Colorado Christmas 2008

For Christmas this year it was off to Colorado for a cold, snowy, good time. We were fortunate enough to experience a few snow flurries during our stay at Grandma and Papa's, but it was not quite deep enough to sled locally. We went a bit further up the mountain (around 10,000 feet elevation) to sled. It was COLD!

Overall, we all had a wonderful time. Our Christmas' in Colorado are always special and full of fun. Each of us had a great Christmas and Santa was very generous to the boys giving them what they wanted, iPods. Blue for Dominic and green for Ethan. He even loaded music on them. Alvin and The Chipmunks and Madagascar 2. Isn't Santa thoughtful?

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Roller Skating With The Boys

Friday night the Cub Scouts had a skating party. It was hilarious to watch the boys try to scoot around for the first time. They started off in the mini-rink in the back, it had rails around the outside so they had something to hold on to. Eventually we made it to the big rink. They still wanted to hold our hands but we tried to get them to do it independently, they stayed up longer that way anyway. Saturday morning they woke us up asking to go skating again and Dominic said he wants to have his birthday party there.

For Brad and I, roller skating isn't exactly like riding a bike, it doesn't "all come back to you". But by the end of the night we were doing pretty good. It's hard to keep two boys on their feet and still keep yourself up. It's Sunday and our feet still hurt.

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A visit with Grandma and Papa Colorado

This week Grandma and Papa Colorado came out for a visit. We had a really nice time. We all went to the Pumpklin Patch together to play and picked out a few pumpkins. The next night Al made an awesome scallop and shrimp Alfredo dish. We were so full it was hard to move. Every night we stayed up late playing a domino game called Mexican Train. Before Halloween we managed to carve 6 pumpkins! We miss them already really look forward to going out to Colorado for Christmas.

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Pack 233 Family Campout

Last weekend it was time for the Fall BSOA family campout. The weather was pretty cold at night, but perfect during the day. They boys have such a blast. They hiked all day and ran around and played in the dirt. Kool Aid was available all day so it seemed like every boy had stained red lips all weekend.

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Tie Day

It was Red Ribbon Week at school this past week. Every day of the week they were supposed to wear something or a certain color to show everyone that they are Saying No. Thursday was tie day.

Nanny turns 98!!

In the middle of October we headed to Lubbock for Nanny's 98th birthday party. The boys are getting better in the car during long drives. We managed to borrow another DVD player from a coworker of Brad's, which always makes the drive easier on everyone. Jean drove with us and she is a great help during the drive, managing the DVD player especially.

The party was fun and the boys got reunited with the cousins again. They played a lot with Kesley and Kinsley, which are Jean's siter's great-grandchildren. We did take a lot of pictures of Nanny at the hotel but unfortunately something happened (or someone got a hold of) the digital camera and they are now floating somewhere in space I guess. She (Nanny) was so happy to see the boys. Can you believe that Dominic is almost as tall as her now?

The boys love staying at hotels. They think that because they are not home that they can act crazy, jump on the beds, throw pillows, and bounce off the walls. We totally let them. The morning we left we had a big breakfast downstairs with all the great/aunts, great/uncles, cousins, nanny, etc. It was a tearful goodbye for everyone.

A morning with LFD

The Cub Scouts had a "Go See It" (field trip) this weekend at the Lewisville Fire Department. It was very cool. Tons of kids came from all over. They had lots of activities and things for kids to do and see. They had a station set up where every child got a free I.D. card with their picture and fingerprint. All the engines, ambulances, and boats (yes, we have a lake) were out so the kids could climb on them and take pictures. Also, all the free hotdogs, chips, popcorn and soda you want. That was Dominic's favorite part :). Life Fleet landed their helicopter on site which was awesome. So loud. The crowd loved it! Brad's favorite part was the "Jaws of Life Demo" which he missed most of because he had to take someone to the bathroom. Aah.. the joys.

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Testing time again!

Yesterday the boys tested for their yellow/orange belts. They did SO great! The new studio has better lighting for pictures so you can see them a little bit better this time. We got some really great shots of Ethan because he was close to us. Unfortunately Dom was on the far side for the test.

The order of belt rankings for the boys age goes as follows:

White
White/Yellow
Yellow
Yellow/Orange
Orange
Orange/Green
Green
Green/Purple
Purple/Blue
Red
Jr. Black

Every 4 classes they attend they gain one stripe on their belt. After 4 stripes you qualify for testing. They only test once a month. However, just because you have 4 stripes doesn't mean you automatically get to test. In fact, most often they make you skip a month. They don't like to hand out belts just because you've come to class. It's been 3 months since the boys last test (this is partly because the studio moved and they made everyone skip a month). They were REALLY ready to be orange/yellow belts.

By the time they are ready to test for their orange belts it will most likely be around Thanksgiving. As they get older and move up into the older division, you have to attend 10 classes to earn a stripe, that's 40 classes before you qualify to test. So it can be several months between belts. It's a LONG process!!


Enjoy the video...

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We told the boys

We finally told the boys last week that there will be an addition. We told Ethan that in May he will be a big brother. His response was, "But I won't have a birthday yet." A little confused, but that's okay. Then Brad said "Your mother's pregnant." No comment from the boys. Then I said, "There's a baby in my tummy." Ethan's eyes popped out and his mouth his the floor. Dominic jumped out of his chair and clapped his hands and said "You have a baby in your tummy?!?!" Ethan wanted to know how I knew. I told him that we took a test. That wasn't much help. I told him I had to pee on the test. A little humor to confuse them is always fun. They looked disgusted. After I assured him that the pee is no longer on the test, we just pee on a stick to find out the results, then we clean off the stick. And how my pee contains certain homones that are read on the test. This made no sense to them, but it was no less the truth. Later we finally got around to showing them sticks and how to read it. They agreed, I did have a baby in my belly. Then they ran off to go play legos.

