live.laugh.love

Shark Attack

Well, it's that time again.  Baseball is over, flag football is over, must be time for swim team.  Last year Marco was a "Sharkie" and ended up swimming in meets with the "Sharks".  This year he is a Shark from the beginning.  If you know Marco AT ALL, you know how skiddish he is when ever there is a change for him.  Swimming last year as a Sharkie was fun for him, so no problem there...until we tried to get him to "try out" practice with the Sharks.  He freaked out , but made it and decided it wasn't so bad.  Next came time trials, and it took a lot of pacing and deep breathing, but we made it through that as well.

Well, last night was the first official swim meet, and even though he swam in some last year, he was completely freaking out.  It makes me feel bad, but I know he just needs to get past the initial panic, then he's fine.  

   

He was fine, did great and had a great time.  We are so lucky to have the Club with a pool and a swim team right in our neighborhood.  The kids have a lot of fun...us parents have some fun too.  ;)

 

Of course, Marco's biggest fan Dante was there, along with his little buddy...

 

...and Dante has some big buddies as well.  Last night the swim team was supposed to bring a little surprise for their buddies.  Dante of course doesn't have a buddy (because he's not even on the actual swim team), but he definitely wants to be part of the fun.  So, my sweet boy went along with Marco and I to pick out treats and he picked some for the coaches.  They were so surprised and thankful, Dante was all sorts of embarrassed, but I managed to get this picture of him with them...

(yeah, the glasses were part of what Dante picked out...all by himself  :)

 

Right after I took this picture he started bawling, he was really embarrassed.  Hence the fake, tense smile.  He's still so freaking cute!

Anyway, we made it through the meet.  Sharks next meet is next Thursday at our Club, which should be just fine.  Marco's next hurtle will be in July when the Sharks have an away meet.  He's already stressing about that.  But until then, it's all smiles.  GO SHARKS!

 

Summer preview

This neighborhood is one of the best around, just ask anyone.  Last night was time trials for the "Sharks", our neighborhood swim team.  After the kids did their heats, some friends/neighbors came over for a bite to eat.  Even though it was a school night, we ended up staying a tad bit late, but i don't think anyone minded...at least not last night.

The kids played and played and then it was time for something cool...

 

They sat still for about a mintue.

 

Marco and Dante are going to grow up with such an enormous group of friends, right around the corner.  

Makes me smile. 

Championship Weekend

Phew.  We're exhausted, or at least I am.  Emotionally that is.  It has been an incredibly busy last few weeks for the Santulli's.  Paul coached Marco's baseball and his flag football team.  Marco played on both teams and Dante and I got to shuttle back and forth between sports cheering.

After what seemed like long seasons for both sports, we found our selves in the Championship Games for both teams.  Who'd a thought?  Not many, that's for sure!

Saturday, there was the Championship game for our baseball team, the Indians.  The team we were playing hadn't lost a game in the playoffs, yet alone, the WHOLE SEASON.  We didn't have too high a hopes, but were hoping not to be spanked like we were the last time we played them.  It was a really great game, we cheered and screamed and in the end, we had WON!  We were in shock and awe, so you can imagine how the other team felt.  Now, because we had already lost a game in the playoffs and it was a double elemination tourney, we had to beat the Rays again.  Next game would be Monday.

Sunday, it was flag football time.  Now it's no secret that I am not a fan of flag football at all. There are many reasons, but whatever.  Dante and I head down to Newport for the big game.  It started off bad and went downhill fast.  Marco cried at least 5 times during the game, Paul was a tense, frustrated coach and I was a madder then a hornet.  Parents around me were talking under their breaths, the kids were paying no attention to their coach, and poor Dante just wanted to go home.  Finally the game was over and I'm sure I don't need to mention they lost the game...by a lot.  The season is over now.  I am quite sad...NOT...I'm sorry, but I'm just not.

My little QB:

 

They got medals...

 

Couldn't have done it without their biggest fan:

 

So, with Monday came the final game of the season for baseball.  The kids were still on a baseball high after Saturday's game.  I don't think they really cared if they won or lost this game.  Which is prefect, because they did not win.  The Rays beat our little Indians 23(?) to 8(?).  Yeah, spanked us, just like they should have on Saturday.  But oh well.  A great time was had by all...no crying kids, happy smiling parents, and one proud coach.  The Indians went from nothing to something, beating all the odds.  The team was like the little engine that could.

The biggest fan is always there and ready to CHEER!

 

 

This was the pregame anthem, after they announced all the players... 

 

Marco's up to bat...he hits...

 

he scores...!

 

When the team is down, we break out the rally caps.

 

Second Place trophy and a winning smile!

 

Team Indians...you rule!

 

My Three little Indians:

hello, sunshine...

Question: 

 After days and days of pouring rain, what is the first thing you would do when you got to play outside?? 

Keep in mind, these are two boys, ages 3 1/2 and almost 7.  We have an enormous sandbox, a 10 foot basketball hoop, 2 little tyke hoops, golf clubs and plastic balls, killer bubbles, sidewalk chalk, soccer goals and balls, razor scooters, bikes...the list is endless.  So, what do you think their first choice was???

 

Answer:

 

Find the huge hole in the backyard and try and jump over it. 

Fun...?  Yes. 

But more fun, missing the other side and falling down.

  Oooh, sliding on your back...? 

F.U.N. 

 Rolling and rolling and rolling in mud. 

Fun.Fun.Fun.

  Sitting on your brother while he's sliding. 

Apparently, hysterical.

