, and then we rested. Keegan was so exhausted that he passed out and slept more than two hours, like he has not done in a long time. Sleepovers: the gift that keeps on giving.

On March 2, National reading Day, as well as Dr. Seuss’s birthday, they had a fun celebration at school. All the kids wrote funny hats again, and they read to preschooler kids.

Then the teacher cooked green eggs and ham, and they had a nice feast.

Lego building is still one of Keegan’s favorite activities, beside reading, as in US reading to HIM. He has gotten a lot better, and now he actually builds his models, at least in part, (and he is much more careful with them, since he knows how much time it took to make them). It is a little sad, because now I do not get to build anymore…I guess I will need to buy my own models.

the Star Wars Cantina (collaboration)

The x-wing fighter (collaboration)

As Matt got a little better, we took Keegan to Legoland. He made us promise we will go as soon as Matt was better, so to raise the ante, we secretly booked a night at the Legoland Hotel for the Star Wars  Weekend: Legoland was unveiling the model of a large Death Star to complement the Star Wars Section of miniland. Keegan was so excited. What a great surprise! We headed up north on friday, after school, and enjoyed the rush hour traffic.

We made it by 5pm, so we had plenty of time to explore. We did not hang out by the pool, but it was still fun. The first impact was a little traumatic: imagine Las Vegas for kids. Even Keegan remarked on how loud it was. The lobby included a huge bricks fountain, where kids can build and visitors are greeted by a large Lego dragon.

Even before getting to the room, the fun had already begun with the disco elevators, featuring a disco ball, strobe lighting and 70’s music. The room was awesome, though, at least from a kid’s perspective. He had his own sleeping area, with bunk beds, and there were Lego sculptures everywhere. Too bad they did not have a door separating the adult area. The theme of our room was Adventure, which I thought it was great. It was a little like Indiana Jones, with an Egyptian theme.

As Keegan explored the room, Matt and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset. We were lucky enough that our room was overlooking the ocean.

We started the stay with a small treasure hunt, which gave us the combination for the room safe: inside Keegan found chocolate coins and two mini-figures. How fun.

He immediately started building for the Building competition, and put a lot of effort in creating his cool ship.

Alas he did not win, but he still had fun, and participated with enthusiasm. I am proud of his good attitude.

We had a buffet dinner, and then there was a pj party for the kids…wow, what an exciting afternoon. Even all this did not keep him sleeping, and he was up at dawn, as always. Fortunately we have brought our movies and every room has a bucket of Legos to play with. What did Keegan build? Two Lego guns, of course.

After a delicious free breakfast, we headed to the park.

Being Star Wars day there were lots of activities related to the movies, especially lots of characters walking around. Keegan did not want to take photos, but some were really cool, such as the Imperial guards, the Sand man, and Darth Vedar himself. I had to get a shot with him, since we never saw one before.

There were also contests, raffles and fan art. I loved the Darth Vader Pool Table.

They also had competition, and Keegan eagerly participated in the Star Wars Trivia challenge twice. Again, he did not win, but he was undeterred. I hope he will remain like this. Nice attitude.

We finally got to see the much anticipated Death Star replica. It was really cool, more than 13 feet tall and 8 feet wide, and made with more than 500,000 bricks. Very well done, and completed with some of the most famous movie scenes, recreated and animated. Darth Vedar and the Imperial Guards were at hand.

We also enjoyed some of the regular rides, such as the small driving course, the storybook creek and the laser shooting. Keegan is not afraid of roller coasters anymore, so we took a few rides together. It was a long day, but we all had fun.

Before we knew it, it was St. Patrick’s Day. It is not a huge celebration, I know, but Keegan always gets a kick out of it. When he went to school that morning, a tricky Leprechaun has made a big mess in his classroom, and left little empty pots and gold coins for all the kids to discover…what a trickster. Yes, Keegan knows there are no Leprechauns, but he still enjoys the antics.

Back home, the Leprechaun made a mess on his room too! After the pool, Keegan enjoyed some chalk drawings…look at this beautiful Shamrock that says: #1 Mom. Isn’t he sweet??? Here he is, in his “bikini pose”, as he explained.

With Matt feeling better, we also had the chance to go out on a real date, the first in a few months. We went to see the new Cirque de Soleil show, Varekai, which was amazing as always.

After, the show, Matt reserved a table in a wonderful restaurant on the bay, and we had “normal” dinner. It was nice to see him eat a regular meal again, and his mood reflected his better state. With his feeding tube finally removed last Friday, we are really hoping that we are starting the long road to full recovery. We are trying to stay cautiously optimistic.

My birthday happened on a Saturday, which means, of course, more time to celebrate! Jokes aside, with Matt not feeling too well, we did not have an extravagant bash, but Matt’s sister Sue flew in to visit for the long weekend, so we had some relaxing days. I received  pre-birthday flowers when she arrived on Friday and a nice card. In the morning, while I was catching up on my beauty sleep, she took Keegan to Target and they got a full celebration ready for me. Sue and the boys wrapped my presents and got everything ready.

It was great. Matt this year bought both my Christmas and birthday presents at once, pretty early too, so he was ready. I got a nice cheese slicer, books, CDS, and my long wished for necklace, hand created with sand from Pacific Beach. It was quite an endeavor: we collected the sand, we cleaned it and shipped it, and the necklace did not even arrived till mid February…but it is the thought that counts.

Sue and Keegan got me a super soft blanket and a fun game to play together, and the best pop up card. How sweet.

It was a warm, beautiful day. Surprisingly enough, most of the times, it is sunny on my birthday. We decided to go to the beach…again. We have never been at the beach so often like in the past couple of months. (-: Sue and I took a nice, long walk, and then Matt and I did the same. We played on the sand and climbed on the cliffs with Keegan, and simply relaxed and watched the waves.

Back home, I enjoyed the sun on the deck and kicked back. Matt cooked a wonderful dinner for me (poor  Matt, he could not even taste it) and we had a great cheesecake, one of my favorites. I blew the candles and made a wish. Happy Birthday to Me!

Listening to and reading all the birthday wishes from family and friends completed a very nice day. Thank you all!

The next day, we went to the Natural History Museum. They have a new exhibit about the Southern California environment, which was very interesting. In a follow up visit, Matt realized that you can see our house from the large map they have as part of the new California exhibit.

A program Keegan really likes at the Museum is the live Ms. Frizzle show, based on the character from the magic school bus series. She is an eccentric science teacher and she explains real scientific facts in a fun, entertaining way. And she always asks for volunteers, which Keegan LOVES. They were learning about volcanoes, and he got called to play the part of “gravity”.

That night Keegan had a sleepover at Daniele’s house, and we had a quiet evening at home. Monday was a holiday, so we were all home. After picking up Keegan from Daniele, we went home for some lunch, and then I took Keegan to the Science Museum: wow, two museums in two days! We had a good time, and watched a cool movie about the South Pacific. We both want to go there!

Back home, Keegan and Sue played and read, and then we went to Keegan’s favorite restaurant, Chili’s. More bedtime cuddles when we got back: they look so cute together.

Comes Tuesday, we were back to the routine. Sue flew back home in the afternoon. It was great to have an extended celebration and to spend it together in beautiful San Diego. It almost makes me  forget I am one year older.

Happy 2015! We, obviously, were not able to make a holiday card, with everything that happened, so this image from the beach must do.

