Samaraweera Torma Family News

Sri Lanka December 2011

2012-01-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

December 15th - December 31st

Mark and I decided to be adventurous this year and take the family to Sri Lanka for Christmas. Overall, the trip went well and it was great to see my family, but never again will I go to SL for two weeks. This is definitely a trip to be done for 3-4 weeks, which means the next trip will happen during the summer months (when SL is hot and humid). ~Charmaine

We had a direct flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi (which was about 13 hours) and while at the airport, Mark enjoyed Wi-Fi while Chiara enjoyed sitting on Daddy's lap.

Matthew used the opportunity between flights to play video games on his camera. I can't believe his camera has video games on it. And yes, you are noticing that both of the kids traveled in their pjs. It was comfortable, easy, and warm.

While in SL we took ample opportunity to enjoy some good SL cuisine. Here we are at Mount Lavinia Hotel's Sunday buffet. The kids, did not really enjoy the SL food, but enjoyed the endless pop and dessert buffet.

Both Matthew and Chiara enjoyed spending time with my parents and if there is a reason to take a picture, Chiara is ready and willing.

Both kids were impressed that Mount Lavinia had a waterfall and a pond. It doesn't take much to occupy little ones. I am not looking forward to the day when that changes.

Daddy's little girl...this girl has her father wrapped around her little pinkie (Daddy doesn't agree)

Matthew really enjoyed spending time with my sister, Shimali and her husband Raj. By the end of the trip, he even wanted to go home with them!

My parents condo in Colombo is attached to the Cinnamon Grand hotel. We enjoyed a SL cup of coffee and tea there. The kids, of course, took the opportunity to have pop.

The lighted fountain inside Cinnamon Grand hotel. Chiara really wanted to splash the water...so glad she refrained from causing a scene.

The albino Christmas tree in Cinnamon Grand. I think the tree frightened Chiara; Matthew could have cared less.

Matthew wanted a shoe shine; silly boy, was wearing sandals.

For Christmas, we enjoyed a white sandy beach Christmas down south.

I love this picture of Matthew and was not willing to crop my sister out of the picture holding her cover up over her butt...this picture just cracks me up!

The kids LOVED the ocean and Chiara yelled at the waves to be nice to her Daddy and Bahopy (uncle).

The kids enjoying the scenery with their Chutie Ammie (Shimali)

You don't see too many pasty men in the Indian ocean. Especially ones wearing a bright yellow swim trunks!

Swimming! Matthew has definitely missed pool time since moving to Indiana. Thank goodness swim lessons start up soon.

Can you believe it? My dad got a hold of my camera and took some pictures of me with the kids. Aw, thanks Thatie!

Chiara really likes being in the water, but she doesn't want to really put effort to learn how to swim. Imagine that!

That first day we were in the pool at Heritance Hotel, this monster graced us with his presence. ICK! By the way, Mark took 10 pictures of this thing.

A holiday smorgasbord of thoughts

2011-12-14T20:00:00.005-06:00

We will be going on a holiday trip to Sri Lanka - I haven't been there for over six years, and obviously, it isn't something we ever expect to do very regularly (although that would be nice). Considering we are bringing two small children, the preparation has been relatively relaxing, so much so that we've actually been able to enjoy the holiday events of the last two weeks. Last night was Matthew's Christmas concert at school. He has enjoyed each and every school performance he has been in, so he had a great time. He LOVES any song he can do dances and moves to, and the video (which we promise to post) shows some of his greatest hits. (Another greatest hit: his incomparable "It's Raining Men" for Just Dance 2 on the Wii. It's superb.)

What makes the video extra special is that just days before, Matthew lost his right front tooth that had been falling out forEVER. Now, not only does he have a huge gap where that tooth used to be, but the OTHER front tooth has migrated toward the center of his mouth, so now he looks like he has just one crazy snaggletooth right in the middle. I'm looking forward to seeing how the pictures of him that we take in Sri Lanka turn out!

I'm also looking forward to watching both of them read more and more over the holiday break. They both have started to read much more avidly in the last three months; Matthew was at first reluctant to read words he didn't already know, but his inhibitions have almost totally dropped away at this point. Chiara seems to realize that some words are SUPPOSED to be hard, but she doesn't let that stop her - she recently read a page and then told me "Kangaroo is a really long word!" They like to read just about everything around them, signs, labels, captions - it will be interesting to see what they make of the Sinhala and Tamil alphabets that, along with English, are on every surface in Sri Lanka.

We will probably not post again until we get back - which would be pretty frequent for me! Until then, Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!

The diligent blogger

2011-11-16T09:51:00.002-06:00

So one of the foremost rules of publishing is "content, content, content," and the Internet has added one crucial addendum: "frequent, frequent, frequent." And because I am SOOO committed to blogging for a mass audience, I diligently observe those rules and am now posting for the second time in only - six-and-a-half months. Oh, well, it HAS been a busy, eventful, but overall very good last six months, so I'll give myself a pass - this time. The kids give me enough material that I really could do this more frequently - I just have to remember to do so (reminders are welcome). So, without further ado -

Yesterday, Matthew came to me before school and asked "Do artists have to be only men?" I'm used to having to help the kids overcome the overwhelming numerical dominance of depictions of men in the arts (quick, name me a truly FAMOUS female composer?), so I explained why he might not see many examples of artists who are women, but that there ARE a lot of artists who are women. Then he smiled broadly and said, "I know an artist who is a woman: Grandma Moses." I spent a brief moment in surprise that the first grade art class was talking about Grandma Moses, but wow - that's a pretty good first-grade art class. And good for Matthew, he really pays attention in art class.

Today, Chiara's teacher told me that Chiara (who loves, loves, loves to talk, and now loves, loves, loves to write) asked her how to spell chocolate. The teacher began spelling - c-h-o-c - and then had to do something else, then came back to Chiara. She thought she had left off at the "l", so she said "a", and Chiara stopped her and said "No, it's O". Aside from the fact that she was aware of how to spell chocolate, this was also one of the prime examples of one of Chiara's favorite ways of engaging in conversation: asking you a question to which she already knows the answer. I wish it was always that cute - it is frequently more frustrating than cute to find out that you just spent ten minutes answering her question that she already knew. But I'm slowly catching on - and it sure seems like she will be well suited to a career as a courtroom lawyer, a teacher, or anyone else who solicits answers to their expert questions.

The Photographic Stylings of Matthew J.S. Torma

2011-05-01T12:43:00.003-06:00

Matthew got a kid's camera for Christmas, and it didn't take long for him to develop his own style. Very intimate, very candid, and very, um, bold - that pretty much describes it. Here are a few examples of his work:

As you can tell, he has a favorite subject.

Hello - We're back (and under new management

2011-04-29T12:33:00.002-06:00

I've had this on my to-do list for a long time (it hasn't formally been on the list for more than a couple of days, but I meant to put it there...), so it's about time our blog got going again. Of course, the voice will be a little different - Mark is holding the fort at home right now, and Charmaine is at Saint Mary's, trying not to let them know how much credit they should get for her awesomeness. So one of us will blog a LITTLE more than the other, I'm betting.

It's been a LONG time since we've posted, but this will be more like a status update than a year-in-review. Matthew is enjoying school, and Chiara is absolutely champing at the bit to go to school, too, so it's a good thing that she will go to the Early Childhood Development Center at Saint Mary's next school year. She will love it, I think, at least a little more than being at home with Daddy who can only keep up with a four-year-old's need for interaction for so long. But she keeps a brave face.

At this moment, what is inevitably holding my attention is the long slog towards Monday, when I find out if I passed the Indiana Bar Exam. I would like to say I know that I passed - and I guess the chances are probably pretty good - but one has to know that there's always the possibility that you haven't, and the specific Indiana law they tested on was sufficiently weird enough to make me wonder. The good news is, EVERYBODY seemed to think the topics were mysteries to them, too. Even so, the last two months have been excruciating - it was a lot easier waiting for bar results when I was working two or three jobs. But in three days I will know - I can't wait...

MN Autism 5K

2010-05-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

May 15th, 2010

As many of you know, Matthew was diagnosed with ASD and now that the initial shock has worn off, I decided to help fund-raise to support other families affected by autism. I am proud to say that I raised the most money, almost $1000. Thank you to all of my friends and family who supported me in this endeavor~Charmaine~

Before leaving for the race, Matthew gave me a big good luck hug

Team Matthew: Charmaine, Kirsten Rain, Sara Bergen, Jocelyn Shock Villalon

Chiara's Gift from Grandma & Grandpa

2010-05-01T21:42:00.000-06:00

May 1, 2010

Chiara was very happy to receive her birthday package from Grandma & Grandpa. And with technology, she was able to open her gifts while the grandparents watched through skype.

Chiara is always happy to receive a book and this book has a little girl that looks like her

Chiara thanking Grandma & Grandpa

Chiara tearing open the next gift

Big brother Matthew, helping out

Ooh, 3D Chalk! Both kids are very excited!

