Sometimes One is not Enough

boys' school schedule, boys' sports schedule, dental appointments, social inc. schedule, joe's travel schedule, kindergarten volunteer schedule, birthdays, anniversaries . . . there just wasn't enough room on one calendar anymore.

so, i added another bulletin board and filled out two calendars: one for the boys' school/sports schedule, and one for everything else.

i even used color-coded pens (insert wink).

and that's what makes my monday: getting organized.

now go visit cheryl for some more makes my monday fun!

-grazie, jill, for the italia calendar
-grazie, dami & irene, for the canadian calendar!

My Husband Wants His Wisdom Teeth Pulled, Too

...especially when he saw this homemade card that Nonna and Nonno gave Nicholas post surgery.

Note reads:

Poor Nicholas! Ouch!

Sometimes Pain Pays!

Nonno and Nonna

I was once in Haiti

When I was a senior in high school, one of the teachers at our school was part of a medical mission trip to Haiti. I was one of five students chosen to go along with this team of doctors and nurses. Here are some of my memories...
After arriving in Port-au-Prince, we boarded one of these trucks (called a tap-tap) and traveled 18 hours through desert, jungle, and mountains to reach a small village called Jean Rabel. Along the way, long after the sun had gone down, our tap-tap got stuck in mud. We unloaded much of our equipment in complete and total darkness, and between rocking and pushing the truck we managed to get it free.

Inside the tap-tap. Believe me, after 18 hours of being jostled, not only were we incredibly sore, but every crevice (eyelids, ears, etc.) was filled with a fine layer of sand and dirt. We were crunching on sand for days.

Jean Rabel. This hut was typical of housing. We slept and held clinic hours in a church.

The first morning was spent sorting supplies: medicines, vitamins, and baby formula.

By the second day, word had spread throughout the area that we were holding a week-long clinic, and before sunrise there were over a thousand people waiting outside the doors.

Anyone who wasn't seen that day spent the night so they could be the first in line the next morning.

A man with elephantiasis. There was nothing we could do for him.

As a student, one of my duties was to wash infants and toddlers, getting them ready to be seen by the doctor. This baby was suffering from pellagra, a vitamin diffeciency...

...and I fell in love with her.

Afterword: My trip to Haiti was the first time I witnessed extreme poverty. I didn't think things could get worse than that.

Then came the 2010 earthquake...

Answering my Nephew's Email

my dear favorite nephew christopher,

first of all, you are my favorite because you read my blog. your MOM doesn't read my blog. NONNA doesn't even read my blog. but you...you left me some comments...i like you...a lot!

and yes, nicholas did get his learner's permit. he was so nervous, but he passed and now thinks he's something special.

but i put him in his place...when we were walking out of the building i was looking at his provisional certificate and i said, "oh no! they have you down as an 'f' for female". i was joking, but he almost had a heart attack. then i started laughing like crazy (you know, the kind of laughing that annoys your mom).

so, he can't wait to get behind the wheel...but it won't be this weekend because on friday he gets ALL FOUR WISDOM TEETH SURGICALLY REMOVED and it's kind of hard to drive with your mouth stuffed with gauze and your cheeks puffed out to the curb.

well, got to go...i have to go stock up on ice-cream, yogurt, bananas, pudding, and mashed potatoes.

love,
bia, your favorite auntie

A Message from Nonno

Uh, this is Nonno. This message is for Nicholas.

Congratulations on passing the test for your learner's permit. But listen, if you would be so kind as to let me know when you're going to be on the road...I'll just keep my car in the garage.

Ciao. Love you.

Waiting for the End

Towards the end of Mass today our five-year-old, who up to that point had been fidgeting, suddenly became very still and tilted his head toward the altar as if listening for something.

Then, at the moment the priest announced, "The Mass has ended, go now in peace", my son pumped his arm and whispered "Yes!" (and let me just say right here and now that when a five-year-old whispers, it is still loud).

I was mortified...but the people behind us thought it was funny. They laughed.

There's snow...and then there's snow

They are calling for snow tonight.

Who are they?

They are local weather forecasters who are hyperventilating because it might snow in the south.

Here, there is talk of schools closing just because of the probability of snow.

Of course, snow in the south means something entirely different than snow in the rest of the country.

Case in point . . .

(h/t my brother-in-law, Patrick!)