We went back to the beach on the first of the year, and there is no better way to kick off 2015. The weather was nice, but not as warm as we hoped. Still, Matt and I took a nice, long walk on the beach, and then, my sister and I did the same. Keegan, of course, stayed where he was. We all know that too much walking can really hurt, right? He managed to build a cool sand castle, though, with some help from the adults, well myself excluded.

Back at home, we relaxed a bit, and I prepared the cinnamon coffee crumb cake we prepared for Matt’s birthday. Cinzia cooked some delicious dinner and we celebrated the new year with a very festive table, and even more festive Mimosas. Yum.

Keegan is trying to photo-bomb…but he is not fast enough

new year hug

On January 2nd, Cinzia volunteered to take Keegan to Seaworld. While he would have prefered Legoland for all its rides, Seaworld it was. I had to take Matt to his doctor’s appointment, so I dropped them off, bright and early when the park opened. Keegan wanted me to stay, and honestly, with such a pretty day I would have liked it too, but I could not. I walked them in, just to check out the cleaner fish.

The appointment went well, and Matt was feeling pretty good, if a little tired, so I figured I could reach Cinzia and Keegan at Seaworld. I did not want to miss the Christmas Dolphin Show, after all. So, after making sure Matt was settled in the sun, I left. Keegan was so excited when he saw me, and said his wish had come true. So sweet. I made it in time for the Dolphin Show. It was not quite as good as the regular show, but it was OK.

Cinzia made sure we did everything: the sea lion show, the sharks, the aquarium, the turtles…and they did much more in the morning, including keegan’s favorite: a simulator helicopter ride in the Artic. Keegan even squeeze a ride in: we tried the turtle ride, which was quite fun, but probably not worth thew 30 minutes wait. By lunch time, the park really filled up.

We were there till closing time, finishing off with the Holiday Shamu Show, that, as always, was pretty lame. The night, however, was magic. The moon was almost full, and the lights of the park made it look even more spectacular.

big hugs at the Shamu Show

We had fun and even managed to tire him out. Amazing! He got a quick dinner and went straight to bed.

We had two more days with Cinzia, and we made the most of it. First off, we took advantage of her babysitting and Matt and I went for a walk in the nearby canyon. It was so nice…we used to come here a lot, BK (before keegan), but he does not enjoy it as much as we do. The fresh air, and the sunny sky made wonders for our mood. Keegan, on the other hand, was a little bit of a handful and getting him out of the house was a real challenge. We finally convinced him to walk to Jamba Juice: magic of Cinzia and her stories and games. She got him to walk to the square about 4 times…he never wanted to come with us.

For Cinzia’s last day, once again we headed to Pacific Beach. We saw that beach more in the past 10 days than in the previous six months. Matt brought the backpack this time with his food pump, so we could stay longer.

Another beautiful day, but very windy. Good thing I brought my warm hat. This time, Cinzia and I walked first, and we must have gone quite far, since Keegan was not happy with how long we were gone. Then, Matt and I walked to the tide pools near Tourmaline beach. It was low tide, and it was breathtaking.

We could not see too much marine life, but we did spotted the tentacles of a small octopus pushing sand away. It was beautiful, and our spirits were high.

The afternoon was busy, with lots of errands and packing. Our sitter Jennifer and her fiancee Jeremy stopped by to visit and to bring us the “prayer quilt” the church group made for us. She did ask us if we wanted one, and, even though we are not religious in the more traditional sense, we accepted. Positive energy, in any form is always accepted. A prayer quilt, we found out, is a quilt made by a church group for a specific person. Information about the condition are provided and as the quilt is made prayers are said for the recipient. Threads are added: each knot represents a prayer. His name is added to the back of the quilt as well. They even asked us for our favorite colors. What a nice thought, and the quilt is quite nice.

I have to say that, throughout the whole ordeal, Jennifer has been very present, and, besides offering to help, she also touched base with me a few time to ask how we were doing. She is very nice.

Just before nighttime, Cinzia got her wish: to see Keegan without BOTH front teeth.

Little Dracula

For our last night together we went to eat at Chili’s, one of Keegan’s favorite. We were all tired, but it was nice to spend another dinner with each other.

Keegan shot this picture. Not bad…and notice the giant Sunrise Margarita. I think I more than deserve it.

Back at home, we tucked Keegan in and zia Cinzia had the chance to say her goodbyes. This is always a little sad.

I dropped her off by 6am at the airport. Of course, Keegan woke up in time to see her off, but fortunately went back to bed right away.

It was very sad to think that Cinzia was leaving, and no one of us felt ready to face “reality”: going back to school and work, and daily life, by ourselves for the first time in almost a month. We are so very grateful to her for dropping everything off, and giving up her holiday time with her family and facing the long trip to be with us. Her presence here allowed us to really have a happier holiday time and to enjoy many moments in an otherwise difficult period. I also enjoyed having so much undivided time to spend together, and last, but not least, I really enjoyed feeling spoiled and pampered by her.

Thank you again, zia Cinzia, we love you, we miss you already and and we hope to see you soon!!!!

Once Christmas was over, we focused on the rest of the Winter Vacation. We only had 6 more days left for this 2014, which can’t be remembered as a banner year for sure. We were more than happy to see it go, but we still tried to make the most of the last few days.

Keegan went to the zoo for the last day of camp on December 26, and I tried to take care of some of the errands I left unfinished. Matt and I took a nice walk around the neighborhood and I cleaned the house a bit.By dinner time, my sister arrived from Italy. It was so nice to have her here, and a big relief, since I was now the main health provider for Matt. Yes, we had a nurse that came every few days, but still… Even though Cinzia is a child psychiatrists, she was trained as a doctor, so she could help in a medical emergency. It was also nice to have someone else to share these transitional days with, and, if I have to be a little selfish, someone who could take care of me a bit. Furthermore, Keegan was home till January 5th, so I would have needed help in that area as well. And I am sure wouldn’t hurt to have her professional assessment and advice.

We spent a wonderful vacation together. She was great, and not only played with Keegan and entertained him non-stop, but she also cooked and cleaned, and we had plenty of chances to talk and catch up, like we have not had in a long time. I felt like I was really on vacation…or almost!

We went to the bay for a beautiful walk in the sun, and then to Pacific Beach. Matt enjoyed these brief outings, and so did I. I have not walked this much in years. (-:

 goofy picture for Keegan and mom…but not Matt

Someone built some Minions out of sand. How cool is that?

We also did lots and lots of playing with Keegan’s new stuff, mainly Lego. Keegan and I built two full models together and Keegan did a lot this time. We decided to take pictures of them, since they usually do not last past 1 day.

The picture also shows that Keegan finally lost his top tooth, on December 30th. It has been very wiggly forever, but this time, Keegan did not seem to be in big rush. Maybe because it was hurting and bleeding a little, or maybe just because the dentist told him to take it off, as the permanent teeth were more than ready. In fact, as soon as it fell off, the permanent was already poking out. Now, we only have to get rid of the other wiggly tooth…

Matt was doing a little better, even if his mood, obviously, was not at an all time high. We all know we are in for the long haul. It is a very slow healing disease, but we are grateful for any improvement. On December 31, I took Matt back to the hospital for a tube check. We stopped by his floor, Tower 6 West, to bring some flowers and chocolate and a thank you card to all his nurses and staff. Melanie and Rennell, two of our favorite nurses, were there, and it was so great to see them and showed them how much better he was doing…and how he looked like in real clothes and not a flimsy hospital gown. They were very warm and friendly, and once again they helped us get some orders sorted out.