But first, Chiara wants to read her new book

And of course, she can't forget to read the card

2010 Race for Justice

2010-04-25T21:31:00.000-06:00

April 25th, 2010

As many of you know, I have created a list "40 Things to Do Before I Turn 40." One of the items on the list is to run a 5K. This past April, I registered to run the University of MN's Law School Race for Justice. I was on a team with Mark's friends & classmates. Luckily for me, they aren't serious runners so my mediocrity in running did not bring my team down. For my first race, I performed well; a 10 min/mile. ~Charmaine~

My team and Matthew

Can you see me? I am the pink in the distance

Look at me! I am running with the pack!

There I go. I was near the finish line.

Chiara's 3rd Birthday

2010-04-18T20:40:00.000-06:00

April 17th - April 18th

Mark & I have decided that for the kids' birthdays, we aren't going to do gifts, but do a fun filled family activity. For Chiara's 3rd birthday, we promised her that we would FINALLY check out the rides at the Mall of America. It was definitely an experience, and I am glad that isn't something we do on a regular basis ~Charmaine~

Chiara & Matthew waiting in line for the first activity, jumping in Sponge Bob's pineapple

Matthew walking into the pineapple

Chiara was frightened; so Ammie had to go into the pineapple as well

Preparing to ride on the carousel

Matthew & Daddy riding on the carousel

Happy Chiara!

Riding Azul

Matthew riding solo in the car

Chaira & Daddy getting into their car

Ammie & Chiara in front of Dora & Boots

Matthew & Chiara ready for Sunday Brunch

Before leaving for brunch, Matthew decided to do some weeding

Waiting to be seated at Chiara's favorite brunch place, IHOP

Family Picture at IHOP....every family should have one

The Birthday Girl sipping her juice

Matthew devouring his fruit

Chiara munching on her sausage

The boy is so content with his fruit

Chiara's tongue...hee, hee

Birthday Girl with Achie & Seeya

Grandkids with their Achie & Seeya

Dirty Little Chiara

2010-04-10T20:37:00.000-06:00

April 10th, 2010

Chiara's first day playing out in the back yard for 2010. She had a lot of fun playing the dirt!

Easter 2010

2010-04-10T11:41:00.004-06:00

Sunday, April 10th

Happy Easter! The MN Tormas are happy to celebrate the holiday with most of the Alliance Tormas. We miss you Uncle Dave!

A Family picture before Mass

Family picture, take 2!

A happy Chiara at brunch

Family picture at Brunch

Mark meditating over crab

Chiara singing with Grandma and Grandpa

Happiness

Playing at the Capital

Frolicking in the pond

Jump!

Picture Perfect

Matthew standing near Matthew

Walking with the grandparents

A leisurely stroll

A Trip to the MN Children's Museum

2010-04-09T10:37:00.002-06:00

April 8, 2010

On Good Friday, the Torma clan went on a family outing to the MN Children's Museum. They had a dinosaur exhibit and we really wanted to get there before it left.

Here is Chiara going down the slide

Daddy, Matthew & Chiara figuring out the dinosaur food chain

Matthew & Chiara digging for fossils

Chiara brushing away the chips

Chiara, Daddy and Mark in front of a dinosaur exhibit

Hatching dinosaur eggs

Riding the dinosaur

Chiara taking a break

Ammie & Chiara at lunch

Mark's 35th Birthday

2010-02-25T17:12:00.002-06:00

February 25, 2010

I must admit, I am a horrible spouse when it comes to celebrating Mark's birthday. As you all know, I love him dearly, but since the arrival of kids, I cannot put together a celebration. This year, we celebrated his 35th with the kids painting him a banner. Below are pictures of them painting it, but if you will notice, there isn't a single picture of the birthday boy. Oops, my bad ~Charmaine~

A New Year's Trip to Plainfield

2010-02-01T19:39:00.000-06:00

January 22nd - January 31st, 2010

Shortly after the New Year, the MN Tormas flew to Illinois to visit the Samaraweeras. Surprisingly, the kids LOVE to fly.~Charmaine~

Chiara is in her traveling gear; doesn't she look like a Von Trapp child?

The kids watching our plane pull into the gate

Tea Party at Achie & Seeya's house

Chiara is in charge of putting the party together; Matthew was willing to let her take the lead

She is definitely half Sri Lankan; the girl can pour her tea

It's the doggie cousins, Simba and Kaiser!

Chiara discovered the fake cookies

Ooh, Chiara found her Christmas gift from Achie and Seeya

Thank you kisses to Seeya

Matthew's thank you hug to Seeya

Chiara is ready to play dress up

Thank you hug to Achie

Before bedtime, the kids chased a glowing, rolling toy

The kids are dog-like, trying to grab the toy

Chiara preparing dessert

The two Chuties cooking in the kitchen

Watch out, this three year old has no fear!

Chiara's first pair of heel; trust me, this was not my idea!

Aw, my little man!

Roaring Dinosaur Party

2010-01-10T18:19:00.011-06:00

Sunday, January 10th

Today was Matthew's Roaring Dinosaur Party. Getting ready for it was fun, but the actual party was fun for the kids and exhausting for the parents. When guests first arrived, they went on a dinosaur hunt. Once everyone had arrived, we started the first game, pin the skull/head on the fossil dinosaur. We forgot to take a picture...oops! Then we moved on to the rest of the Roaring Dino Fun!~Charmaine

Getting ready to play some dinosaur games

Before the fun can begin, we have to quiet the kids down

The kids are getting ready to play dinosaur bone drop

See the birthday boy? Matthew was great at this game!

I am calming the kids before we play, hatch the dinosaur egg

Matthew really wanted to take a picture of his hand; here it is

Jonah, one of our neighbors, had to get his dad to help him hatch his dinosaur egg

Matthew's teacher, Ellen, was kind enough to come to the party. Chiara has already invited Ellen to her Birthday party

SNACK TIME!

The kids were hungry and chowed down on cheese, crackers, fruit and dinosaur treats!

This was the one time during the party that all kids were quite (their mouths were full with grub)

Dinosaur Cupcake Cake! It is a thing of beauty and a bounty of frosting

Happy Birthday Song to Matthew!

Instead of blowing out his dinosaur candles, Matthew chose to use his Santa fan. It worked pretty well.

Serving the cupcakes was not an easy task...too much frosting!

The kids are anxiously waiting for their cupcake...the crowd favorite, CHOCOLATE!

Pinata time, unfortunately, it is hard to take a picture of the kids in action...

So just enjoy the picture of me, holding the pinata stick

The kids went crazy, collecting their bounty

Some kids filled up their entire bags

Others, like Matthew & Sebi, weren't as industrious

Matthew's Birthday Celebration at Longfellow

2010-01-06T16:37:00.012-06:00

Wednesday, January 6th,

Today Chiara and I went to school with Matthew. It was great to see how Matthew behaved in school and it was fun celebrating his birthday with his class.~Charmaine~

The kids are all bundled up for the cold and the bus ride to school

Matthew riding the bus; I can't believe they have car seats!

Chiara riding the bus with her brother; she LOVED it!

Gym Time, riding a scooter (I didn't know he could ride one)

Circle Time: playing with bubbles

Look at how happy Matthew is!

Matthew is trying to catch the bubbles on his legs

Arts & Crafts: Make a Birthday Hat

Chiara made a hat, as well

Matthew was so proud of his special Birthday Hat

This is the Birthday Box

It is also a great hiding spot

Ooh, it is almost time for cupcakes

Matthew is ready to chow down on his cupcake!

As you can see, Chiara is excited as well!

Matthew climbing for the Occupational Therapist

Chiara climbing

As the end of the day, Chiara was exhausted and passed out on the ride home!

Matthew's 5th Birthday!

2010-01-06T16:29:00.003-06:00

January 2. 2010

Matthew's 5th Birthday did not go as planned. First off, we were supposed to go to the Children's Museum, but Chiara was sick so we had to stay close to home. Instead, we ordered pizza for lunch and made brownies for his cake. Too bad he had to much junk food and in all of the excitement of the day, the poor kid got sick. Ah, the pains of growing up.

A pleased looking Matthew

He blew out his candles before I could even click!

Chiara enjoying her brownie

Daddy & Matthew enjoying the birthday treat

This face says it all; the boy was sick from 7pm-11pm. No more brownies for him

New Year's Day 2010

2010-01-06T15:41:00.006-06:00

January 1, 2010

For New Year's Day, we hosted our first New Year's Day Pajama Potluck Brunch. For the first time in my entertaining history, I did not stress. And, as you can see below, my kids felt comfortable getting ready for a "party" in their pjs and/or costumes.~Charmaine~

As I was finishing my dish of baked french toast, both kids were playing dress up

Chiara is pretending to be me...she is exercising with Mommy's shoes and head band

Before the party even began, Chiara fell asleep...too much working out for her!

Matthew, however, was riled up and he was ready for Brunch to begin!

I was so busy during brunch, that I did not get to take a picture until the very end. Here are some of the kids reading together (Lucy, Chiara, Sebi, and Matthew)

Christmas Day

2010-01-04T19:14:00.008-06:00

Friday, December 25

YAY! It is Christmas and the kids are definitely excited.

Matthew is peeking around the corner to see if his stockings are full of treats

Matthew woke up his sister to see the stockings...she is still wiping the sleep from her eyes

"Look what Santa brought me!"

Chiara wants to see what she got, but she is still tired

Wow, Santa really filled those stockings

What? Santa brought something for Daddy!

