Ella Marie Turns 2 ~ Already!

My beautiful little princess turned 2 years old on Friday the 13th. All of the memories of her birth came racing back and as we heard the number 2, we just couldn't believe it. Two years ago we had no idea if our little one would be a boy or a girl. There was nothing we could think about except that endless question that seemed like everything in the world rested on. Boy or girl, boy or girl. What color clothes do we buy? How do we decorate the room? What will we name (it)? Nine months of wondering and wanting to know. Then the second she was born, it was amazing because the very last thing I was thinking about was whether it was a boy or a girl. The question had completely vanished from my mind and it was as if there were no such thing as gender, it was just my baby and I wanted nothing more than just to hold that baby. Suddenly, time had stopped, finally. Then out of nowhere, as if a reminder buzzer went off, Igor shouts out, "It's a girl!" And it was only then that I remembered we had been so eager to find out and after she was born, I had never even asked! Funny how the things that seem sooo very important, end up being just novelties and it's the real things in life; family, love, health, and happiness, that end up being the only things that really matter in the end. So, my little princess Ella Marie turns 2 and there is no doubt she is a girl. And the sweetest and prettiest princess I've ever seen. Happy Birthday Ella.

A sweet valentine's surprise...from Mom!

We all LOVE and remember the flowers, chocolates, maybe nice dinner date and sweet kisses we get for Valentine's Day. It's sort of the unspoken rule of tradition and one that all of us girls secretly like a lot, even if we tell you otherwise! This Valentine's Day I got a little extra surprise, from my Mom! For all of us 80's kids, we can appreciate the lost humor and purely innocent entertainment of our generation that has so quickly been replaced with annoying and bad behaving cartoons of today. Yes, I loved the old school fun...Pee Wee (yes he was annoying but super funny!) and Strawberry Shortcake and my all-time favorite...the Smurfs! So simple, so noble, so purely innocent Smurfs. Of course we can comment for hours about the subtle naughtiness that some people's twisted minds can conjure up, but for kids, it's just pure fun and adventure. So for this Valentine's Day, my best gift ever was a DVD of the Smurf episodes. And what a hit it has been for my whole family! Much to my surprise, over the highly animated Nemo, and the violent Star Wars, and even the loud and cheerful Elmo, the Smurfs came out on top as being the requested TV show for both my kids over these last 2 days! Apparently mothers only get wiser as they become grandmothers! Thanks Mom!

Disappearing Act

With the holiday rush and our insane family timing to have EVERYTHING at this time of year, it seems, even to myself, that we disappeared for a time. Well actually, we technically did disappear for some time this winter! For the last 2 years we have had the tremendous opportunity to do some traveling with a group of 8 friends. Last year was our first time and we loved it so much, we all decided to go again! Our vacation of choice? Cruising! It leaves little for us to think about and if any of us just needs space to get away from the rest of us, there is a whole ship to hide away on and just do sudoku puzzles. (yes, I had a few of those moments!) This year we took a monster trip of 12 nights sailing from New Jersey to 6 Caribbean Islands. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarteen, Dominica, Barbados and Antigua. It was truly off the hook!!! Here are a few pictures from the trip.


This is our ship, The Explorer of the Seas. Just awesome! Had everything from rock climbing to iceskating, mini golfing, a basketball court, roller blading, and everything in between.


Igor and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary while on the ship! The group pitched in and bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate. My parents also surprised us with room service delivering chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. Of course they came knocking on the door while I was naked and discombobulated!!! Figures!


Puerto Rico


St. Thomas - the best shopping EVER!!!

Pictures of St Maarteen to follow.


This is the rainforest in Dominica. This was a very natural island. So much to see but don't rent a car. Not only do they drive on the other side of the street, the driver also sits on the other side of the car!!!


Dominica's black sand beaches.


Mike, Jessica, Igor and I going snorkeling in Barbados. That was a really fun beach club! And just beautiful! We spotted a whole family of squid in the water while snorkeling.


This is Antigua. Just awesome! We actually went kayaking and snorkeling in Antigua. We saw tons of fish and had a blast. I took an underwater camera with me so I'll post those pictures at a later date.

So, now that we are back, after 2 weeks of sunshine, it just might be a little easier getting through the rest of winter! We already have our next trip planned! :)

Art Show THIS Friday!!!! Yippy!

Hi Friends! The opening of the show "Love Interpreted" is This Friday!!! Myself along with 8 other photographers will be showcasing some pieces. Here is the official press release and ad. I hope to see as many people there as possible so please, come check it out! Cocktails and treats will be served.
CONNECTICUT WOMEN'S PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT "LOVE: INTERPRETED" TO BE HELD AT THE MAC650 ARTISTS COOPERATIVE IN MIDDLETOWN DURING DECEMBER

A group of nine award-winning Connecticut female photographers will display their photographs on the theme "Love: Interpreted" at the MAC 650 Artists Cooperative at 50 Main Street in Middletown from December 5th to January 3rd, 2009. The opening reception on Friday, December 5 at 7:00pm is open to the public.