The tube check went well, and they removed it. Yeah! One more to go. I loved the decor in the waiting area, with large canvases wrapped as gifts.

It was finally time to say Goodbye and Good Riddance to 2014. It has not been the best year for Cinzia as well, so we were both in the same mood. I decorated the house for the new year, and got ready.

Cinzia took Keegan to the movie theater that afternoon. He asked to watch Annie, which really surprised me. A musical, about a little orphan adopted by a millionaire? It does not sound like Keegan, but he asked, and he seems that he really enjoyed it. Maybe it is not too late for him after all.

After dinner, Matt and I got a turn to go to the movies, a mini-date! We watched, Big Eyes, the latest Tim Burton’s movie. ” The film focuses on American artist Margaret Keane, whose work was fraudulently claimed in the 1950s and 1960s by her then-husband, Walter Keane “(wikipedia). I remember a similar painting when I was growing up, so I was intrigued. It was not a masterpiece, but it was nice to get out.

We got home around 10pm, just in time to watch Marrakesh Express with my sister. I have not seen it in a long time, but it is still fun. As the movie was over, we tuned in to check the time…almost there.

37 seconds to go

We got our glasses ready: a champagne glass for Cinzia and I, and a mug filled with ice for Matt.

5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!!!!!

For added good luck, Matt and I cheered from identical, “positive thinking mugs”. My mom would be proud.

We were all so happy to welcome a brand new year that we must have been a little loud. Keegan woke up, not too happy, but at least we got the chance to celebrate with him too. We all went to bed right after, but we made it to 12.30am!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Day was really special this year. Throughout the season we truly experienced the real meaning of Christmas, spending time with family and friends and helping others in need thanks to the loving help from our families. In fact, if I have to find a silver lining on this bad situation, that was being able to spend so much time with Matt’s brothers and sister. It made us realize that we should really make an effort to see each other more.

Christmas Day, however, was just us. For as much as we have enjoyed and appreciated all the visitors, it was nice to have one day for ourselves, in our own home. We relished it even more, because it was the first full day Matt was home.

Keegan of course, woke up bright and early, ready to get to his presents. Even though he said he was somewhat disappointed we did not have to bring the presents to Matt in the hospital, he was happy we were all at home. I know I was. A bright red ribbon decorated Matt’s pole, so we were all decked out and ready.

Keegan loved to see all the presents under the tree, and since he now knows that the Elf on the Shelf it is just a toy and there is really no Santa, Fifi was sitting on top of our tree, watching the proceeding. With Christmas music playing in the background, Keegan did not waste any time.

Star Wars dominated, but other presents were a big hit, such as Electronic Battleship, a present from Matt. I guess, on this Christmas, Matt got to relive his childhood and buy the toys he could not get when he was a child.

Matt got his own gifts too. My favorite was the Tetris Lamp, a movable lamp, that can be rearranged in many ways.

Matt also asked for a scientific calculator…I could not resist getting him an Instant Nerd Kit to go with it.

I am getting my gift too…oh and presents as well

After opening the presents, I went back to sleep for a early morning nap, and Keegan got to watch some TV. He wore his Santa hat, to get into the spirit.

The day continued quietly. We called family and friends to wish them Merry Christmas, and also to share the good news of Matt’s release from the hospital, and took a short walk: doctor’s order. Dragging Keegan out was not an easy task, but we managed to get our 30 minutes in. It was peaceful and bright, if a little chilly. Overall, we had a very mellow day but we could not ask for anything more after the crazy weeks we have just finished.

We did not have any time to rest after the marathon birthday celebration: Christmas time was upon us. In fact, the season had started even before the big party, with Keegan’s school Winter Wonderland on December 5th. This annual event includes vendors, food trucks and, most of all, snow! A small slide is set up for inner tube fun, and a minuscule area is covered with snow for snowball fights and sloshing around. Keegan could hardly wait till I picked him up, and we raced toward the snow slide…despite that, the wait was pretty long. Fortunately his friend Aiden (yes, the same kid he is constantly fighting with) was waiting as well, so the time passed by much more quickly.

The day after his party, we got 0ur Christmas tree and we decorated the house. Online shopping was also well under way. It starts to look a lot like Christmas…

I was settling in my usual holiday stress (I do not like the holiday period, AT ALL) and getting ready for two more weeks of running around, and crazy holiday stuff. This year, however, the “happiest time of the year” turned out to be everything but.

On Tuesday night, December 9th, Matt, suddenly started feeling a really strong pain on his shoulder and back, aggravated by the fact he was having trouble breathing. We waited out a bit, but when it did not got any better, I decided to take him to the ER. It took some convincing (typical guy), but we finally got Keegan up, and made it to Sharp ER by midnight. We were really impressed by the efficiency: by the time I parked after dropping him off, he was already on a bed, blood test and EKG done. No bloody people waiting in an overcrowded waiting room, no long form to fill out. it was all very clean and efficient. The ER doctor suspected pulmonary embolism (blood clots in his lungs), and after various tests, CT scan, x-ray, ultrasound, blood tests, the hunch turned out to be true.

It was a long, scary 4 hours, and amazingly, Keegan was pretty good for most of the time, despite being woken up in the middle of the night. By 4am Matt has been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital. This hospital has been recently renovated, and I remember reading about the project, and how they used the latest techniques in patient care, including lots of natural light, feng shuei, etc. I even thought, then, that I would have liked to be in that hospital, if need be. I guess my “wish” got fulfilled. The hospital was really beautiful: large, private rooms, with a wide window, allowing lots and lots of natural light. Each room had a private bath with shower, a sleeping couch, TV with various channel and also relaxing music, free internet throughout the hospital, and a keyboard to use the tv as an internet center. Toiletries were provided, as well as sheets and towels for relatives, slippers, socks, etc. More than once I called it the hotel, instead of the hospital.

We were also fortunate to be assigned a room in the new wing, facing west, overlooking the city, and with a small view of the ocean. The sunsets were absolutely spectacular and we saw quite a few of them.

That first night, Keegan and I got home by 4am, after making sure Matt was settled in his room and comfortable. I made a few calls, and of course, called in sick at work. I also assumed Keegan would have been late for school, and made sure to warn his teachers, but at 7.30am, he got up, and absolutely insisted he wanted to go to school right then. I drove him there, and he seemed happy to have his normal routine untouched. He immediately went to rehearsal for the Christmas show.

I tried to make arrangements: my friend Daniele, informed of what happened, immediately offered to keep Keegan overnight for as long as I needed it, so I could spend the night at the hospital. So Keegan got two sleepover in a row with Gaia. I spent most of the day at the hospital. Everyone was absolutely wonderful, and made us all feel comfortable. As a “care partner” I was given a bracelet that gave me free parking and access to the snack room. Alternative medicine services, like holistic massages and reiki was also offered, and Matt took advantage of it almost daily.

The final diagnosis was multiple pulmonary embolisms, probably caused by an acute pancreatitis that caused pleural effusion (liquid in the lung cavity) and the forming of a large pseudo-cist.