Opening gifts from Grandpa & Grandma

These kids are Tormas, they started reading their new books immediately

In the middle of opening gifts, the kids stopped to eat some scones

Back to opening gifts...these ones are from Ammie & Daddy

Cute Chiara

Daddy opening up his gift from the kids

A sports calendar for Daddy's desk; oops, just found out Daddy doesn't have a desk!

Fleece blankets from Achie & Seeya

Movies from Achie & Seeya

Ooh, Tinkerbell Movies for the girl

2009 Advent Season

2010-01-04T18:33:00.005-06:00

December 2009

For the advent season, I created an advent calendar with activities for us to do. We had fun tasks such as make Christmas Cards (which never got mailed), make a gingerbread house, make a garland, etc. Below are the fun and cute pictures from this past Advent Season ~Charmaine~

Matthew & Chiara decorating the gingerbread house

I had to give up control and let the kids decorate the way they wanted

The kids were very proud of their cranberry garland

Christmas Eve! The kids are soooooo excited!

These siblings are so loving!

"What! Santa is coming tonight!"

This picture needs to be framed, don't you think?

Happy!

Daddy and kids right before opening up their Christmas Eve gifts

Daddy is giddy, just like the kids!

Gee, I wonder what the gifts could be?

It's PAJAMAS!

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-02T12:50:00.002-06:00

Thursday, November 26th

I LOVE Thanksgiving. I love preparing the food and entertaining for my family and friends. This year, I was disappointed that we couldn't have family to share in this wonderful day of gratitude, but I am happy that we could share the day with some of our MN friends!~Charmaine~

The Main Course: Rosemary & Garlic Turkey

I also had Squash Soup, Salad, Green Beans and Hazelnuts, Chilie Cornbread Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce & Mashed Potatoes

Surprisingly, we had a ton of leftovers!

Halloween 2009

2010-01-02T12:38:00.002-06:00

Satuday, October 31st

Last year, the kids enjoyed their costumes for the entire month of October. This year, we were not as lucky. Chiara REFUSED to put on her good witch costume, but Matthew loved his Bumblebee Transformer costume. ~Charmaine~

The holiday started at a Birthday Party at Josh & Bella's home.

Mark is helping the kids make their own caramel apples. This is a great idea, in theory, but in reality, WAY TOO MUCH sugar for adults and kids alike

After the party, we rushed home so that we can go trick or treating with our friends, Milo & Emmett (the ghosts)

Matthew shouted BOO to all the people giving treats; so cute!

In the end, Chiara even went trick or treating (despite the chilly temps and not wearing a costume)

Pumpkin Carving Time

2009-10-30T16:28:00.002-06:00

Monday October, 26th

Today we carved our pumpkin. Matthew drew the face and I carved. Chiara pretended to carve with her plastic knife.

After the carving, the kids were so proud of their creation

And then they decided to make their silly faces to go along with their "Halloween Pumpkin"

First Day of School

2009-10-30T16:14:00.002-06:00

Thursday, September 3rd

Matthew's first day of Preschool!

Waiting for the bus

School Bus! Chiara really wants to get on!

Matthew's Aide at School, Ms. Ella

First project of the school year...twinkle little star

Chiara wanted to get in on the picture

Matthew's 1st Video Game

2009-10-30T15:39:00.002-06:00

Matthew has learned how to play a video game. OMG!

A Summer Visit from Grandma & Grandpa

2009-10-30T15:26:00.003-06:00

August 2, 2009

Enjoying an afternoon snack

Grandkids and Grandparents....so sweet!

Music time with Grandma

The two C. Torma women!

A Morning at the Shedd Aquarium

2009-08-20T12:41:00.004-06:00

Saturday, July 25th

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Chutie Ammie! For her birthday, we took the kids to the best aquarium, the Shedd. Seeya was able to get tickets and we had 3 hours of fun!~Charmaine~

Before heading to the Shedd, we went to Fox & Obel for a hearty breakfast

Chiara was happy to sit next to her Ammie (usually, Matthew takes that spot)

Once at Shedd, the kids were quite well behaved and was going from one aquarium to another

At one of the exhibits, they had a little camping display and Chiara made herself quite at home in the tent.

She then decided to "row, row, row your boat"

Matthew wanted in on that action and Chiara got to enjoy the ride

Then, Chiara found a Sea Turtle and made a friend

Matthew hitched a ride on one as well

At the very end of our time at the Shedd, we went to the hands on area. The kids LOVED IT!

Chiara really enjoyed feeling everything; Matthew was a bit more hesitant

Here, both kids enjoyed observing a live hermit crab up close and personal

Matthew really enjoyed watching the penguins

While Chiara, enjoyed the play area that is modeled after a penguin habitat

LOVE this picture of Chiara, it really looks like she is socializing with penguins

Matthew also came to the play area, and was pretending to be a penguin

Before leaving, both kids went down the slide...both were shy to slide on their bellies like the penguins.

There was a pretend sub that Chiara loved

As you can see, she really did LOVE it, but Matthew preferred to watch the live animals

An Outing at Navy Pier

2009-08-20T12:25:00.004-06:00

Friday, July 24th

During our Illinois trip, we spent the weekend in Chicago at the condo at Lake Point Tower. Our first day there, we went to Navy Pier for some ice cream and a ferris wheel ride. The plan was that we would head back over there on Saturday or Sunday for the Children's Museum and Thomas the Train Engine. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but we had fun anyway! ~Charmaine~

Matthew requested ice cream from Hagen Das and of course he wanted it from a cone. Unfortunately, he did not like the mess and kept asking me to lick his cone clean.

Chiara actually had her ice cream served in a cup, but wanted to be like her big brother so we got a cone for her as well. She did surprisingly well! Don't you love the face?!

Here is a picture of the three of us on the ferris wheel. Matthew loved it and Chiara kept trying to open the gate/door. I won't be doing that with her again for awhile...let me tell you!

My dad hijacked my camera and kept taking pictures of Lake Point Tower. It is kind of funny.

Visiting with Chutie Ammie

2009-08-20T12:08:00.005-06:00

Thursday-Friday, July 23rd & 24th, 2009

While we were in Illinois visiting my parents, my sister did an impromtu visit to see Matthew & Chiara. She had not seen them since Thanksgiving! ~Charmaine~

Shimali asked me to take this picture because she said she most likely will not be pushing too many strollers...hmm

Chutie Ammie had to leave after a day, but she definitely got some lovin' before she left

The 2 Chutie's is cute posed shot

After much protest, Matthew finally took a picture with his Chutie Ammie

A little fun before heading out!

Quality Time with Seeya

2009-08-15T11:48:00.003-06:00

Thursday, July 23rd

Since our early arrival to Plainfield, the kids didn't really have a chance to interact with Seeya since he was working. However, starting on Thursday evening, he was off so he could just spend some quality time with the grandkids.~Charmaine~

Seeya decided it was high time the kids learn how to play cricket. Instead of using a the regular cricket ball he used a basket ball.

Chiara's position was bowler (for the Americans, it is similar to pitcher)

Matthew dived to get the ball

The players are happy after a great workout (that I believe lasted less than 10 minutes)

After the cricket game, it was time to water the flowers

Matthew helped Seeya move the hose...he is getting to be such a helper!

Enjoying the Garden

2009-08-15T11:14:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, July 21st

In the late afternoon/early evening, the kids went outside with Achie to assist in some gardening. They didn't really garden (surprise, surprise), but they did have some fun. ~Charmaine~

Matthew is taking a moment to smell the flowers

Chiara decided to check it out, but she doesn't smell anything special

Achie is busy tending to her flowers, while the grandkids watch

They finally get bored, and I provide them with a ball

They are getting ready for a game of kick ball!

A Surprise Visit to Plainfield

2009-08-15T10:59:00.003-06:00

Monday, July 20th

As many of you know, since graduating from law school, Mark has been preparing for the Bar Exam. Since I knew he wouldn't be able to assist me in taking care of the kids, I had planned on visiting my parents the week before the Exam. Unfortunately, a week before leaving the entire family got sick. I was so tired from taking care of the kids that I decided to leave 3 days early to Plainfield. I figured (correctly) that my parents would take care of the kids while I recouped. ~Charmaine~

Matthew is awesome during any car rides and when he is tired, he just closes his eyes and sleeps

Chiara, on the other hand, is not into the long road trips and can be a crab, but the excitement of surprising her Achie and Seeya kept her crabbiness to a minimum

After we arrived, the kids got to enjoy some fresh watermelon

Can you tell how much they love it?

They just kept at it until they hit the rind!

A Rainy Summer School Day

2009-08-15T10:27:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, July 14th

During the month of July, Matthew attended summer school four days a week. I was lucky enough that he got bussing to and from school. Most of the days were sunny, but there was one afternoon that a quick shower surprised us. This made Matthew quite happy since he was anxiusly waiting for the opportunity to use his new umbrella! ~Charmaine~

"Hmm, is it still raining?"

Waiting patiently for the bus...which either arrives ridiculously early or tremendously late

This Cheeky Monkey loves the rain!

I Like It!

