A little piece of heaven

***PLEASE NOTE I REALIZE THAT I AM COMPLETELY SPOILED*** that's all - read on :)

That's really the only description that comes to mind when I think of our latest project. My wonderful husband recognized the lack of space I was suffering from in our closet. How sweet! So he offered to move out of it and give me a bit more room. We had some weird cabinet/storage thing in our room and the deal was that as long as I could make that a closet for Steve I could have the walk-in. I know - totally sweet! So off to work I went....

First I needed to empty the closet. So I kicked Sam out of her room for a week and that became the dumping ground. Don't worry I made it up to her with a mini make-over for her room. She loved it!




then the demo began...



It took me 3 days but I got it done. The neighbors must have loved me throwing wood out of the window for days...





So here is the before of Steven's:



and now the after - It's filled now and has nice doors that blend right in...



ok so here is my hot mess before:



and now "here the birds sing" after:



are ya ready.....OMG!!









SO CUTE RIGHT?!?! They need to breath:



So clearly I didn't do this on my own. The lovely people at California Closets worked their magic. Thanks babe - it's perfect!!!

P.S. I hung your new coat with mine in there. I figured it was the least I could do :) but attempting to put anything else in there will require intense negotiations!

P.S.S: Amanda your closet still remains the most coveted. I mean you can do cart wheels in that thing for pete's sake! I could do 1 maybe 2 tumble salts in mine :)

I forgot to tell you about Florida!

OK so it's Monday morning and I am sitting here trying to figure out what happened to the last few days. Didn't I just say earlier that last weekend was insane? I was mistaken this weekend was. We had soccer games that took us from East Islip to Terryville to Manhasset. We had one 3 hour long cheer competition in East Islip on Saturday and then a 2nd one on Sunday in Dix Hills that was 6 hours long. To think this is only for 3 kids - can't wait to see what happens when all 5 are going. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining it was crazy but somehow, along with a little help from FRIENDS and Virginia (thanks!) we got through it. Really for us life would be boring any other way. Oh and Steve was working all weekend through all of this - how he got anything done is still a mystery. For a brief moment I contemplated Samantha driving. She's very responsible and could sit on telephone books.

Well I am sifting through all the recent photos and I realized I hadn't shared our recent trip. I took Samantha and Steven to Florida for the weekend. We visited Universal Studio's and stayed at the Nick Hotel. It was a great time and nice to share the time with just the older 2. I will say that we all missed having a stroller around I mean we actually had to carry all our crap.

OK so the kids didn't know about the hotel till we got there...needless to say they freaked once they found out where we were staying - this was there bedroom:




they couldn't get their suits on fast enough:







My good friend Amanda and her son, Jack, met us for the weekend:






So since we weren't doing Disney this time. We did go to Downtown Disney which the kids had a blast at! Here Steven is at the Vinylmation store. Look it up - it' so cool!




The kids with a street performer:




We voted for Planet Hollywood to eat which was just as well. It was a 2 hour wait to get into this dinosaur restaurant:





Of course we had to stop in the Lego Store:





We aren't sure how we scored this table at Planet Hollywood but lets just say it was the best seat in the house!



Now the guilt! Bella, Sophia and Anthony would have LOVED the Nick Hotel! I am taking those 3 to Disney in February for Bella's birthday. I am gonna take them here to have lunch with their favorite Nick characters! Shhhh it's a surprise!




And now the reason for the trip!!! Harry Pooooottttter!!!! OMG it's was insane! It was the books all coming to life. I can't even tell you everything you just have to go!!





The wand shop - it's the freakin wand shop!!! Remember the wand chooses YOU!



Had to get slimmed - or at least watch someone else get slimmed.



Last we stopped by to visit Shamu



Completely different experience watching the show from years ago. This is as close as the trainers get. They don't go in the water anymore. Very somber it seemed. I was also sad to find out that there was no memorial set up for the trainer that died. Apparently she was the "face" of Seaworld so they had a lot of work removing all the posters and advertisements with her picture on it. Some of the park employee's we spoke with said they haven't been back to the stadium since it happened.




It was a crazy yet fun 3 days and just enough time for the kids to get some attention from me. They had fun and want to know what we can do next year. Oh boy! Next up Disney in February for the 1st time for Sophia and Anthony and Bella really since she was only 2 the last time she was there and doesn't remember a thing. They are gonna freak out!!! Can't wait!

Too good to pass up...

remember to pause my music so you can hear the video

Now that I have 5 minutes...

Let me just say that this past weekend has been INSANE! Seriously anyone of sound mind would have looked at us like we had lost ours. It started with the Pep Rally on Thursday night. This was Bella's BIG Cheerleading debut! The kid was a amazing! If anyone on that mat was excited to be a cheerleader it was Bella all the way!

That's her on her knee on the left:





For some reason Friday must have been the calm before the storm until about 1 o'clock. Steve, luckily was working from home that day. My new niece decides to shake things up and give her parents an early start of...well being parents. Frank emails me and say's something like baby having problems Lori going into hospital. I quickly call Lori, who was calm, in a scared shit kinda way. So I put down the delicious panini I just sat down to eat, left Steve with the kids and raced to wait with Lori until Frank got home.