In this scary time, we were amazed to see how many people offered to help. Pretty much any parents of Keegan’s friend offered to take him at any time I needed, and our babysitter offered to watch him any time, for free I assume. (-:

Also, we are so deeply grateful to our families, who immediately put their own life on hold to help us. Sue flew in from NC within 2 days of Matt’s hospitalization, and even extended her ticket when Matt seemed to be doing worse. Mike, came in the weekend before Christmas from Virginia and stayed till Christmas Eve. And Jim and his family drove down from San Jose and stayed till Christmas day. My sister flew from Italy on the 26 and left on January 5th. We really don’t know how we could have done it without their help, especially as far as Keegan is concerned.

So, a very sincere and huge THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. And thank you for all the prayers, thoughts and positive energy that was sent our way, from friends, family and strangers alike.

With all the help, we were able to have someone at the hospital with Matt most of the day (and often night) and Keegan also received plenty of attention too.

Aunt Sue spent lots and lots of time playing with him, and just entertaining him. She even took him for a full day of Legoland fun. He finally won his fear of roller coaster and rode them all, multiple times.

This was great for Keegan, who seemed to be taking the situation pretty bad, as expected. At first, he did not even want to talk about it, with me or anyone, which is an extremely rare and worrisome event. He did not even want to visit dad in the hospital, but slowly warmed up to it, especially when he found out they had ice cream and frozen lemonade there. He could not really stay longer than 1 hours, but we tried to take him there as often as possible. Occasionally we even spotted a wild rabbit outside, and it was funny watching it hop around the hospital ground.

playing the patient in daddy’s bed

Good thing he could keep his normal routine at school, preparing for the big show and doing all sort of holiday related activities or drawings.

preparing the Christmas present

is this Frosty the snowman?

They talked about international holiday traditions and even had an international feast. Too bad we had we leave early for his annual check up, but he got to bring a plate of dessert with him.

Keegan is the kid upside down on the bottom wearing an Italian soccer uniform

For the school gift exchange, this year they chose Silly Socks. Every kid brought some silly socks, all wrapped up, and the kids took turn choosing them. Keegan got some monster trucks ones. He was pretty satisfied with his choice.

Keegan brought his Christmas gift at the hospital, for daddy to open. It was very nice. He painted a wooden tray and wrote a sweet message on it. He chose the wrapping paper: orange because it is his favorite color and blue because it is dad’s. He punched out the bells on top. So cute!

His school finished on December 18 (why on a Thursday??? I really would like to know) and it concluded with their annual Christmas show. It was a little bittersweet, because Matt could not be there, but fortunately I met a couple of parents there that really cheered me up. The kids were adorable in their matching holiday pj. Keegan had to goof around, of course.

Getting him to stay still for 1 picture was almost impossible. It took a good 8 shots before getting the photo below.

Matt ended up spending two full weeks in the hospital. We had lots of ups and downs, hope and disappointments. We even had a big scare with two days of 103 fever. The worse part, though, was the not-knowing when he would be able to get out. While we were at the hospital, a quick storm brought a beautiful double rainbow: we took it as a good sign.

Many friends and acquaintances sent their good thoughts and prayers, and Matt’s cousins sent some gorgeous flowers. We brought them to the hospital, and filled the room with their fragrance…maybe a little too much, because by the end of the day Matt was sniffling. So, back home with me they came. Good, so I got to enjoy them fully, for more than two weeks.

Keegan was slowly getting used to the fact that Matt was not feeling well, and finally started to talk about it, with me and his friends. He even started expressing his feeling, and saying he was a little mad because this was supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but it wasn’t and he had so much to worry about. I saw it as a positive sign: he is finally processing what happened.

On his first day of vacation, he went to work with me. He did not mind it too much, because he got to watch 2 movies, and eat ice cream at break. He even got to scribble and draw on our board. So funny, he is so small, you can barely see his head above the computers.

That weekend, Jim and his family arrived in San Diego. It was great, because Keegan really gets along with his cousins and he spent lots of time with them. He even slept over their hotel, his favorite Embassy Suites. What a relief he could have some fun! And fun they did.

hot tub time

cousin love

pillow fight!

The following week we enrolled him the the YMCA camp. He was not too thrilled, but I really needed to have him do something during the day. Oftentimes, he still met up with his cousins afterwards anyway. Camp took him to Boomers for mini golf, Solid Rock for indoor rock climbing, Laser Tag, and at the zoo. You can’t really complain about that.

After two very long weeks, and some very pointed questions (and requests), finally, on Christmas Eve, they decided that Matt could go home. We could not have asked for a better Christmas gift! We were also very lucky because that day, our nurse was Melanie who was one of our favorites. Everyone has been great, but she always went well beyond her duty, and was also a very sunny, positive and fun person. She spent lots of time to teach us what we need to do at home and how to make sure everything went well.

She loaded us up with lots of medical supplies and finally we were ready to leave by 4pm. We loved the hospital, but we were SO GLAD to finally go home.

goodbye memorial Hospital

Keegan spent the day with the cousins, fortunately, since there was so much to do.We met the home nurse  and learned how to use the equipment, we got all the supplies and medications…except painkillers. By the time we noticed, the main pharmacy was closed, and at 8pm we began the odyssey to get painkillers that included a wrongly written prescription, begging with the hospital staff for a new one, a drive over to get it, and almost an hour at the pharmacy while the pharmacists was checking, verifying, contacting the doctor and finally filling ti. You would think I was trying to buy drugs…oh wait, oxycodein is misused as a drug! I finally made it at home by 11pm with the precious stuff…but it was all worth it. Matt is home!

welcome back home Matt

I stayed up to wrap and get the presents ready. I did not even looked at what time it was, but I got it done. Christmas can now begin!

It is hard to believe our little guy is turning 7. He made sure we did not forget, as he has been talking about his “birthday week” for a while. We tried to explain that there is no such a thing as a birthday week, but guess what? He was almost right! We started celebrating on Tuesday, and we finished off on Sunday.

This year, once again, it was all about Star Wars. He only asked for Lego sets, which is interesting, since he still does not like to build LEGO according to directions, but lucky for him, I DO. So, it was fun for me to pick sets to recommend to family and friends. We set up everything in our bedroom, except for the huge birthday banner over the fireplace, so he could find them in the morning.

Morning came way too early. For some reason we all woke up around 4.30am…maybe there was some weird noise outside. We all got back to bed, but Keegan did not last past 5.30am, and by 5.45 we are opening the presents.

He seemed pretty happy about them, and he better be, lucky boy!

birthday morning hugs

He went to school, despite his protests, but he had fun. I met him there by 2.30pm for his birthday celebration. It was very nice. The kids got to ask him 7 questions, such as his favorite movie or toy.

The he got the little music box that plays Happy Birthday. It always seems to sound the name of the birthday kid.

He then got to make a wish and blow out the birthday candle.

His classmates presented him with a birthday card: every kid made a small drawing, and guess what was the most recurrent theme? You got it: Star Wars. Kaylee showed her usual talent, drawing an amazing Darth Vader.

Then, they asked me a few questions about Keegan’s birth day, and how he was as a baby. Finally, we got to have a special snack. It was a rainy day, so they all had snack inside. We brought caramel and vanilla gelato and fresh strawberries.

He was so happy about the celebration, he did not even mind leaving early: so many new toys to play with. When Matt got home in the evening, we set up 7 candles on the muffin he chose at the store. He made a wish (hopefully a good one) and blew them out.

The following day, there was more celebration at Italian Class. We brought mini brownies and whipped cream, and he had at least 3. I politely excuse myself from this celebration…

It was almost time for big party: the invitation were created, replies sent, and I actually had an exact count by the day before the party. Miracle!