2009-08-15T10:08:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, July 7th

I have been attempting work out regularly and when we cannot get to the Y, I do an exercise video at home. The below video illustrates how frequently I work out at home. Enjoy! ~Charmaine~

Watch Out, Chiara is Out of the Crib!

2009-07-07T16:17:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

As many of you know, my little girl is 2 years old and some months. During this point, she has been the princess of sleeping through the night and sleeping in her crib/playpen. Well, those days are OVER! She is now able to climb out and get into mischief.

Case in point: On Monday night, both of my men were fast asleep and at 9pm I hear a bit of noise (nothing major) from the kids' room. I assume that it is Matthew, since Chiara was placed in the playpen earlier that evening. I go to investigate and slowly open the door to see Chiara on the bed next to a sleeping Matthew. She is sitting with her legs crossed with two cups in front of her and a ton of baby wipes in each cup. She slowly and deliberately looks up at me and tells me "I'm making tea; I'm cooking." Since I am shocked to see her out, I quickly remove the cups from her grasp and tell her that she can sleep next to her brother and she falls fast asleep by 9:45pm.

The next morning, as Matthew, Chiara and I are scrambling to get cleaned up, dressed and out of the house, Matthew whines (which he does often), "where are my socks and underwear?!" and then, "AMMMMM-IEEEEEE! Where are my clothes?!" I am already frazzled at 7am and respond back, "they are in your dresser, where they always are." as I am walking into his room to see that indeed his clothes are not in his dresser. I look in Chiara's dresser, the closet, under the bed and in Chiara's playpen. As you can imagine, they weren't in any of those places and I am about to scratch my head when I realize that the only place I did not check was the night stand. In the ity, bity wicker night stand, Chiara during her night of mischief, took out all of her brother's clothes and jammed them into the night stand.

Yup, life with Chiara is going to be a constant adventure and it definitely won't be predictable. Who knew?!

Father's Day: A Day of Fun

2009-06-25T07:21:00.005-06:00

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

This year, Mark wanted to have a day of fun for Father's Day. We first started the day out with brunch at one of the local establishments and then the kids stayed at home with my friend Megan while Mark & I went to the Twins Game (he got the tickets free).~Charmaine~

After brunch, I thought it would be the perfect time for a photo op with Daddy and the kids

Aren't the kiddies so cute?!

Here we are waiting for the bus so that we can go to the Twins Game. We look tired, don't we?

Now we are on the bus, trying to look excited.

The metrodome! I love watching baseball in a dome, can't believe the Twins will be playing out in the elements all too soon!

We are now inside the Dome, watching the game

Action shots!

We had some good seats, don't you think?

The field!

Unfortunately, he didn't make it to base. Bummer.

When we came home from a very, very short game, the kids and Megan were outside. How cute!

A Visit from Achie and Seeya

2009-06-20T15:22:00.005-06:00

Friday, June 12 - 14th, 2009

This past weekend, Achie and Seeya came to visit us. The actual purpose for this visit was to help Ammie with the gardening, because Ammie knows NOTHING about yard work. They arrived at 10:30am on Friday and after dropping their luggage off at our house, we went out to eat for lunch at Biagii's.

While we were waiting for our food, Chiara Nangi is drawing and Seeya is admiring her art work. Achie is laughing and talking with me.

After we had our wonderful meal, I had mac and cheese, Chiara and I had ice cream!

Afterwards, our waitress took this picture of us...not bad considering I am still eating my dessert.

During the weekend, I got a bike at Toys R Us, and Chiara went to pick it up and decided to sit on this ride. She doesn't know that it actually moves if you put money in it...sneaky Ammie!

We ended the weekend at Midtown Global Market, here I am playing. It isn't a fun playarea for preschoolers, but it would be fun for toddlers.

~Matthew~

First Week of Summer!

2009-06-20T14:38:00.006-06:00

Monday, June 15th - Saturday, June 20th, 2009

This week was the first full week of summer with Matthew Aiya and Ammie made sure we were busy. On Monday, she arranged a park/pool playdate with her friend from the 'hood, Sara Bergen and her three kiddies: Milo, Emmett, and baby Frankie. The playdate was at McRae Park and when we arrived Milo and Emmett were already in the pool. Even though the pool was enticing, both Matthew and I had other plans...

Such as eating fresh watermellon that Ammie just cut up for us and drinking a nice cool cup of milk. Mmm! It was tasty!

We were at the park from 11am - 2pm (the longest Ammie has ever been at a park), and even though we were playing on the playground, we really enjoyed being in the pool.

Ammie thought Matthew wouldn't want to get into this pool because it wasn't his "normal" pool, but he just jumed right in and started playing.

I, on the other hand, was a bit more tentative and once the older kids started rough housing and splashing, I got out of the pool quite quickly.

Because of the rain and Ammie's need to do a little shopping (groceries and stuff), we went to Eden Prairie Mall. First, Ammie bought her nonperishable items at Target, and then we headed to the play area. Here I am riding on one of the ladybugs.

Here is a candid shot of me trying to get onto the snowmobile. You can really see my "fake" boo boos.

Here is Matthew climbing the tall mountain in the play area...this is his favorite perch in the whole playarea.

Here I am crawling out of a snow tunnel. Unlike Matthew, who LOVES playing here, I was bored after 15 minutes and kept asking Ammie to go home. Her response, if Matthew is ready to go, then we can leave. Guess what, he was not ready to go home!

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Ammie was exhausted and we didn't go anywhere. We just played in our backyard. Wait, I should ammend that. I played in the backyard; Matthew doesn't really enjoy playing there, and Ammie read her book and talked to us.

On Saturday morning, Ammie took me and Matthew grocery shopping. It was an alright excursion, although it was a bit stressful for Ammie (good thing we did it at 8am in the morning). Today was also our first day of swimming at the YWCA.

Here is Matthew all excited to swim and I am behind him, a bit anxious, I am afraid. I remember my first swimming experience at McRae park on Monday.

Here I am at the pool with Daddy. Can you see the look of fear and panic in my eyes? I got dunked while with Daddy and I DID NOT enjoy that at all. I stormed out of the pool to the best of my ability.

Matthew Aiya LOVED swimming. He got into the pool immediately and went down this slide with no trepidation. Of course, he has been coming to this pool since January with his class at Longfellow.

Daddy is trying to make swimming fun for my by holding me over one of the fountains. Even though I was smiling, I still kept asking to go home. To be honest, earlier, I told Ammie that "I don't like THIS swimming." Ammie thought it was funny; I do not know why.

Here is the final shot of Matthew in the pool before we left. It was a very productive swimming lesson for him...he was jumping in the water, held his breath, floated and kicked his legs! When the next swim session starts he won't need Ammie and Daddy there at all! I, on the other hand, will definitely need to take the Parent & Me Swim Class.

~Chiara~

Summer is Here in the Torma House

2009-06-11T11:33:00.003-06:00

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

In lovely city of Minneapolis, summer has arrived to all the school aged children and their parents. All winter, I have been grumbling about how our schedule has been so tight (with Matthew in preschool) and that we couldn't go on many excursions. But now that school has ended, I am actually scared that I won't be able to stimulate the kids while still maintaining the house. This week, I have had a small taste of what the summer will be like, and "it ain't going to be pretty!" Chiara constantly thinks that we should be out of the house (that was not part of my planned itinerary) and Matthew wants to watch television ALL DAY Long! So, I am going to have to figure out a way to balance our time at home and out and make sure that we do not exceed our budget...or $0.00. Wish us luck!~Charmaine~

Everyone, and I mean everyone, on our block has a green thumb. Next door, our neighbor Sasha has these beautiful beauties in her yard. We, on the other hand, have weeds, approximately the same size as her flowers, growing in our yard.

On Matthew's last day of school, it was a chilly 55F, so Chiara had to wear her SMC hoodie. I have no delusions about Chiara attending Saint Mary's, but I still think she looks cute as a mini SMC Chick.

Here is Matthew getting off the bus one last time. Can you believe that he came off the bus with a huge grocery bag full of "treats!" This was not the case when I was a student nor a teacher.

One of the treats were these green 2009 glasses; Matthew LOVES the glasses and I have to keep Chiara away from them. Oh the joys of being a parent :)

I decided that as a way to celebrate the end of the year, we should all go see the new Pixar movie, UP, at the New Hope Cinema Grill. It is a theatre that serves food and beverages while you watch the show. Matthew LOVED it and, well, it was learning experience for Chiara. I had to stop her from eating popcorn off the floor and talking through the movie . We stayed out 2 hours past the kids bedtime, but man, it was worth it. Both kids were thrilled, and it was nice to do such a family outing. Honestly, this summer won't be too bad, and once Mark takes the Bar Exam, it will be a WHOLE LOT BETTER!

Family Fun Night at Longfellow

2009-06-11T10:52:00.007-06:00

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Every month my school, Longfellow, hosts a Family Fun Night and tonight we had the final Fun Night of the School Year. Ammie didn't know if she was up to going since she was exhausted from her Ladies Weekend at SMC, but she went because she loves me .~Matthew~

One of the first things I did, was run around and throw some soft balls...a game of bombardment

After throwing the ball over the wall, I almost skidded into the wall...so fun!