I finally get home late Friday afternoon and the waiting begins for Baby Giuliana to make her debut. In the meantime I get the kids ready for their big soccer tournament of the weekend. Saturday morning comes and still no baby yet so off we go to the soccer fields. Both Sam and Steven played games at 8am and at 10:30

that's a face of determination right there baby:



I don't encourage bad behavior but that kid on the left of Steven had been up his ass pushing him all over the second after the picture my son drops his shoulder in a "get off my back or I'm gona deck ya" sorta way. The kid went down and HE WAS FINE but Steven sent his message :) Don't mess with a Pepe!!

Photobucket" border="0">


Luckily they weren't to far apart and we were able to run back an forth between the 2. So not to bad of Saturday yet. We get home and get ready to celebrate Samantha and Steve's birthday that night with my family.

Photobucket" border="0">

Just as they blow out their candles on their cake my cell phone dings and it's Frankie saying it's time the baby is coming now. Everytime I sit down to eat...this kid I tell ya. So I leave Steve with the kids and all of my family to run up to the hospital.

here we all are waiting....

Photobucket" border="0">

25. min later Frank came off the elevator with the good news. Baby Giuliana was born healthy and lookin just like her daddy.


Frank holding his press conference:

Photobucket" border="0">


damn my phone camera!




OK so back home at midnight (to a cleaned kitchen - thanks babe). I drift off to sleep only to be woken in the wee hours by the bright light and beeping of my phone. Who in god's name is texting me at this hour.....I'm able to open my eyes just enough to see it was Frank asking where the instruction manual is and that he didn't see one come out with the baby. After a quick chuckle and leaving him with no response I quickly fell back asleep. Sorry Frank and Lori - just wing it it's more fun that way :)

OK so back up on Sunday morning to only be back at the soccer fields for the 1st game at 8:50. This time it was just me. Steve stayed home with the rest of the kids. Sam played an awesome game. Her next game was at 12:10 and that was a big one that we all wanted to see. So after the 1st game we got a sweet ride from Lou on his golf cart directly to our car. Raced home picked up Steve and the kids and up to the hospital we all went to visit the baby. Gotta see the baby. Remember that Seinfeld episode?

We made a quick visit and got back to the soccer fields in time for Samantha's 2nd game. Another awesome game! Ate some lunch and I went home with 4 of the 5 while Steve stayed for Steven's games which were in the afternoon.

Time to get ready for Samantha's sleepover! She invited her soccer team to come an sleepover. Pizza's and cake and all kinds of craziness. Let's just say Samantha had a blast, kids got no sleep but in the end I scored naps the next day. Sweet!

Photobucket" border="0">

Photobucket" border="0">

Photobucket" border="0">

So that brings us to Monday morning. Sleepover not over till 10am. The last 2 hours were tough but we survived! While the girls are eating and packing up their things - Steve and I are clearing his office so that his carpet can be replaced. Oh yea Chloe ate a pen - ink everywhere - no luck in cleaning it. So now we have 8 girls running around playing hide and seek inside and random furniture everywhere. On top of all this Steve has been working from home all weekend. Oh and it's Sam's birthday! 9 years old - CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!

Photobucket" border="0">

Carpet finally came and Sam had a birthday lunch at McDonald's as she requested. The day slowly came to end an end and as crazy as the weekend was it was definitely and unforgettable one.

That brings us to now - Tuesday morning but more importantly my love's birthday. The man of no wants and little needs wishing for a no fuss day. I canceled the marching band I had scheduled to preform in his office. Nevertheless it's still your birthday and you should get some extra attention. So for you I made sure Anthony ate his waffles on my side of the bed so you will get a crumb free sleep later. I'll make sure you get a dinner of some kind. Of and you won't have to eat any kind of concoction the kids make for you. I love you and I hope your day is as perfect as you always make my mine! Oh and Anthony just emptied your entire sock drawer. Socks are EVERYWHERE!!

Where did September go?!?!?

OMG do you realize it is October 1st!!! I haven't been here for like 3 weeks. Things have been so crazy - good crazy though. Let me play catch up for a sec.

OK first we went to the BEACH!!! For those of you that really know us then you know we don't like sand. Well we did like sand a little - we honeymooned in Hawaii for pete's sake - but we had kids and that sealed the deal about not liking sand. With that said the kids LOVE SAND and so with Anthony being the last one left that wants to eat it we decided to give it a shot.





he still ate it:



We have a vacation planned at Easter with nothing but sand so we better get used to it quick:




OK we move on to Vegas baby Vegas! We went for our 10yr anniversary! Lou and Gin came along. We had a great time! Next time YES THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME - more time is needed :) oh and that's a seatbelt and not Steve's belt...lol we were taking a boat ride





Man we've held up pretty well after 10yrs and 5 OMG 5 kids that is just crazy!!!



we visited Pawn Stars pawn shop - Steve loved it!



love you babe!



OK so I am off in the am with Samantha and Steven to Florida. I'm taking the kids to Universal Studios to check out the Harry Potter attraction. The kids know about that but they don't know we are staying at the Nick Hotel. They are gonna FREAK! I am excited for them. They really deserve this treat. They have been such big helpers over this last year. I am really looking forward to just spending some time with them. They are constantly taking a backseat to the younger 3 which they do without complaint.

Oh one last thing - after putting it off for sometime I have finally taken the leap. I'm opening an Etsy store! If you don't know what Etsy is - well then you don't know what you've been missing! I'm excited to get started. It's gonna be a store with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Ya know something to do in my spare time :)

Here's where you can find me:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BabyLoveChunk