First, though, we had to create goodie bags. It was not as easy this year, as Star Wars stuff is very expensive, but I think we did a great job. We got nice licensed bags, Star Wars pencil, finger lights, Joda or Darth Vedar rings, our traditional custom M&M’s and my favorite: a bookmark/thank you card/glowstick combo. I can’t take the credit for the idea, but I think it turned out great, if I can say so myself.

Lego mini figures photograph amazingly well! Good thing Keegan got the Cantina Lego set for his birthday, so I had access to a young Luke Skywalker figurine.

The party was on Saturday afternoon. Amazingly enough, Keegan was pretty patient and was not bouncing off the walls. After picking up the Star Wars cake we headed to…Pump It Up of course.

pre-party videogames

This year we chose to do a “glow party”: the kids’ version of a 70’s disco party. Lights are dimmed down and strobes turned on and every kid gets glow sticks and necklaces.

They even got to do games, including hide and seek, which Keegan really loves.

The staff took lots of cool pictures (for extra price, of course). It was nice to see them projected in the party room, though.

I had a good time catching up with everyone and the kids had a blast. There lots of kids (20+) this year, and adults, but fortunately we got enough, and more than enough food. The food was standard fare, but nothing too horrible. The kids had fun playing on the throne.

The cake was a big hit. We had to provide our own toppers, but the store made it look almost like the photo we provided.

Once again, Keegan loved sitting on his throne and being the center of attention.

make a wish…

Once again his eyes were bigger than his stomach. He asked for a slice the size of his own name, and he barely ate half of it.

We made it home by 6.30, and of course he immediately tore through all the presents. There were a few duplicates, but he did not care and did not want to exchange them. He also got a few gift cards, so he can finally buy something when his birthday is just a distant memory.

He was very happy about all the presents, but particularly excited about Ezra’s present: Anakin’s Star Wars Lego ship he wanted. He actually built it all by himself, practically a first!

We were not finished yet…the following day, Melissa, our neighbor and her son Kelson, stopped by to give him his present (a gift card) since they could not make it to the party. It was so nice of them…the least we could do was to offer them a piece of cake. Kelton was really happy, and the two kids played a bit.

As a final birthday-related thing, we finally flipped his bed over. He had been asking to do it for a while, but we obviously wanted to make sure he was done with pull-ups first: changing sheets in the middle of the night is never fun, but having to do it on a top bunk is hell. Since he got done with the training just before his big day, we could finally grant him his wish. Now he has his own single bunk bed, and sleeping under the little canopy is even more fun. He is very good at getting down the stairs at night with his flashlight and he feels like he has his own little private space. Plus, he now has the perfect space below for sleepovers.

With that, we finally put the words The End to the birthday celebration for another year…I was exhausted! But not time to rest yet: Christmas will be here before we know it. So, taking advantage of the weekend, I spent the rest of Sunday decoration, trimming the tree, etc.

I did enjoy seeing Keegan so happy about his birthday, especially because he seemed a little sad not to be 6 anymore (another little Peter Pan in the family?) and I am sure glad he has so many people that want to celebrate with him. I hope he feels that, beyond the mound of presents, there are so much love coming his way from everywhere!

Happy Birthday, my sweetie: may 7 be your best year yet!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend this year, and we really had the chance to count our blessings.

Keegan kicked off the holiday with a week of native American-inspired crafts. The short week culminated in their annual Thanksgiving feast. This year, Keegan chose to be a native American, and he sported a cute headpiece he made himself.

all together, pilgrims and native Americans

1…2…3… Funny faces now!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous: sunny and summer-like. I got to enjoy a nice swim in the pool, and sunbathe on November 27, in 80 degree weather! How can’t I not be grateful to live in such a beautiful place? The 4 days weekend helped too. (-:

In the afternoon, we started  getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Once again, our friend Daniele and his daughter Gaia joined us and brought some delicious pies to share. Matt prepared the usual feast, and us adults had a wonderful time chatting and catching up, while the kids entertained each other. Gaia is definitely very patient with Keegan, and also very sweet. She always hugs him when she sees him.

Keegan is always goofing around

The wonderful day ended with Keegan waking up and throwing up repeatedly…it brought back memories of his first Thanksgiving… We thought he ate too much, but the throwing up continued a bit in the morning, so we figured it was probably a stomach bug. He was definitely not himself, quiet and withdrawn. That was a real bummer, because we were invited for a repeat Thanksgiving lunch at Jennifer’s house. We waited and seemed like Keegan was getting slightly better, so, with Jennifer’s permission, we drove up to drop off the food we promised. We thought we would only stay a few minutes, but being with friends and watching some holiday TV seemed to improve Keegan’s health ( and mood), so we ended up staying till the afternoon. The food was delicious and the company, as always, was fun. I was glad we got to stay.

Saturday was a mellow day. We took Keegan to get his haircut, and obligatory lunch at Fuddrockets. He looked very spiffy, ready for his birthday. At home we played, read books and relaxed in the warm sun.

We finished out the weekend with a bang, watching Walking With Dinousurs: the arena spectacular.

It was a really interesting show: 20 dinosaurs have been recreated in life-size proportions, and the audience was taken to a journey back in time, where you can see them move, roar, fight. A “paleontologist”  narrator was giving accurate scientific information as well. It was very fun.

Keegan’s favorite parts were the T-rex mom and baby and of course and the dino-fighting.

I was surprised to see I actually enjoyed the show as well. The dinosaurs were very life-like, and it was impressive to see them in full size.

After finishing up the afternoon at home, I met a friend for a drink at her house. It was nice to catch up (it has been a while) and to have some personal time. Nice way to finish off a good, long weekend.

We have one more thing to be grateful this Thanksgiving: Keegan is finally off nightime pull-ups! Sunday marked the 30th dry night in a row, so we can officially say buh-bye to those expensive contraptions! As always, it didn’t just happened naturally. We had to work at it, but it worked better than we thought.We bought the Sleep-dry  alarm, a small alarm that will ring if moisture is detected.

Keegan was great with it. He got woken up for the first 5/7 days…and he was terrified at first. His little heart was beating so hard when the alarm was ringing! Then he started waking up on his own, AND going to the bathroom alone, with his flashlight, without waking us up. He only had a couple of accidents after that, and then he was done. He was so happy!

potty-chart marking his dry days

He got his reward, promised so long ago: the price of a pack of pull-ups, a whole $20 bill! He felt so proud of himself, and finally we can move on to sleep overs, without worrying about wetting the bed.

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are moving to the home stretch for this holiday season, but we want to make sure we will keep in our hearts all the blessing we have in our life.

Another year, another fun Halloween. As always, he went on a field trip with his class to a Pumpkin Patch. This year, however, they went to a real farm, Bates Nut Farm, a little drive from San Diego. The kids had fun in the hay maze, they took hay rides, played and had a picnic. They, of course, also got to pick their own large pumpkin. Keegan had fun, but he missed the rides from the parking lot patch we usually go to. City kids!

hay rides

picking the perfect pumpkin

picnic

group photo

MBMA had more activities planned. First up, they held a Halloween contest (or two). All kids submitted a drawing, and the winner got to be printed on the special Halloween canvas bag. Keegan did not win, but here is his entry: a haunted barn, with jack-o-lantern pumpkins all around and a ghost coming out of the chimney

Of course, the most awaited event — for the kids at least — was the MBMA Halloween Carnival: a grueling (for the parents), 5+ hours event including a parade and a huge carnival, full of games and rides.

waiting for the parade

guess who’s who?

masks off

As always, the parade was adorable. It is always fun to see all the little kids walking around in their costumes. Despite the “no scary costumes” warning, there were plenty of gory masks, and not just in the big kids side. Keegan decided to be a Darth Vader…what else? It was a really warm day, but fortunately, plenty tents were provided to keep the kids in the shade, during the concert and parade.

getting ready for the parade

walking in the Room 12 parade

Right after all classes paraded in their cute outfits, it is off to the Carnival! For the bargain price of $25, the kids could access everything. Well, it is supposed to be a fundraiser for the school, even if I am not sure exactly where the money goes.