Here is Chiara Nangi jumping...she tried doing it solo, but she still doesn't have the balance

I am showing Daddy and Chiara Nangi how to swing on the rope

As you can see, I am not a fan of sitting on the knot, but instead I hold on tight, run and SWING!

Here I am as the leader in the fire truck...Ammie had a difficult time getting any good pictures on me in this. I was going really, really fast; I loved it!

Chiara Nangi discovered the water fountain and she kept wanting to get more and more water.

This was the huge jumping structure. At first, I wasn't interested in jumping in it, but once Teacher Ellen got me in there, no one could get me out.

Ammie was able to get a video clip of me jumping; I can't stop watching it!

Here is Chiara Nangi trying to jump...she didn't enjoy it as much, and as soon as she could stand up, she got out of there.

A police officer and a fire truck came to school...unfortunately, it was so cold that we could only stay to see the cop car, but we could not wait in the long, long line to ride the fire truck...I mean fire engine.

SMC 2009 Reunion

2009-06-08T00:50:00.010-06:00

Thursday, June 4 - Sunday, June 7, 2009

This past weekend was my 10 year college reunion from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. As many of you know, I am very proud of my undergraduate education and am all about promoting Saint Mary's (SMC). However, what you might not know, was that immediately after graduating from SMC, I had become disheartened about my college experience. Even though I valued the education I received from SMC, after four years in an all women's institution took its toll on my psyche. I could not handle the caddiness and underhandedness of the all women's environment and I kind of fell off the planet from my SMC classmates. It wasn't until Matthew was born in 2005 that I was truly able to get over it and began to reconnect with the College.

This past Spring, I decided that I should attend my 10 year reunion, and with the assistance of facebook, I started reconnecting with many of my SMC classmates. However, even though, I had some contact with my class, I was still quite anxious about this reunion. I hadn't forgotten the caddiness and underhandedness of my classmates, but I hoped that since I had matured in the intervening 10 years, that the same could be said about them, right? I needed to think positively since I was shelling out major bucks, cash that could/should be spent wisely. However, if I go to the reunion and it was still a bunch of cliques, would I regret my decision? Or, would I regret staying home and not attending the reunion? The only SMC thing to do was to attend the reunion. ~Charmaine~

Thursday, June 4th
Early in the morning, Jen D'Anastasio and I departed from Minneapolis and drove 9 hours to South Bend. It was a beautiful day, and even though the drive was a bit longer than we anticipated, the drive was fun. We rolled into town at exactly 5pm and got to the airport to pick up Kelly Brogdon White. We dropped off Jen at the Inn at Saint Mary's (we tried to get a room there, but they were all booked) and then Kelly & I drove onto campus to register. We were AMAZED at how different and yet the same everything looked!

Going down the Avenue, was like coming home...I couldn't believe it had been 10 years since I left SMC!

Seeing Holy Cross Hall at the end of the Avenue, I was flooded by many wonderful memories.

After Kelly and I registerd, we decided to see if there were any cancellations at the new hotel near the College, The Hilton Garden Hill (see above). Luckily, there was a room and we jumped to take it (much better than rooming at the Hotel in Mishawaka). After freshening up in our new room, Kelly and I went to dinner at Granite City in the newly improved University Park Mall, affectionately known as UP Mall. We then raided Meijer's, just like we did as students, and headed back to the Hilton and drank wine and caught up on each other's lives. I couldn't believe we stayed up til past midnight! The weekend started out GREAT!

Friday, June 5th,
Even though we stayed up late talking, both Kelly and I woke up early. We had a carefree morning, went out to breakfast, went "across the street" to the University of Notre Dame (ND), and then went shopping at ND's Clearance Store on Ironwood. After buying myself a closet full of ND clothes, Kelly and I headed back to our Hotel to freshen up for the Reunion!

The above picture is my favorite picture from the weekend. Kelly and I are posing in front of the Science Building...this is where our friendship began! We went and talked to two Science profs and then headed to the new Student Center to check out the Book Store. After buying more stuff...I could not help myself, we rushed to the newly located Dalloways (the coffee shop) and heard my clinical psych prof, Catherine Pittman, lecture on anxiety.

It was great and it was even more spectacular to get a tour of the new Psych department located in the new Spes Unica Building. There were two observation rooms (one for adults and one for children)!

Before dinner, I posed in front of the new academic building, Spes Unica, and wished I had the opportunity to study at SMC now. These students are so LUCKY!

The sign above cracks me up and represents how many different study abroad programs SMC has!

Above is the new Student Center, it houses the bank, travel center, book store, cafe, and the dining hall. The only thing that really makes me sad about this new building, is the fact that the old dining hall is where I met Mark. Good thing I was never sentimental, huh?

On Friday night, we had our All Class Party, it gave us an opportunity to reconnect with our friends. Above is Carrie O'Brien (left) and Kelly Brodgon White.

At dinner, Ellen Boudette Flanigan and Betsy Lamora Pierson got to catch up over drinks; Ellen's was unalcholic since she is expecting her third! Congrats Ellen!

I decided to do one of my famous candid shots of Carrie and Betsy getting food in the "buffet" line.

After dinner, we went to the All Class Party, but found it to be loud and full of cliques (roll of eyes), so Kelly, Carrie, Betsy and I headed back to the Hilton to talk. Above, Carrie and Betsy are posing for a non-candid shot...

Luckily, Kelly allowed me to take a candid shot of her while we drink wine from plastic cups.

Saturday, June 6th

This morning, we all woke up "early" and went for a walk to the Grotto. If I had to be honst, Kelly and I walked, while Carrie and Betsy ran. I am sorry, but I couldn't muster the energy to try something so ambitious!

Here is a view of our walk to ND and the Grotto.

This is a picture of the cemetary we pass on our way to the Grotto...I never appreciated the view before.

Above is the view of the entry way of the Grotto; Mark didn't recognize it, since he enters the Grotto from the opposite direction.

This is such moving picture of Kelly and the candles; I felt so "bad" because I couldn't be so spiritual.

However, I found this picture quite moving. I loved the way the light is streaming down on the Grotto.

Above is the lake where I befriend Wally the Duck. Surprisingly, he wasn't there, but a family of Canadian Geese were. Poor misunderstood Wally. The four of us walked back to the Hotel and got ready to hear the President of the College speak and then head over to the Picnic.

The picnic wasn't what I expected it to be. They set up chairs in small circles and it seemed to encourage the cliquey mentality of the day. Above (left to right), Annie, Mary and Jen (whom I drove in with).

Above is a picture of Kelly as we socialize in our "circle." I don't want to sound bitter, but actually, I am a bit bitter. I wanted to move away from the circles and cliques, but while Thursday and Friday were great, the picnic on Saturday truly deflated me. I wasn't able to socialize with everyone and I after breaking into a few "circles," I wasn't in the mood to do it all afternoon/evening long.

Liz and I had a difficult time getting together, but we finally met up at the picnic and while everyone else went to the shopping at the various bookstores (SMC, ND, and the ND Clearance Store), we took the opportunity to take a picture on the famous Bridge over Lake Marion. The rumor, if you walk over the bridge with a guy, you would marry him. I did not walk on the bridge with Mark, so I can't way that the rumor is acurate.

Above is the picture of the old student center, Haggar. Now, it seems to house offices and IT. It deserves something better than IT, don't you think?

This is my final picture of the Reunion; on Saturday night, we all got semi dolled up and headed for dinner. I have to say, dinner let us "air" some past hurts, and I hope that it won't take another 10 years for me to see my classmates. And, I think that I might need to help with the next Reunion, because I can gripe all I want, but if I want the Reunion to be something special, then I need to help, right?

Mass at the Church of Holy Name

2009-05-31T10:36:00.003-06:00

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Since March, our family has been attending mass (off and on) at Holy Name. I really like the community, but most importantly Matthew really likes it. There is something that needs to be said when a 4 year old boy enjoys and looks forward to going to Church early on a Sunday morning. He is still a little young to fully understand the Readings and what the rituals mean, but he adores Fr. Leo and the predictability of the ceremony. Today, Mark & I had a difficult time maintaining our poker faces when he started dancing to the music (the choir had some drumming today) and during Communion Matthew switched lines so that he could be blessed by his Fr. Leo. All I can say is "WOW!" And, I wish I could get him to enjoy meditation and the rituals in Buddhist practice.

~Charmaine~

An Afternoon at Como Zoo

2009-05-24T18:47:00.004-06:00

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Today was Daddy's first weekend free since graduating from school and boy, you could tell. We went to Como Zoo as a whole family (we wanted to go to Apple Valley, but it wasn't in the cards), and we didn't bring the stroller. I really, really wanted the stroller and even though I had a fun time...I let Ammie know that I do not want to walk that much and next time we need to have the stroller. She agreed. ~Matthew~

Here we are in the primate house, but the gorillas are all sleeping!

Ammie wanted a cute picture of us by the statue, but as you can see, we had other ideas!

In all the times we have come to Como Zoo (and we have come here a ton), we have never seen the ostrich. There it is!

Daddy had to hold me, so that I could see it (the ostrich) better

Here is Nangi looking at the giraffe

Ammie says it is a good thing that pictures don't have sound. The entire time we were looking at the giraffes, I was yelling "GIRAFFE!"