The "Love: Interpreted" theme was chosen because these women primarily photograph weddings, documenting the strong bonds they witness between couples and within families. "What we really do at weddings is interpret the moments of love, and with this show we wanted to get back to our art school roots, creating something creative and personal in the same theme," noted Nikki Rinaldi of Nikki Nicole Photography, who helped coordinate this event.

Artists exhibiting are: Tina Parsadanov, Jacklyn Greenberg, Jo Kaplan Lee, Mary Marantz, Val McCormick, Nikki Nicole Rinaldi, Krystal Prue, Jane Shauck, and Carla Ten Eyck.

For additional information, contact Nikki Nicole at phone 860.436.6937.

The beauty queen

Yesterday was Igor's cousin's wedding day. More on that in a later post... As I lay out some clothes options and try different shoes in front of the full length mirror in our room I turn to see our little beauty queen Ella slipping on my shoes on her tiny toes and I almost melted as she scuffed through the room with them on. Does life get any better than this? I think that would be nearly impossible.

The votes are in.

With record breaking numbers of people forming lines around buildings across America, it's no doubt that America had something to say and they said it loud and clear. "We want change" It was a tight and interesting campaign that had everyone on the edge of their seats for months watching and listening very carefully to what these candidates, both Barack Obama and John McCain, saw as their vision for the future of America. Both candidates amazingly showed such similarity and such difference all at once. As far as similarity, they were both well qualified and driven individuals with families, a plan for the future and a true love for their nation. As far as differences; their way of getting there. Really, no one can see into the future and know what the best way is to tackle the problems we are facing as a nation today. All we have are our gutt instincts and our sense of humanity which we so easily tend to lose touch of sometimes. In a book I'm reading, there is a very interesting quote that I try to keep in mind whenever I am disgusted with the actions or thoughts of someone else. That quote is this, "If you were that person, you would feel and act exactly the same as they do." Isn't this true? If you really were that person, having been in the same position, with the same upbringing, if you were actually that person, of course you would feel the same way and act the same way. You ARE that person. With that thought in mind, as much as people may disagree with the past 8 years of our country's history and the leadership we were under, as the outside person, of course we can see that things could have been done differently. However, good and bad is all relative. Everything is relative to something else or else how would we know good or bad? You cannot know good unless you know what bad is. That said, without having experienced the sorrow of the past 8 years, we may not have known that change was needed and that we need to do something to initiate it. Every president is appointed into office because of their great promises to their country's people. The question is not who makes the best promises, the question is who will make those promises become a reality. I truly hope, from the bottom of my heart, that over the next 4 years and beyond, our wonderful country reclaims its dignity and thrives in prosperity as a result of the humanity, compassion, understanding and leadership it shows. The generations of "I don't agree with you so I'm not going to talk to you" and the "You are wrong so let's fight" are hopefully over. We, as a human race, are in much need of some evolution in that regard and I think we are getting there. Respect is the key in any relationship and it's no different when dealing with big countries. As an individual, of course we disagree on things. If we didn't, we would all be the same person and there would never be an angle or a purpose for thinking! The point is that despite our differences, whether it be as individuals or as countries, we need to start with respect and proceed from there. I believe that this election has gained the repect of many countries around the world in that America does want to reclaim their dignity and respect for people other than themselves. It is an extraordinary day too to see a half African-American man elected as the president of a nation that just a century and a half ago, enslaved such people. It is an honor to be alive at this time and witness our country moving past our history and moving forward to better ourselves as a union; as one with a single purpose. Recognizing that simple yet profound reality (we are One) is really the cornerstone to any and all success. Together, we can accomplish anything imaginable. There are no limits unless we put them there. Congratulations to Barack and to all who worked tirelessly to get him where he is. I hope that this is the begining of something wonderful. Time will tell!

Off to NYC...my favorite city in the US.

As I get that twitch, a little shake and an antsiness running through my body I realize what's going on. It's called withdrawal. I have a serious addiction to big cities so badly that on a whim I've forced my family to pack up the strollers and a picnic lunch just to go to NYC for the day at the park. I know you're thinking..."Hello there Tina, there are parks EVERYWHERE!" Yes, I know that. But the fast pace, the crowded streets, the amazing architecture that covers every inch of every building and the characters you see in the city are second to none. It's just one of those places we all fit into. So, I'm overdue! And just in time too. Lucky for me the Photo Plus Expo is this week and it's in NYC! My favorite of favorite spots. I'll keep you posted on my trip. Until then "I LOVE New York!" Do you?