Keegan spent most of the time with his classmate Christopher. First up, the haunted house, courtesy of the big kids (6th grade), who set it up and maintained it. He was a little nervous at first, but loved it, and went back again and again.

The kids jumped from one attraction to the next: games, bouncies, challenges…

The petting zoo was a big hit again this year. Keegan got to pet and hold chicks, duckies, rabbit and even a piglet.

We couldn’t skip the treat, and during such a warm day, nothing is better than a cold, shaved iced, especially if it rainbow colored.

I got sucked in into volunteering at one of the booths for a whole hour, and Christopher’s dad took the boys around some more. They patiently waited in line for a pony ride. Well, it looks like it was worth it.

We finally made it home in the late afternoon, exhausted, just before Sue came by for dinner (see previous post).

This year, even Platt College, where I work, got in the spirit (no pun intended). How cool is this skeleton, sitting on the second story balcony?

The activities were not over yet…I did promised Keegan some rides, so, in the nick of time, October 29th, we headed up on the cheesy, parking lot pumpkin patch. Keegan behaved very well, even if the friend that was supposed to come with cancelled at the last minute. Maybe he was still excited about my presentation about Italy I gave to his class that afternoon. All the kids, actually, seemed pretty interested, and they all loved the story about The Giant of Barletta.

The Pumpkin Station seemed a lot less exciting (at least to me). Maybe one more year, and he will be too big for it…but he had a blast. The huge slide did not seemed quite as big anymore…

…and the train looked seriously puny.

Still, he wanted to try all the rides, including the goat petting enclosure, and had fun doing so. So why not?

I just wish they had something for the parents as well…as I was waiting for him to be done with his slides, my eye fell on a sign…please tell me they were being sarcastic.

Fun For Everyone????

We were getting close…the house was all decorated, and we had watched the obligatory The Nightmare before Christmas movie. We even had a Jack Skeleton Poster hanging in the hall.

The night before Halloween, we finally carved our pumpkin: we have learned our lesson the hard way. In San Diego, pumpkins do not last, once carved, more than a day or two. In fact, ours rotted promptly, two days after Halloween. This year Keegan chose a Vampire Pumpkin design, which fortunately, was pretty easy to carve.

Finally, Halloween Day arrived. Keegan donned his spookiest t-shirt and headed to school for a day full of fun. They played games and of course, carved their own pumpkin too.

It was difficult to wait, but it was finally time to go out and get some candy. As always, we went around with our neighbors, but first, we posed for pictures.

Matt stayed home to give candy to the trick or treaters…which were quite fewer than last year.

As every year, Keegan got lots and lots of candy…but we didn’t mind. We will do candy buy back on Monday.

And sure enough, on Monday afternoon, we dropped off our loot at the dentist’s office. Biggest payback yet: $9! We contributed our candy as well, but Keegan’s own candy left-over was more than 4lb! We donated $2 to charity, and Keegan had a few dollars to add to his piggie bank.

With Halloween behind us, we are now starting our crazy race to the end of the year…Thanksgiving, birthday, Christmas and all related activities make days goes by so fast. I can’t say I am really looking forward to the associated stress, but Keegan’s excitement and joy, somewhat make up for it, at least a bit. Ready? Set! Go!!!!

The end of October brought us some family fun. First up, of course, Matt’s birthday. We had an early adult celebration the evening before,when Keegan was having fun at his Pool Night. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bali Hai, a tropical themed restaurant on the San Diego Bay.

The actual birthday was on a Saturday, so we tried to spoiled him as much as we could. Frst off, he got to sleep in, while I got up with Keegan, and “baked” a cinnamon crumb cake, and prepared some eggs, sausages and hash brown for breakfast.

We set up the table with some 80s tableware, for just the right nostalgic touch.

Then he got to open his presents and we all ate an abundant breakfast together.

We had a quiet day together. The weather was wonderful, and Keegan and Matt played a bit in the pool. Then we just relaxed and played at home. When it got dark we had Movie night, watching the Nightmare Before Christmas on our projector. It was a fun, low-key day.

The following week we had not one, but two of Matt’s siblings coming to town for two separate conferences: Mike and Sue (well, Hannah, was the one with the conference…). We had Sue and Hannah over for a nice dinner on Friday, and we had fun catching up a bit. They were staying at the Conference’s hotel, but we met them there the following day.

We went to the Natural History Museum to see a great exhibit on King Tut. It was really well made: it had video, multimedia exhibits and the whole tomb and artifacts were recreated. From the museum’s site:

Using over 1,000 expertly crafted reproductions of treasures discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, the exhibition presents this fascinating subject in an entirely new way: a thrillingly unique experience that explores the legendary tomb and its treasures as they were at the exact moment of their discovery. Visitors can feel the rush of excitement as they step into a moment only ever witnessed by Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon and a handful of others.

photos from the official site

It was breathtaking. Interestingly, watching these reproductions, I remembered seeing some of them for real in Egypt when I was a kid. I was lucky I had the chance to go.

After the museum, we went to Sue and Hannah’s hotel, and Keegan played in the hot tub, while we relaxed poolside with a cold cocktail.

The next day, we went to pick up Mike at the airport: wow, it has been a while! After giving him some time to relax, we met up with Sue again, and we went to the Birch Aquarium in la Jolla.

We got back home for a delicious dinner that Matt prepared. Keegan was a handful, trying to be the center of attention, but we made it through.

The next day, Matt and I went to work, but he was able to free himself for lunch, and the three siblings went to lunch in beautiful La Jolla.

Sue and Hannah left in the afternoon, but Mike stayed for another night. We had another quiet dinner, and had the chance to catch up. It was great to see them. Hopefully we will not let  4 years pass till next time we see them. Maybe we should try to go east Coast next time.

…isn’t it? Judging by the weather you could never tell. We are not talking about the usual, balmy weather that makes San Diego so appealing. We are not even talking about the usual October Santa Ana winds, coming from the desert. We are talking about full on, week-long heat waves (2 in a month), with temperatures reaching the 3 digits. Wow, intense, especially if you don’t have AC at home. It was so warm on the first weekend of October that I actually swam in the ocean, which is a very, very rare event. The water was warmer than the Mediterranean. Incredible. We had a fun get together with Hannah’s and her family in occasion of her birthday, and we all had great fun splashing in the waves, till Keegan had his first Surfing accident: he got hit by a runaway board, right on his side. Good thing he was wearing his wetsuit.

We took advantage of the warm weather also to go apple picking in Julian. We all boarded Sara’s car, and drove with Alyce and Betty up the “mountains”. It was cooler there, but still pleasant. The car trip was challenging, but we made it there in about 1 hour. Still felt longer…

The unusually warm and dry weather, and the continued drought, made apple season very short, so there were slim pickings left on the tree, but we still filled out our bags without any problems. We had extra for a snack.