Nangi is looking at the tiger that is sleeping below (that was the theme of the day, sleeping animals)

Nangi is trying to find the animals that swim in the water (it's Sparky!).

Nangi listening intently to Daddy talk about Puffins

This is the new baby orangutan at the zoo...isn't it precious!

Daddy's Done with School!

2009-05-24T18:35:00.003-06:00

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

YAY! Daddy is done with school! He has finished his three years at law school and Ammie says that he won't be going back to school anytime soon (or someone will have to help her and Daddy). Unfortunately, we couldn't go to the actual graduation ceremony, but we did attend Daddy's Honor's Reception the evening before.~Chiara~

Daddy is trying to figure out how to put his clothes on; I am still trying to figure out how to put on my clothes.

Daddy is all ready to graduate!

Matthew & Daddy

Me & Daddy!

Our graduate...it's about time, Daddy! We are so proud of you!

Petting Zoo at Longfellow School

2009-05-18T18:01:00.004-06:00

Monday, May 11th,

Even though today is Monday (a non-school day), we went to my school for Family Night. The evening was so much fun. We first went to the playground and I showed Ammie and Chiara Nangi the sand toys. Then we went into the lunch room for pizza, cheese puffs, grapes and oreo cookies. Once we finished dinner, the real fun began...it was the petting zoo! At first, I was afraid, but after seeing Chiara Nangi go right up to a goat, I figured it was safe. ~Matthew~

The first thing we went to, was the play truck...I, was the driver, of course

This was Chiara's first time really getting to play in a large sand box

She really was enjoying herself; don't you think?

I'm having fun, too

There's my little sister, all ready to brush a goat!

I got to pet a llama; sooooo soft!

Aw, the little baby animals!

Chiara Nangi can't believe the farm birds!

Pat the Bunny!

My very first pony ride!

Before leaving, Chiara Nangi needed to go down the slide

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-11T22:02:00.003-06:00

Sunday, May 10th

This year's Mother's Day was all about me being a mom:

Chiara woke me up early in the morning...5am
She wanted to get dressed for brunch by 6am and wanted to be out the door by 6:15am(Daddy and big brother were still in bed and brunch was set for 10am)
My porch and some other parts of my house were taken over by "stuff" that I did not want and no one even thought to ask if I would want it (sorry, it would be rude to elaborate)
Brunch was wonderful, but going out for a meal with kids, with Matthew only wanting to eat bacon and Chiara dribbling her milk
During the car ride home, Chiara exploded in her diaper
At home, Mark took care of the kids while I tried to take a nap, but I awoke to Chiara wailing in pain...she exploded in her diaper for a second time

The day ended wonderfully, with carryout dinner and margaritas. I might be bummed that I couldn't get a kodak moment with my kids, but with everything that happend, I am very happy being a mom and a wife. ~Charmaine~

Matthew enjoying a muffin after I cut him off the bacon

Chiara and Daddy enjoying the end of the meal

What do you think, isn't she a cutie?

Silly Video Clips

2009-05-07T10:28:00.004-06:00

Thursday, May 7th

Ammie really enjoys filming us, but she never gets us at the right moment. Below are two clips of us from breakfast.~Matthew

The very last thing I say is "can we talk about (getting) dressed," but Ammie swears she hears me saying "breasts." The next clip below, however, is about the clothes I am wearing, so I think I am right, don't you?

May Day Parade 2009

2009-05-06T12:08:00.006-06:00

Sunday, May 3rd 2009

This past Sunday our neighborhood, Powderhorn Park, was JUMPING with excitement because of the May Day Parade and Ceremony. The day was perfect weather for a parade and the entire family had fun. I cannot wait to see it again next year.~Chiara~

Here I am waiting for the parade...it is supposed to start at 1pm, but it didn't reach us until 2pm

Matthew Aiya is actually waiting patiently...kudos to Ammie for bringing all sorts of toys and stuff to occupy him

Here is Matthew Aiya taking a big bite out of a mango on a stick

I am taking time to stay hydrated while Matthew Aiya is busy suckng the mango out of the pit

Matthew Aiya took the camera for a bit (and shot 30 pictures), here is one of those pictures...a shot of the finished mango.

This is a silly person dressed as POOP with a fly on her....ha!

There were tons of pigs in the parade and I am waving to one of them

Matthew Aiya is having a great time at the parade and this when we are about an hour and a half into the parade!

Here is a pig! Can you see that the people inside are on stilts!

So pretty and so fun!

Ammie liked these the best, the polar and black bears

Playing with ALL the Toys

2009-05-01T12:25:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Ammie was shocked today to see that I decided to make a "tower" with all of our toys. I built this tower in our playhouse and it included 2 chairs and Chiara Nangi's little ride on scooter. ~Matthew

Matthew's in the HOUSE!

Just chillin in the full play house

Hmm, time to mix things up

Woo Hoo! This is fun!

Chiara's 2nd Birthday!

2009-04-20T11:46:00.009-06:00

Saturday, April 18th

Today was Chiara's 2nd Birthday, and I am so sad that my baby girl is no longer a baby. She isn't a toddler, but a runner. She doesn't speak in cutesy "baby talk," but has a vocabulary of a little person. I cannot believe how quickly these last two years have gone . Even though our celebration was low key, we all had fun. ~Charmaine

The Birthday Girl is her Birthday Dress

Chiara wearing the Birthday Sweather that I made for her while rough housing with her big brother

This was not the cake I ordered for Chiara, but the bakery did not have the Princess cake I ordered. So, we got this cake for only $4!

The awful waiting to eat some cupcakes!

Our little cutie, licking the frosting off her cupcake

Achie & Seeya came up for the weekend

Mmm, the substitute cupcake tastes alright

Daddy didn't have a chance to clean up after a long day of studying, so he is wearing a baseball cap to cover his greasy hair and wearing a festive birthday hat

Instead of eating cupcakes, Chiara was eating the candy toppings off of them

Chiara opening up her birthday gift from Grandma and Grandpa

She knew that it was a book before unwrapping it, but she was still delighted to see what book she got from Grandma and her Birthday Buddy, Grandpa

A video of the Birthday Train with the ever dignified, conductor Seeya (otherwise known as Dr. Sam)

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T19:56:00.007-06:00

Sunday, April 12th: Easter Sunday

Ammie & Daddy wanted to be traditional this Easter, but we kiddies did not help in making that happen. First off, Chiara Nangi woke everyone up at 4am (it was my fault because I woke up wanting something to drink). Then, Ammie made Crepes for breakfast and after we stuffed ourselves, we were snuggling on the couch and we fell asleep and didn't wake up until 9:30! Oops, there goes the 8:30 mass. So, we lounge about watching CSI and then frantically rush to get ready for Easter dinner at the Cisneros family home. Which, by the way, was awesome! I had so much fun playing outside and doing the Easter Egg hunt, and now that I know a little bit about Easter, I will make sure next year it will go smoother ~Matthew

Ammie asked us to sit on the couch in our Easter outfits while Daddy brought out our Easter baskets

These were our first Easter baskets given to us by Ammie & Daddy. Ammie made them herself (crochetting) and even though they didn't turn out perfect, I think they held my treats quite well

Here is Chiara Nangi finding eggs for the Easter Egg hunt

Out of all the kids there, I was the one who found the eggs in one of the more trickier spots

This was a confetti Easter Egg hunt, and we are now gathered for the real fun...

...the kids and even Daddy went a little crazy with the eggs

For a moment, I was just stunned by the experience, but...

...then I really had a blast breaking the eggs open

The two princesses of the group, took a moment to look at their new and improved selves (confetti hair and dresses)

After the egg hunt, I spent my time in the sand box

While Chiara Nangi enjoyed the fast and bumpy slide

Playdate with Parker

2009-04-15T19:43:00.004-06:00

Friday, April 10

My friend Parker came over for a playdate today and even though he is about 6 months younger than me we get along really well. ~Chiara

While Parker was playing with the blocks, I kept patting him on the head. I don't know why, but he is just a cute little guy

We are all playing so nicely in the "play area"

Parker wasn't going to smile for Ammie, pity, the boy has a great smile

Random Pictures of the Kids

2009-04-15T19:21:00.004-06:00

March 26 - April 8

I have been really bad about posting and I have some cute stories to share, but until I actually have the energy to do so, enjoy some random pictures of the kiddies ~Charmaine

Chiara loves coloring

Matthew working on his favorite puzzle

Chiara and her pigtails

Almost two and already a writer!