Date Night

Oh my gosh, the sweetest thing ever!! About 4 weeks ago Igor and I started having weekly "date-nights" and we alternate who plans it. It has been so fun! We have only gone so far as to cooking a gourmet meal at home after 8pm when the kids are tucked in and dreaming of sugar plums and then we dress up and then surprise the other with our fanciful dish in a room of candle-light followed by a card game or movie. I should start posting those recipes because they have been to die for!!! So, although I have no pictures :( ...I did want to let you know what we did last night because it was just the best ever. So for the past 6 years (pretty much since our son Zackery was born) I have always mentioned in passing that I really miss being able to go to art museums. Young children and art museums where you cannot touch, just a BAD combo! So as a surprise, Igor arranged for a sitter to come. I was swept away at about 5:30pm having no idea where we were going. And...we went to the Wadsworth! We spent 2 hours there oohhing and ahhing over the beautiful pictures and pots and just amazing creations and the use of color and balance and framing and composition. It was awesome. Then at 8pm, we headed to a reservation at my absolute favorite restaurant; Max Downtown. I have cheap taste apparently ;) For anyone who has never been to Max Downtown, it is a beautiful restaurant that is very modern eclectic. They have a piano bar on Thursday through Sunday and they serve wonderful steaks, chicken, and wine, etc... We enjoyed their Rhode Island style calamari and then for dinner we had the gorgonzola and carmelized onion stuffed filet mignon served with these tiny and strangely round carrots and a potato augratin. Just amazing. They also do host smaller events such as rehearsal dinners and we have even shot a wedding here so if anyone is looking for a really NICE place to go out or have an event, I highly recommend Max Downtown. Their staff treat you like gold and they have the best food and service I have ever had. (That's why it's my favorite!)

Annual R&R

We just returned last night from our annual rest and relaxation weekend in Cape Cod as a family. Igor and I have been doing this long weekend in the Cape for the past 8 years and it has just become a family tradition for us. It's the one thing that we refuse to substitute as to us, nothing can replace the Cape! It's where I reconnect with my inner antique collector (or as Igor would call it; junk collector) and it's where he reconnects with just resting (or as I would call it; being lazy). The kids reconnect with each of us after a busy summer and it's our time to reclaim our family unit in a setting that harbours love and patience and even healing. Each day we did a little something. Although every year up until this year, we seem to enjoy discovering new wonders around the Cape, this year we actually just revisited our favorite family spots. I was able to get my morning jogs in and they were made 10x better because they were along the ocean. We collected all sorts of treasures and well, read on... it was a blast!

Every year we stay at our favorite spot on the Cape. It's a place called Seaside. It's in South Yarmouth and you get your very own little cottage right on the ocean front. I can't say enough about this place other than after our first stay here, we never looked back. We have been staying here for 5 years now and wouldn't even consider anywhere else. http://www.seasidecapecod.com/ for anyone looking for a place to stay!

Ok, so weddings follow me! We checked in to the front desk and low and behold I hear of a wedding taking place right there at seaside! I had to grab a quick picture. Such a sweet wedding and nice group of people. They had a tent set up right on the property where they had a nice gathering with their family and friends.

Our favorite find of all time was what we found last year! If you go down to Chatham to the lighthouse and continue on that road you will find on your right, Nickerson's fresh fish market which not only has the best clam chowder EVA but down at the docks there are also wild seals! They hang out on the sand bars and swim over to say 'hi'. They are the cutest things!

We also went to Nickerson State Park where Igor was teaching Zack how to skip stones. It was such a beautiful day.

Our Junior photographer took this one of Igor and I. :) Nice job Zack!

At the Cape Cod National Seashore.

The kids LOVED this driftwood. We couldn't get Ella away from it! So...took a few pics with the monkeys hanging on the tree.

Back at Seaside, we flew our kite. For the first time we let the entire roll of string out!!!! It was rediculously high and it took a very very long time to wind it back up!

Can you see that dot up in the sky? Yup, that's the kite!

And what better way to end a Cape Cod trip than by relaxing by the fire?

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~ Benjamin Franklin

For 4 years now, I've had a dream to "some-day" run the Manchester Road Race. The Manchester Road Race is a 4.748 mile race that goes through Manchester CT on Thanksgiving day. It attracts runners from all around the world! You don't even have to run it, you can even walk it and the participation rate is sky high with more than 9800 participants! All proceeds from the race go to Muscular Dystrophy research. So, this year is the year! I've already started my running and I'm really hoping that I reach the finish line Still running! :) Anyone else up for the challenge? I hope to see you there!

First day butterflies

Today was the first day of school in my town. We frantically did our school shopping yesterday at 12pm to get everything my big boy Zack would need for his first day of 1st grade! I just can't believe how fast he has grown up. It seems like not that long ago we were holding him in our arms and praying he'd fall asleep. Now he's off on a big yellow school bus as independent as can be. 5 years old going on 30! He even requested his hair be done up so he can look "cool". I'm so shocked to see that the word 'cool' is still cool! But anyways...after some Kix, a good tooth brushing and a goodbye kiss for Ella, he was off for his newest adventures. And as for me? I think I'll get some work done now!

No, that's not the street, it's actually our rediculously long driveway!It was a bit chilly this morning!

Happy Birthday my sweet!

Today is my beloved's birthday and what a special day it is. He has brought so much patience and love into my life and I'm so glad we are together. We have been together for 11 years (since we were 16) and I've seen him grow into the caring man and wonderful father he is today. It has been a blessing having him in my life.

Igor requested we spend Sunday as a family day and so we took an awesome day trip to Boston. We visited the aquarium and wandered the streets and Quincy Market. It was a beautiful day! Today we'll keep it simple though and gather with our families at our favorite pizza place...Frank Pepe's!!!! YUM! :) Happy 28th Birthday Igor! We love you!