It was quite fun and the apples, even if on the smaller side, were delicious. The kids had a lot of fun…and so did the moms.

Betty, Sara and Alyce

We had a delicious lunch in old Julian, and a even more delicious snack right outside town, with freshly baked apple pie slices – of course – and ice cream. Definitely a fun day and something we would like to repeat.

Early fall also brought us a new friend: we bought a Betta fish, a half moon male to be exact. This species is solitary, and you can’t put more than one the same tank. Added bonus! I found this really cool aquarium, called Aquafarm, that, not only looks very modern, but also requires almost no cleaning. Plants are potted on the top and they are fed by the fish waste, and the cleaned water is recirculated back in the tank. Perfect ecosystem, if it lasts.

Keegan took a couple of days to find the perfect name. He started with Texter (uh?), moved to Zeus, and finally settled on Dart, since the fish can shape itself into a dart when swimming. He is pretty cute: the perfect starter pet.

Dart in all his glory

Of course, Keegan would rather have a dog or a cat, but we are starting with baby steps. First a fish, then, if he dies, maybe a frog, then maybe a hamster, and when he is WAY older, we may consider a cat. For now, we enjoy looking at peaceful Dart.

In this unusually warm October, we also celebrate our wedding anniversary (San Diego wedding). Since October 5th fell on a Sunday, always a family day, we were able to carve some alone time beforehand. Matt took half a day off, and we we had a wonderful lunch at my favorite lunch spot, the casual Kono’s breakfast place. Then we took a beautiful walk on the beach, as well as a “pilgrimage” to the part of North Pacific Beach I consider “my” beach and then Calumet Park where we got married exactly twelve years ago, almost to the minute. It was beautiful and definitely much warmer than 2002, and we both reminisced about that special day.

posing together (thanks to photoshop magic) at Calumet park

This year we were also finally able to go to the Miramar Air Show. We have been trying for a few years but they seemed to always schedule it when we were in Italy. Last year we were all set to go, and then the government shut down and caused the show to be cancelled.

Keegan was so excited to be going!!! His excitement mounted daily, especially when he got to see the main attraction, the Blue Angles jets, practicing on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Miramar is very close to his school, and right under the flight path, so he got to see an amazing display from his playground. I was treated as well: when I picked him up, we watched together, and even as we were driving to his Italian class, the planes flew incredibly close.

We headed for Miramar on Sunday, October 5. What a fun way to celebrate our wedding anniversary! It was very crowded, but Keegan endured the long line to get in like a champ. In fact he was even used as an example by the mom right behind us. THIS NEVER HAPPENS! It is usually us, pointing at other kids and showing how well they are behaving. It felt nice for a change. (-:

We started watching some of the floor exhibits. We got just in time to see the awesome motocross exhibition: amazing. Then we walked though the many planes on the ground.

It was so incredibly hot, we had to find any way to cool off: snow cones for all us certainly helped. Around 12 we found some seats in the stands just as the show was starting. I am glad we bought the tickets to sit in the stands, because it would have been really difficult to see much otherwise.

First off was a series of acrobatic para-shooters, followed by military simulations and fake explosions. Then we got the first group of acrobatic planes, a civilian contingent. They were amazing! Their manoeuvrings were punctuated by red, white and blue smoke trails. Spectacular.

Right after that, there were other military exhibitions, and then an amazing biplane doing all sorts of crazy manoeuvrings. Unfortunately I missed most of this part of the show because the heat was really getting to me, and I had to go seat in the shade for a while. We were prepared: plenty of cold water, a spray bottle and a small fan, but it was not enough. In fact, it was so hot that the biggest cheers from the crowd came when the smoke for one of the explosions temporarily covered the sun.

Finally we were getting close to the highlight of the event. Keegan could not wait. It was 3pm. He had been sitting quietly for three hours: a real record!

the Blue Angels parked in the background

It was show time! The Blue Angles did not disappoint, and were certainly worth the wait. I have seen them several times, but it never gets old. They are really incredible.

off they go

This concluded the show, and we slowly headed home, tired but mostly happy…well there was some whining about not getting Keegan a toy, but what is a good day without some needless whining?

With the Air Show behind us, now we can focus on the beginning of the crazy season… oops I mean the holiday season: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Keegan’s birthday and Christmas. Bring it on!

We barely had time to recover from our long trip before Keegan started his new school year. He was excited, and a little nervous. I know he would be OK: he is in the same classroom as last year, Room 12, this time as one of the big kids. He has the same teacher than last year (and summer) and most of the same friends. He chose, not too convinced, a Spider Man backpack, a Batman water bottle and a dinosaur lunch box…not much of a theme, but that was Target offered. And the backpack lights up when moving, so it is pretty cool.

I dropped him off early on September 2, on a beautiful, sunny morning. He barely took the time to pose for photos, and get some sunscreen, and off he went to play. I met the new teacher, Ms. Sara, who seems very nice and sweet.

back in room 12, with ms. Sandy and ms. Sara

At the open house, a few days later, we had the chance to meet some of the new parents and what was in store for the new year. Big news:no more “color chart of shame” as some parents called it. I can’t say I will miss it, since Keegan was regularly in the trouble spots. For the rest, we hope that being a big kid in the class will help him behave more appropriately, but I am not sure it will happen, if I have to judge from the first few weeks.

Being a first grader does not mean forgetting the old friends. On September 20 we had a Preschool Reunion in Mission Bay. Obviously it was only a few of the kids, but the ones who got along the best: Keegan, MacKenzie, Elliott, Van, Rozelin and Julia. It was so great to see everyone. One if his old teachers, Ms. Debra, also stopped by, with her own brand new baby girl.

The kids had a blast playing on the playground, kicking the ball around, or just enjoying some great food.

Friends from the beginning: Keegan, Van and Kenzie

Julia, Kenzie, Keegan, Elliott and Van goofing off

We watched the sunset from the shore, and started our bonfire. It was a beautiful, warm evening. Bonfire, of course, means s’mores…

The kids all got wet in the showers, but fortunately we had a change of clothes. It was hard to say goodbye, but hopefully there will soon another chance to get together.

Old buddies: Julia, Elliott, Keegan, Rozelin and Van

This year, we headed to Italy at the end of August…a first. It is not my favorite time if the year, because it is usually very hot and humid, and the city turns into a desert, especially in the second half of the month for the Ferragosto holiday. Moreover, most of my friends are away on vacation. However, August  was the only time that worked for everyone this year, so we headed to Milan on August 14. “Luckily” this year, the weather has been unusually cold, and rainy: bad news for the tourism industry, but good news for us: less heat, less humidity, and slightly less mosquitoes. And honestly, we only had 1 rainy morning in Milano, and a rainy day at Sestri…Another bonus: my best friend Loredana was around, so we spent lots of quality time together. I even had the chance to experience a wonderful, full length reflexology massage. Not having too many friends around worked out too, since I only had few days this year: instead of a mad rush to see everyone, I took it easy, relaxed, slept and read books.

As always, Keegan had a wonderful time with his nonni, who have endless patience and love to spoil him and dole out lots of attention…and presents. Despite Keegan’s resistance, I have to say that Italian class really helped: his Italian was much better than last year, and from day 1, there was a nice conversation going. He listened to endless stories, and played countless rounds of Chinese checkers, the Sandokan game or any other available game.