 

2 for thursday

Yeah, yeah, I know.  It's 2 for Tuesday.  Except I have 2 things the boys said yesterday to write and it's Thursday, so there.

I cut the kids and Paul's hair yesterday.  Dante went first since no one else was home yet.  When I got done he said "I'm all done?  But my hair is still curly, right...?...Because I'm Dante!"

Yesterday it was finally confirmed that Ken Griffey Jr. is once again a Mariner.  We have a divided household around here on whether this is a good thing or not.  (Not)  But Marco is one that is excited.  They were talking about Griffey on the news and Marco perks up..."Hey Dad??  So are Ken Griffey Jr. and Martin Luther King Jr. related?? "  Paul's response, "Yeah buddy, just like Paul Joseph Santulli Jr. and Martin Luther King Jr. are."

randoms, so mommy can remember these things at a later date...

Dante went to preschool yesterday and had his teachers cracking up when he decided to share that his dad calls him "Tito".

Marco was upset this morning because his favorite shirt wasn't clean for him to wear to school today.  (In fact, it was clean AND on a hanger IN his closet, it was just on the floor under all his other clothes.)  He comes into my room and says "I wish I didn't even have to go to school, it just gets in the way of all the things I want to do, like practicing tying and untying my shoes. 

Dante says grill instead of girl.  Ex: "Maisy is such a good grill mom, hi Maisy grill!"  "Hey Mom, Barbie's are for grills mom, you want one?"  "Ellie is a crazy grill mom, isn't she."

When I was pregnant with Dante, Marco really wanted his baby brother's name to be Baho, baby Baho.  He now wants a baby sister so he "can pick on her" and has even said she can sleep in his closet since there is no bedroom for her.

Dante wants to wear baseball pants every day...which makes it so you can see his "booty", or more accurately, his Diego or Spiderman underpants, right through the white, white pants..."Mom, I don't want you to see my booty..."

Marco still only wants to wear sports pants and a jersey or some other sort of sport shirt every single day.  No, wait!  He really wants to wear shorts and a t-shirt EVERY day, even though it's 32 degrees outside.  So, he comes home from school, changes immediately into shorts and then freaks out that he's cold...jumps on the couch and hides under a blanket.

We have 2 dogs and no cats, but Dante is crazy about cats.  Wants to pet them, carry them around, help them eat and drink (yeah, I don't know about that, but it's pretty funny).

Ever since we went to Disneyland, Marco and Dante are infatuated with playing "Mickey and Pluto" (their 2 favorite characters).  Dante is Mickey and Marco is Pluto.  They have a dog house that they built and both live in.  Dante runs around petting Marco saying "you're my best dog Pluto..."

Welcome to Maggiano's...

One of the many things I love about Marco is his creativity and his ability to find things "to do".  When I was growing up, I was always making up games and things to do with my friends and my brother.  With today's technology and the many things available "to do" without having to come up with anything "to do" and I am glad to see "make believe" still happens.

When I came home from the store last Friday, Marco and Dante were all dressed up, dragging their desks into the kitchen.  They had a little bit of a cow when I told them they couldn't block the fridge, but once they found a place, they settled in for business...

"Hello, Maggiano's, can I take your order..."

 

"Um, yes, we have cheese pizza and spaghetti, uh huh, okay...will that be all??  Great.  See you soon"

Now it's Dante's turn to take the order...

 

"Oooh, Marco, it's Uncle Teeve...Hi Uncle Teeve!  Yes, okay..."

(this is cracking me up...and I'm texting Steve to tell him he's placing an order...  :)

 

...and here's the take out orders...

Marco's list:

 

Dante's list:

 

The glasses are now cracking me up.  Maybe they are supposed to make them look more professional?? 

Nice work boys-

 

my baby can spell

He's one smart cookie...knows almost every single letter and can even spell a few words.  You ask him how to spell his name, and he'll tell you... D A N T E.

Somehow when he spells it out himself, it ends up like this:

 

He starts at the D and works his way backwards.  Is this a sign of what's to come??  Marco never did this.

At any rate, GREAT Job Entad... cripes... I mean Dante!

 

doin' the Puyallup

Back in September, I took the boys to the Puyallup Fair.  I thought Marco had been once before, he says no, but it was for sure Dante's first time.  Thanks to a teachers strike, we got to go the day it opened.  The sun was out (bonus), we parked virtually across the street (bonus), for free (double bonus) and got in for free (bonus, bonus, bonus)!  We met our friends and had a great time.  We walked around and saw a lot of the animals, got some treats, had our faces airbrushed, even saw Sponge Bob...but the kids favorite was riding all the rides:

Dante's favorite, the "Mo nikele's"...

 

 

Probably Marco's favorite...the roller coaster:..

 

 

Definitely mommy's favorite...the "hi mom" picture:

 

 

 

We will definitely have to go back next year and be sure daddy can come with us! 

We didn't even play any games-

fanfest 2009

We went last year, froze to death, but had a good time.  Went this year, didn't think it could possibly be colder then last year, but it was.  Didn't eat dinner like we did last year...went straight to the autograph line.  Got two autographs from guys I've never heard of...one of them actually got traded away to another team already.  Ha.  Lame.  Anyway, the kids had a great time again and are already looking forward to next year's fanfest.

The kids had a fantastic time on the giant inflatable slide...

 

(please excuse the picture quality)

They got to hit balls off a tee...

 

they ran the bases,

 they even pretended to catch fly balls off the outfield wall.... 

 

They threw pitches in the bullpen, got to try their hand at speed pitching and they got a few Mariner freebies...

I love spending time with my boys, especially when they get to do cool things like this.  Their smiling faces are priceless.