No pics, but I promise soon!

Ok - I am planning to be better this year about posting. Some recent news: Gianna has learned to ride her bike without training wheels. One of her friends made a comment about her still needing them, and that was all it took. The next day Daddy taught her in one hour. Since then, we have been to the ER for a bicycle-related face smash. She was wearing a helmet, but she has to go super fast and this led to skidding on pine needles and a bloody, swollen face (I am sure some of you saw the evidence on facebook). Gianna also started gymnastics class and seems to be doing well. I am hoping it will instill some discipline. Not much is new with Nick. He is not at all interested in using the potty, so we may have a tough time getting him out of diapers. At least this way I can still pretend he is my baby even though he half falls off the changing table when I make him lay up there. I still haven't mastered the standing diaper change. Anyway, I should be putting some pictures up soon. Oh - and I chopped off all my hair to donate it to locks of love. 11 inches! Crazy, but now I want to go even shorter. I will have to post some pics of that, too.

Halloween 2011

We entered the Danny Clark Costume contest again. Go to facebook and "like" one of the photos to vote for us. I will be posting more soon.

Nick had a great time trick-or-treating, although he couldn't walk very well in his costume. I had to carry him the whole way. Gianna literally ran through the neighborhood. She spilled her entire bucket of candy 3 times!

Gianna's first day of Pre-K

Gianna and her friend, Aubrey and their teacher.

Gianna is now officially in school. And she has to wear a uniform. She is so little we had to buy size 2 pants/skirts for her to wear at the sporting goods store. All the 4-year olds looked so cute at the "big school" in the morning assembly. Luckily a lot of Gianna's friends from the day care are in the same class as she is, so it was not as traumatic as it could have been.

More older pictures to come...

Recent news from The Torregrossas

I will hopefully be posting my back log of photos soon. Just wanted to give a quick update. Matt and I have been busy renovating our previously hideous backyard. We put in a deck and artificial grass (sounds awful, but trust me - it is magical!) and our dogs are finally getting some play time with us. Today we filled up the kiddie pool and you would have thought we had a full-size pool back there. Gianna and Nick were literally running full speed and diving into this pool. I am hoping they don't have any internal injuries from all this. I did notice a few bruises... And Nick has been starting to use the potty! He actually seems really into it and has gone pretty regularly each night since June 2nd. I am not deluding myself thinking he will be out of diapers soon, but I am hoping it might be easier with him than Gianna. Anyway, that is the Torregrossa news and keep checking for pics soon!

Again, it has been TOO long

Bluebonnets are all over the place right now. We took these pictures last weekend. Unfortunately, I sat Gianna right on an anthill so the afternoon ended in tears (and ant bites)

Nick on his birthday! He enjoyed his ice cream (boy has a sweet tooth just like his mommy!).

Nick has a big boy haircut now. My baby is not a baby anymore (sigh).

Gianna and Nick participated in a St. Joseph's altar celebration a few weeks ago. Gianna was Saint Lucy and Nick was Baby Jesus. After, they enjoyed the pasta. Nick was not a very cooperative Jesus, but I guess that goes with his age.

The St. Joseph's altar. This is a Sicilian Italian Catholic tradition.

At the Houston zoo you can buy lettuce and feed the giraffes.

Gianna was reading to Nick.

Gianna and her big girl princess bed.

We went to a birthday party for one of Gianna's friends at a petting zoo / farm area. Nick and I were on the train together.

Gianna and her friend Aubrey.

On the plane after Xmas.

Gianna and her cousin, Gabrielle.

Enjoying the Wisconsin snow.

It's been TOO long...

I have not been able to manage my time lately. For some reason, having 2 children has approximately quadrupled my workload. So, here are some not so recent pics of the kids.

Gianna and I made a cake for Thanksgiving. Matt bought the wrong kind of chocolate chips (milk instead of semi-sweet), so Gianna and I took a trip to the grocery store at ~8:30pm the night before Thanksgiving. Gianna was already in her pajamas.

Here she is drizzling the cake with icing.

And here is the finished product. You can tell she dumped most icing on the middle section of the cake.

Just a small portion of the Thanksgiving food. We hosted it at our house and we had ~ 2o people in attendance. It was actually more fun and less stressful than I anticipated. Probably because everyone brought a dish and Matt's Italian family always makes sure to bring enough to feed about twice the amount of people in attendance.

The kids on Thanksgiving.

Gianna and Ryan's daughter, Vivi. Ryan is one of my best friends from high school who just moved to Houston a few months ago.

Nick's "cheese" face.

Since becoming zoo members we've been spending a lot of time at the zoo. They have a tunnel underneath a fish tank that the kids can crawl through. Always a favorite activity.

Gianna and Nick's school had a breakfast with Santa this year. Gianna asked Santa for a bike, and Nick would not stop clutching me long enough to even sit on his lap. Maybe next year.

Gianna also helped me make Christmas candy. Here she is crushing candy canes.

Gianna and Nick helping with another batch of candy.

Gianna opening presents at Grandma Debbie's house.

I will post more soon. It is one of my NY resolutions to be better about this, so hopefully I will stick to it!