My sister and her family came back a few days after our arrivals, and of course Keegan was super excited. Since my sister had another week off, we had the chance to spend lots of time together, such as quality time at the orthopedic doctor! My knee was still bothering me, so we tracked down a childhood friend, now working in a Milano’s hospital, to give me his opinion. Of course, without x-ray or MRI you can’t tell for sure, but he thinks it may be a slight injury to the meniscus (how soccer player of me) but regardless, the prescription is the same:RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). He felt it was on the way of recovery, though, and that was a relief…well, not literally, because for a few days after the visit, the knee hurt a lot more.

Medical business aside, Cinzia and I got the chance to talk a stroll in the new Milano Garibaldi area, to enjoy a quiet pizza in Magenta area, and of course to visit at her house, land of the thousand helicopter-sized mosquitoes. Since Nara and Samir were not feeling too well, Keegan even got an extra treat: he watched a whole movie, while snuggling with them: Ice Age 3.

After a full week of “dolce far niente” (sweet do nothing), Matt arrived. His flight, this year, was perfectly on time, and landed where it was supposed to land. I guess we are alternating: this year, our flight from London was delayed 3 hours!!

Poor Mattie did not even have time to recover from his jet-lag, since the next day, around lunch time, we left for the Italian Riviera: Sestri Levante once again. Well, he had a full week of rest at the beach, in the wonderful hotel we stayed last summer. Not too shabby. With some difficulties, we all took a nap when we arrived, which killed some time before my sister and family arrived, just in time for dinnertime.

This past April, my parents celebrated their 50 Years Anniversary, so we thought it would be nice to celebrate when we are all together. We surprised them with a custom cake that night at dinner. It was beautiful and delicious!

We also got our annual group photo, and amazingly enough, we all look good in this photo.

The food was delicious as always, but being all together again was even better. Well, my sister and her husband had to leave the next day, but the kids had a a wonderful week ahead of them. Keegan was so excited: he got to sleep with his cousins, and they took wonderful care of him, so Matt and I could enjoy some time aline. How nice.

the force is strong with these ones

Our routine was the same as last year: wake up and around 9.30 head up for a wonderful breakfast buffet. Then, we go to the beach to play and get in the warm, Mediterranean sea. At lunchtime, Keegan, the kids, and my parents would have lunch, and gelato, and then head to the hotel for some rest. Keegan took a nap almost every day! Matt and I, would stay longer at the beach, maybe swim more. The afternoon was spent at the pool, and then we time to get ready for dinner.The peaceful view from our balcony was breathtaking.

The restaurant, as always, had amazing food, and you can’t beat the view.

It’s the perfect backdrop for family photos.

my niece and nephiew

nonno and his grandkids

Pool was always the highlight of the day…well, together with getting some delicious gelato form the local shops.

I was also happy to know that my lifelong friend Giada was in Sestri too. Our parents met here at Sestri, when her mother was pregnant with Giada, so we have really known each other all our lives. We spent 18/19 summers together here at Sestri, and really grew up together. Unfortunately, now she lives in Germany, so we rarely get to see each other. It had been more than 2 years since I last saw her.

We first met for an “aperetivo” on the beach, with my family and hers…19 people in all. What a great way to start the week.

salute!

Keegan got some presents too: a cool memory game, travel chess and a t-shirt. And boy, do they came handy. On Tuesday, it rained almost all day, so we were stuck in the hotel, and the memory game provided much needed entertainment. Fortunately, it stopped raining long enough for the kids to jump in the pool. Surprise, surprise: under a dark gray sky, we were the only ones on the pool deck.

We had many chances to spend time together, Giada and I, and to catch up, even if she had to work for half of the week: we took swims together, and walks after dinner, and we spent an afternoon at the Hotel’s pool with her kids, Alba e Giacomo.

We also had a chance to get another aperetivo (oh, how much I miss them) and watch the sunset.

We changed quite a bit from this photo with her mom, Birgit…

While the kids loved the pool (and I enjoyed it too), we also had fun at the beach. Keegan loved the pedalo’, or pedal-boat. We rented the same one, with the slide, and we had a great time and lots of photos.

With my niece and nephew

il mio pesciolino (my little fish)

the rare photo of Tizi and Matt in a bathing suit

Who do you think had the most fun???

In fact, Keegan had so much fun, that he wanted to go again, the following day. Matt and I were not thrilled at the idea, so nonno went instead.

Matt and I swam out to them, so I still got some of the fun (diving) and none of the work (pedaling).

And in a flash, the week flew by. Cinzia and Sandro returned on Friday night, and we got together again for one last dinner. We had another surprise celebration: my sister’s birthday. The hotel had an outdoor dinner buffet planned, with a live band, so, non only we got a special cake and champagne prepared, but the band also played Happy Birthday for her…as expected she was deadly embarrassed, but it was a sweet gesture for sure.

We took advantage of the festive occasion for getting lots of more pictures, enough to last us for another year.

The cake: delicious chocolate, cream, whipping cream and cream puffs

birthday girl with dad

it all started with this: the original family

mom and daughters

Ciniza, Sandro, Nara and Samir

two sisters

After the fun dinner, Matt and I went for a nice, long walk with Giada. I was glad I had so much time to spend with her, and I hope I will not have to wait another 2/3 years before seeing her again. It is always sad to say goodbye to Sestri but it was a good send off.

The next morning, we went back to Milano, and started packing…the flight back to San Diego was early the following morning. I was able to talk to a couple of friends on the phone, and Loredana stopped by to say goodbye with Francesca and Carmelo. We took advantage of our last chance to chat, and run a few errands: I can’t leave without parmigiano cheese or panna! The rest of the afternoon was spent packing and making sure we did not forget anything, especially Keegan’s toys and book (of course we did forget something anyway: his Star wars pj). Before packing, Keegan wanted to photograph the cool space-ships he built with his Lego. He was pretty proud of them, and so he should be: they came straight from his imagination.

The next morning we left early for the airport Malpensa. We arrived a little later than I wanted, and of course, this was the only time the plane left on time. We had to rush to the gates, conveniently located at the exact opposite end of the airport. This meant we had to rush the goodbyes as well, but maybe it was better that way: leaving is always so painful. It is like ripping a band-aid: it is easier to do it with a quick  pull. The flight went well. It was long and tedious, but we all got a little bit of sleep. We arrived on time and crashed in our beds. The jet lag adjustment was not too bed. We had a full day to rest, and recover. Keegan woke up at 3.40am that first night, so I laid down with him and cuddled till 5.30. It was a long day, but it was nice to slowly get back to routine: we unpacked, got laundry done, cleaned up, and played in the pool. Not quite as fun as the Hotel’s pool or the beach, but we managed.

We also got a nice nap, even Keegan who insisted he was not tired.

I am not tired. I don’t need a nap!

Waking him up was hard, and dealing with his crankiness was even harder, but the promise of ice cream got him moving. The last gifts from nonni, a book and a personalized Star wars t-shirt also helped lift his mood. THANK YOU NONNI!!!

These beautiful days in Italy really flew by, maybe even more than usual, and we are all sad to be so far away, once again. We had a wonderful time, and really treasure the days and hours spent with our wonderful family. We are so grateful for the great vacation and all the little and big things that made our stay so pleasant. Thank you for everything! We are looking forward seeing everyone soon, at least via Skype. We miss you, we love you and we send you all our love. A presto!!!