Matthew thinks that when he smiles for the camera he should squint

The devious Chiara

Charmaine's Moment to Shine

2009-04-15T17:29:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, March 24th

As many of you know, I like to keep busy and enjoy being involved in many different groups and activities. One of my favorite groups is my Saint Mary's College Alumnae Group in the Twin Cities. For the past two years, I was lucky enough to be president and this year our Club was lucky enough to win the Club of the Year Award from the College. YAY! We were nominated by a Board Member and it was so gratifying to know that my energy was appreciated. So, I know that Mark & I rarely post about ourselves, but I thought that I would make an exception this once! ~Charmaine

Marilou Eldred, past president of the College, posing with the Award Presenter, Shari Rodriguez, VP of College Relations

Shari during her speech on College updates

Shari & I as she presents the award (which the Club does not get to keep)

The local alumnae from the Club who celebrated the event

An Architecht in the Making

2009-04-15T17:19:00.004-06:00

Thursday, March 19th

One of Matthew's favorite independent play activities is playing with blocks. He can play with them for hours just by building and demolishing his creations. ~Charmaine

He is so proud of his creation, and yet he is shyly standing away from it

A Visit from Grandma, Grandpa & Uncle Ben

2009-03-19T09:25:00.005-06:00

Friday, March 6th -8th, 2009

This weekend was Daddy's musical, "It's a Wonderful Law School;" he was the lead writer for it and we all are very proud of him. Ammie gives him a hard time about it, but she really is proud of him...his writing and singing (his acting wasn't anything exceptional, but the other two was good, so she says). Anyways, Ammie knew how hard Daddy worked on the musical and suggested that Grandma and Grandpa come and see the musical live as Daddy's Christmas gift. Which really turned out to be a gift for our entire family! ~Chiara~

Here I am, enjoying snuggling time with Grandpa

Look at our full house!

Grandma and I are busy working on a puzzle

Here is Aiya, busy working on his floor puzzle

Grandma is reading a little board book to me & Aiya...I am posing for the camera and listening...what a multi-tasker!

A Busy Friday

2009-02-28T18:08:00.005-06:00

Friday, February 27, 2009

Today was a busy day for me and Matthew Aiya. First of all, last night it snowed 8 inches! And because Matthew Aiya didn't have school, Daddy took the day off of work so that we could visit the Children's Museum and end the day with dinner at Midtown Global Markte. It was a very long day and I was so stimulated from all the activities and excursions that it took me an hour to fall asleep! I rarely fall asleep after Matthew Aiya, but it was hard to unwind after all of that excitement! ~Chiara~

This morning as Ammie & Daddy were putting Petroleum Jelly on our faces to prepare us for the cold, Matthew Aiya and I put on Ammie's pajama top and sweatshirt.

Matthew helped shovel the snow

And when he was tired, it was my turn

Look at those big snowballs...luckily we did not have a snowball fight!

Here we are looking at the woodchuck den...we were too scared to go inside

Clifford the Big Red Dog is at the Children's Museum right now, and I was not shy talking to him

Aiya found a little owl in his tree

And here we are inside the ant hill

Matthew Aiya is busy turning the crank to get the little white balls to go through the course

We ended our day at dinner at Midtown Global Market and we helped with the kickoff to their new Kidz Zone by putting our hand print on the wall

I was the only one who did it, Matthew Aiya did not want to participate...it was the whole sensory thing.

Daddy's 34th Birthday! Wow!

2009-02-27T09:41:00.006-06:00

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Today was Daddy's 34th Birthday! Wow...I can't even count that high. Originally Ammie wanted to take Daddy out for his birthday, but Daddy said he would rather spend the evening at home with the entire family (what a family guy our Daddy is!). So Ammie planned a nice dinner; obviously, nothing fancy because Chiara Nangi and I would have to eat it as well. And then she thought of stuff for me and Chiara Nangi to do to help make Daddy's Birthday special. ~ Matthew~

Ammie thought it would be nice if we made a Birthday Banner

So on Monday, we finger painted and used paint brushes to make Daddy's Banner

Here is the finished product! I did all the blue; Chiara did almost everything else

The Birthday Daddy, his Chardonnay, and his Birthday Banner

Here we are, Daddy and his cute kids...it is so sad that Ammie is never in a picture

Ammie planned on making a cake ofr Daddy, but I wanted to bake cupcakes, guess who won that discussion. Do you like Ammie's quick fix on the birthday candle?

One of my coping techniques is to pretend to blow out candles; it really came in handy to help out Daddy blow out his candle...he is so old, I don't think he could have done it without my help!

A Successful Doctor's Visit!

2009-02-23T12:09:00.004-06:00

Monday, February 23rd,

Today, Matthew had his 4 year old well child visit at Children's. Since Friday, I have been preparing him for the check-up: I created a social story, we played doctor, and we practiced coping techniques when the visit gets overwhelming and scary. Well, IT WORKED!!!

We left the house early this morning, so that I had enough time to deal with transitions. We got to the hospital early. We used the toilet first, and took off all of our winter wear. I made sure he was comfortable, and then we went up to the office (which is on the 5th floor). Once we signed in, we sat in the waiting room and re-read the social story and talked about how not everything in the social story will happen and how there might be some surprises that the social story didn't address. While waiting, Matthew and Chiara played, but Matthew kept coming up to me and asking to look at the social story. I was so shocked to see him behaving so well, and his anxiety seemed to be in check!

Matthew kept up the good behavior as we were escorted into the examining room. He let the

nurse ask both me and him questions. He was willing to be examined and his vitals taken. AND, he requested a shot. Unfortunately, he was unhappy that he had to have 3 injections and a blood draw. Even with those unpleasantries, Matthew did a wonderful job. We celebrated with hot cocoa from Starbucks and lunch from McD's.

I am very, very proud of my little boy! And, I want to say that I am so happy I had taken the time to create a social story!

Matthew playing at the activity center in the waiting room

Matthew reviewing his social story

Dr. Bowman checking Matthew's eyes

Matthew's ears looked good, minus a bit of wax

Heart & lungs both get a thumbs up from Dr. Bowman

Matthew's New School

2009-02-20T18:34:00.004-06:00

Friday, February 20th, 2009

As many of you know, Matthew was tested by the Minneapolis Early Childhood Special Education department late last year (from August - December). After the holidays, he was given the education label of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Matthew has several issues, however he is very high functioning and in the right environments (home and school), he should be able to function just fine in society.

Well, his evaluation team suggested we send Matthew to a new school, and since Matthew was starting to get anxious with his old school, Mark and I figured that it was a good idea as well. Since January 20th Matthew has been attending Longfellow Community School. He is in a classroom with 6 other high functioning autistic students and there are 3 teachers, plus a social worker, speech therapist and an OT. The environment is just what Matthew needs, and he is adjusting just fine.

Actually, he is adjusting so well, that today, I was told that Matthew didn't want to come home. Instead, he wanted to go home with his "girlfriend," Alessandra. And, as she was leaving the bus, both she and Matthew were saying, "bye; I love you." Can you believe that? I had to coax him off the bus and promise him that we will have a playdate with her very soon. The boy is FOUR years old, how can he have a girlfriend already?! I blame his father; he had a crush, from what he has told me, when he was in kindergarten. OMG!

Matthew coming home from his first day of school

Matthew's 4th Birthday!

2009-01-31T21:21:00.004-06:00

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Matthew! Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Tooooooooooooo Matthew! ~ Matthew

This was the first ride I went on at Chuck E. Cheese!

I rode the train with Barney!

Ammie went crazy trying to hit ground hogs

And then I tried

Here is Chiara with with a new friend, Kathryn

My Spiderman Birthday Cake

The family singing Happy Birthday to ME!

Cutting the cake

Mmm, it was real good

Chiara thought so too!

New Year's Eve 2008

2009-01-31T20:36:00.004-06:00

December 31st, 2008

Our New Year's Celebration was fun: first we opened up gifts from our Achie and Seeya (there were a ton of gifts to open), then we went out for lunch for some Indian food, and then we relaxed at the Plainfield house until bedime! ~ Chiara

Matthew was really excited to tear open this gift...

....especially when he saw it was a Hot Wheels Race Ramp

I was trying to open this gift one handed

It was a baby doll! And I wanted to open it right away!

Here is Matthew opening up another gift; I can't tell if it is his gift or Daddy's

Here I am posing with Achie

Here is Achie and Matthew

While we were waiting for our food, I got restless

In the evening, instead of tea time, we had hot cocoa and cappucino time!

Achie gave Matthew a new apron, "Kiss the Cook!"

Arriving in Plainfield

2009-01-31T20:18:00.003-06:00

December 30th, 2008

After visiting with Grandma and Grandpa we drove back to Plainfield to celebrate New Year's and my birthday at Achie and Seeya's house. Because of the long drive, we were kind of silly that evening! ~ Matthew

Since Ammie & Daddy only have cell phones, Chiara was really interested in Achie's home phone

When Seeya came home, he decided to dance to some Christmas music

Chiara, not shy at all, started her groove thing!

I love my Seeya!

Winter Days & Nights in Alliance

2009-01-31T19:55:00.003-06:00

December 25th - December 27th, 2008

While in Ohio, we got to visit with family and friends. Unfortunately, Ammie forgot her Powershot camera, so we don't have too many pictures to share. Thank you Aunt Emily for sharing your kodak moments with Ammie! ~ Chiara

Here you can see Daddy and Matthew taking a walk around the property

Three generations of Torma Men!

Uncle Dave is throwing me in the air; I LOVE it!

At night, since we share a room, Matthew climbed into my playpen and fell asleep!

I love him sooooo much!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-31T19:44:00.004-06:00

December 25th, 2008

Today is Christmas! We spent Christmas in Alliance with Grandma and Grandpa and my Torma Uncles. Daddy was the elf and I got to help him pass out the gifts ~ Matthew

This was what the tree looked like with gifts

Chiara Nangi definitely did not look her best that morning with her lopsided pig tails. Ammie still thinks she looks cute.

