one of these things is not like the other

Yesterday morning in Giovanni's haste (and due to the lack of light in the room to allow for a sleeping baby) he and his feet left like this!



He spent the whole day hiding his feet and pining to get home- we had such a GOOD laugh when he got home and held up his feet for me to see!

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day- To the Father that gave me life...



to the father that raised my Giovanni (Italian Fathers Day was in March)



and to Giovanni, a new father who loves our Charlotte so much!







Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
Though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me

With dreams enough of what I was to be
And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Relinquishing your powers gradually
To let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,

And being good and wise, you gracefully
As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.

For love inspires learning naturally:
The mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me
By slowly stepping back to set me free.
By Dimitri Shostakovich. Sequenced by J. Marques

so funny!

Fresh Ravioli

While Jr and Kristi were here I made some homemade ravioli- it was pretty tasty! Sunday night I tried again with our friends Amanda and Zeno with success- once again last night Gio and I had some delicious stuffed pasta! Yummy! (pictures do not do it justice)

For the Pasta:
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1tsp salt

on a hard surface measure out flour, make a well in the center of four and mix in salt as well as the eggs. work kneading about 5 min til dough forms- rub with a little olive oil and cover with bowl 30 min.

roll out thin by hand or with pasta roller

stuff with choice of filling and cover
use either a ravioli wheel or stamp and voila!

First round we used
2cups ricotta
1tbs sugar
zest of 1 orange

served with a yummy Ragu (simple meat sauce- the contrast was great!)

2nd time we tried:
1 1/2 cup ricotta
1tbs sugar
zest of 2 lemons

served with browned butter with sage

3rd time 'round
chicken cooked in onion, garlic and sage
large dried bread crumbs soaked in milk all mixed together

served with a creamed walnut sauce

i'm bringing home a baby...

Giovanni came home with this tiny baby bird yesterday- he said that it was on the sidewalk and seemed that he could not fly- but i was worried that his mommy would not take him back smelling like Gio. Gio decided to take him back to the area where he found him and the mommy bird was frantically searching and chirping looking for her baby- the little guy started chirping too!!! Gio put him down and he jumped up on to a car and up into a tree where his homey nest was- his mommy flew up there kissed him, flew to another tree and brought him back something to eat!
Gio felt pretty bad that he had kidnapped the baby- but we were all just glad that he found his mommy in the end!

fun with J,K & E!

we had so much fun hanging out with Jr, Kristi and Emers!!! Come Again!!!