We just got a big book of Dr. Seuss stories and Daddy is skimming it...Nangi is taking the bows off the presents

Aunt Emily cleaned out her closet and Nangi now has some dress clothes

Christmas Eve Dinner

2009-01-31T19:34:00.003-06:00

December 24, 2008

Mmm, I really enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner. Matthew aiya wasn't too interested in it, but once he tasted the food, he enjoyed it as well ~ Chiara

Don't I look cute?

Daddy is helping Matthew with his dinner

When it comes to food, I do not need any help!

Trimming the Christmas Tree

2009-01-23T15:47:00.003-06:00

December 23rd, 2008

This year, we spent Christmas in Alliance, OH with Grandma and Grandpa and all the Uncles (and Aunt Emily). We arrived early enough that I was able to help Grandma and Grandpa trim the tree. ~ Matthew

Some of the ornaments were too difficult for me to hang, so I cuddled with Daddy while he did the trimming.

Grandma helped me find spots for the ornaments I did hang on the tree

Wow, I can't believe how much work it takes to trim a tree!

The Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving in St. Louis

2009-01-23T10:47:00.005-06:00

Thursday, November 27th, 2008

For Thanksgiving this year, we flew to St. Louis to celebrate Thanksgiving with Chutie Ammie, Bahopy, Achie and Seeya. I was very excited to eat some Turkey and Gobble for everyone ~ Chiara

Here is Matthew Aiya cuddling with Achie

Chutie Ammie took a second to take a picture with me

While Chutie Ammie is cooking and preparing dinner, Achie was doing dishes

I wanted to help do dishes, and was trying to get the gloves on

Mmm, look at all that yummy food!

The host and hostess of the evening; they weren't stressed out at all (Ammie would have been)

This is Aiya's and my dessert, a turkey cookie

Aiya quickly gobbled his up!

I, on the other hand, ate it slowly and savored every bite.

Achie and Seeya enjoying the Thanksgiving spread.

Making Marshmallows!

2009-01-08T16:14:00.003-06:00

November 20th, 2008

I had the BRILLIANT idea of creating a family tradition of making marshmallows when it snows. Well, when you live in Minnesota, it snows every week and Matthew is constantly begging to make more marshmallows since there is always more snow. ~ Charmaine

Here is the whole sheet of marshmallow

Here are the marshmallows after I cut them up...not really pretty, but yummy!

Yup, the kids are hopped up on powder sugar and gelatin!"

I am not entirely a bad mother, I only gave them 2 pieces, but cut them in half so they had 4. Chiara was really stuffing them in her mouth. She is a little chipmunk!

HALLOWEEN!

2008-11-10T17:11:00.005-06:00

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Today is HALLOWEEN! For the entire month, Ammie has been preparing me for this day. I have worn my Halloween costume, fire fighter, for those of you who could not tell, so many times, that Ammie says it is well worth the $9.99. Yes, my Ammie is cheap. While Chiara Nangi was sleeping, and Ammie was passing out candy at home, Daddy & Cousin Audrey took me out to get some Halloween candy. This is the BEST holiday ever! ~ Matthew

"Trick or Treat!"

"What do you think of my full ensemble. Little fire man, right here."

"A little fellow like me wrote this sign...translation: keep out haunted house."

"Thank you for the candy!"

"Sour patch kids, that's Ammie's favorite!"

" Cousin Audrey and I take break from our long walk to get candy"

"Daddy is holding my hand to make sure I don't fall. Silly Daddy, the bag isn't that heavy, yet."

"In the end, I was a pro at getting more than one treat!"

From Audrey's Pics

The above video shows my first time Trick or Treating....thank you Cousin Audrey!

Halloween Party at Mayflower

2008-11-10T16:14:00.007-06:00

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Today was my Halloween Party at school, and since Ammie is my Classroom Parent, she was there for the festivities. I loved the fact that Ammie got to see me interact in the classroom and for her to play with me without Chiara Nangi! ~ Matthew

Before we walk to see the puppet show, we say good morning to our school friends

"Ammie was so amazed that we 3 year olds could walk in a somewhat straight line...she so underestimates what I am capable of doing"

"After playing outside with my friends, Ms. Rickie tells us what we will be doing for our party."

"We are waiting for everyone to finish washing their hands and using the toilet so we can eat our snacks. Ammie helped us make our snacks...Vanilla crackers with frosting and sprinkles!"

From Pics from September Oct 2008

The above video is my class singing the end of "Halloween is Coming;" if you want to hear the whole thing, just ask, I love to perform.

Minneapolis Families Halloween Party

2008-11-10T14:41:00.006-06:00

Sunday, October 26th
Ammie started a group called Minneapolis Families. She started this past March because she was tired of groups that excluded spouses and where it was a weekday group, but people didn't socialize in the evenings and weekends. Brandie (a real cool lady that Ammie met through the group) hosted the first Halloween Party and on all accounts, it was AWESOME! ~ Chiara

"This is my friend, Parker. I thought his costume was way cool."

"Parker was nice enough to share his toys with me; when he comes to my house, I will share my toys with him."

"Matthew Aiya was in much better spirits for this party; sadly, he was the oldest kid there, but he enjoyed eating and playing with the Halloween toys."

"This is Ammie's action shot of the party. There you see Brandie, Phillip, & Parker socializing with their guests."

"Here is cousin Asha, she's a ladybug like me, and her daddy, my cousin Pramod."

"Here is cousin Asha with her mom, cousin Monica and two friends from the group. Wasn't that cow costume awesome!"

"A close up of cousin Asha"

"Our hostess for the party, Brandie! You did a wicked job of putting this toddler party together!"

"Last but not least Dragon Eli and his mum, Amanda."

Halloween Party on the Farm

2008-11-10T14:16:00.004-06:00

Saturday, October 25th

Our friends from the Minneapolis Kids Playgroup had a Halloween Party on Calvin's farm in Farmington, MN. Due to road closures it took us close to an hour to get there, so I was very crabby at first, but once I got to see the animals, I was in much better spirits. ~ Matthew

"Cheese...or should I say CHOCOLATE!"

"Chiara Nangi was really good and looked at the camera, most of my friends did not."

"Cheese! I am sitting next to my friend Julian; he's a skeleton!"

"Poor Ammie wanted a shot of me and Nangi; that was asking too much don't you think?"

"CHICKENS!"

Apple Picking!

2008-11-10T13:13:00.006-06:00

Saturday, September 27th, 2008

Today, Ammie & Daddy took Matthew Aiya and I apple picking with our friends. I was carried around on Daddy's back while Daddy & Matthew Aiya picked apples and Ammie directed them on what to pick (Ammie is so cool). ~ Chiara

"Come on, let's pick some apples!"

"Aiya, hold the bag wider so I can throw my apples into the bag?"

"Mmm, that apple looks good."

"There are some good apples up here, Daddy."

"Here's our friends Amanda and Eli picking apples."

"Here is Calvin helping Daddy pick apples, and his mother Michelle supervising."

"After we picked the apples, we went on a hay ride. Ammie's friend Brandie said that a real hay ride means horses, but the tractor one was fine and we didn't have to deal with the smell...bonus!"

"Here's Aiya and me stomping around in the hay. It was fun to throw it at Ammie and our friends"

"At the very end I got to run through a maze that was meant for little people like me!"

A Speedboat Ride on Lake Michigan

2008-10-11T17:21:00.003-06:00

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Every time we come to Chicago and stay at Achie and Seeya's condo, I see all the boats on the Lake and I ask to go on a boat. Well, today, we all went on a Speedboat Ride. I LOVED it! And, Chiara Nangi LOVED IT MORE! The pictures below do not do the ride justice and if you ever get to see the video, you will see how much fun a speedboat ride is. ~~ Matthew

This is a picture Ammie took right before we left the dock

Here's Ammie and Nangi before we left; after this, Ammie refuses to let anyone else have the camera.

We just started to leave the dock, but we haven't hit full speed

Here's Achie and Seeya enjoying the calm before the storm (they were quite surprised at how fast a speedboat goes, LOL)

This is right after we sped across the Lake. Nangi LOVED it and she got sprayed with water, a lot!

A Walk to Millenium Park in Chicago

2008-10-11T17:07:00.003-06:00

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Today is the start of our visit in Chicago, IL visiting Achie, Seeya, & Mishan Mammie. I am very happy to visit with them and show them how much I have grown since they last saw me. Today, we decided we would take a walk to Millenium Park in Chicago. Below are some of the pictures Ammie took (she had some really cool video too, but her computer died and she wasn't able to get the video...luckily she was able to get the pics) ~ ~ Chiara

Technically the walk isn't that long, but since we were in the car yesterday for 8 hours, I was EXHAUSTED!
This is the metal bean at Millenium Park; it is really cool to look at from afar and up close

Here's Ammie taking a picture of the bean and all you see is her reflection (as well as Matthew Aiya's and Daddy's...don't worry, I am safe with my Mishan Mammie)

Here is a family picture, minus Mishan Mammie

Here is my Aiya; it looks like he is being nice to me, but really he is just excited to be out of his stroller