"Volini, party of 5! Volini, party of 5!"

We took 3 tests because we couldn't believe it either.

Baby Volini #3 due May 2009.

P.S. To all our friends who borrowed baby stuff: we might need that back now (if it's still available).

Rain Gutter Ragatta

The boys had their first annual Rain Gutter Ragatta with the Cub Scouts this month. They (Brad) worked hard on them all week sanding, glueing,and painting. They picked out their own stickers to decorate. We didn't know what to expect at the races so we read up on the rules on the internet before we left. What was on our mind the most was not simply the rules, but exactly how much shade would be provided for the spectators.

Ended up that the race was in the paking lot of a church up the street near a bunch of big trees. So if you didn't move at all and drank plenty of water, it was bearable. We were fortunate enough that Grandma and Papa from California were here so they could cheer the boys on from the sidelines.

Ethan won 3 out of 5 races. He did GREAT and he was proud of himself, as he should be! Dom's boat was paired up with some fast ones and his never made it over the finish line first. He was very upset about it. However during the awards ceremony the "admiral" announced that the most creative design went to Dominic Volini. What a wonderful surprise! Ethan was a bit confused over Dom's trophy since he did win some races. He slinked off around the corner into the bushes and cried into his hands. Life is so unfair.

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Weird Science

Dom dusted off his science kit this week and started digging through the kitchen cabinets looking for food coloring, baking soda, vinegar, and all the other good science experiment stuff. He plays the part of the mad scientist rather well.

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The Heat Is On!

Yes, the heat is on. It's climbing up to 100 this week and we can all feel it. Thank goodness for the pool. I knew there was a reason we moved into this house and the pool I can definitely say is the #1 reason. Brad and I (mostly Brad) are still working on the yard, but with it being this hot, even the pool is little relief. The boys did manage stay in the pool for SIX hours on Saturday. They got a little burned, but they really enjoyed it regardless. The new slide that Brad got for Ethan's birthday party was so worth every penny. They not only slide down it, but they also crawl under it and use it as a fort as well as a ramp for SpongeBob.

Burrrrrp!!

3rd of July - Addison, TX

To kick off the fireworks

Ethan's Pool Party

Yellow Belt Testing

It's testing time again. The boys missed the entire week before testing so they were a bit rusty. It showed. Terry kept yelling at Dominic to "KICK HARDER!!" "KICK ME HARD!" Then he kicked Dominic (no, nothing that would hurt him, just to let him know that he was serious) and got in his face. Yelling in Dominic's face and getting physical is not the way to get through to him. Especially when the guy is a giant and weighs over 200 lbs. Needless to say his emotions got the best of him.

Sitting on the side and watching this unfold was interesting. Terry pulls no punches with the kids and he expets them to earn their belts. There was a part of me that knows Dominic and thought, this is good, he needs this. Then there was the momma bear in me who wanted go and "KI-YA!" kick Terry in the teeth. All in all, it was good and Dominic deserved his yellow belt when all was said and done.

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School's Out For Summer!

Summer has finally arrived! Yeah! (Wait. What am I talking about?) The last few weeks of school were fun and busy. The school had "Operation Field Day" where all the teachers and students spent all day outside in the blistering heat so the kids could run races, play with parachutes, tug-o-war, etc. Kids loved it. Teachers hated it. Parents were glad when it was over.

In the last week of school each class had a mini awards ceremony where the teachers gave out awards to the kids. Dominic received a Golden Eagle award which is based off of excellence in education and outstanding ciitzenship, basically he's an awesome kiddo. Ethan got a citizenship award as well, and his classmates all voted that he should get the award for the best Sponge Bob drawer.

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The Mohawk

Dominic's sportin' a new "do" these days. He absolutely loves it. It sort of changed his personality for a few days . Even in jiu-jitsu classes he's become an animal. He says he can feel the wind blowing his hair.

Our Cruise!

Two days after our trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, we boarded The Vision of the Seas for our 7 day Mexican Riviera cruise down Baja California. The boys (us too) had tons of fun. They loved the Ocean Adventure Club. It was located on the top level of the ship and was made just for kids. It had organized activities everyday we were at sea and in port.

While we were at sea, the weather was pretty chilly and windy so we didn't have much time to enjoy the pool. Dominic didn't like the salt water they used to fill the pool (how that's different from out own salt water pool we have in our backyard is odd enough, but when you're 7 you tend to pick up on these differences.) Ethan did manage to jump in the pool a few times and he participated in the kids talent show, showing the parents his basketball dribbling skills. I think one of the things the boys liked most about being on the boat is that whenever they were served a beverage, it always came in a fancy "grown up" glass. Even the chocolate milk at dinner came in a very fancy shaped cocktail glass. Deserts were unlimited as well. They could have soft serve ice cream anytime they wanted as it was served pool side. It didn't matter how windy it was, Dominic always wanted his chocoloate ice cream cone.

Brad entered in a black jack tournament on our first day at sea. Out of 40 participants Brad came in 3rd place, winning over $100!!! Good thing, we were going to need that money for all those gin and tonics. Catie and Grandma enjoyed playing bingo in the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge. Could that cruise directors voice be any more annoying? We never got Bingo, but we came close! Grandpa enjoyed reading his Daniel Boone book and taking in the sights from the Viking Lounge.

Thanks for the great time Grandma and Grandpa!

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Californ-i-a!

Our trip to California came early this year. Grandma and Papa treated us to the best vacation ever. First we drove down to San Diego to check out the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I went there when I was young, and it was really great to take the boys back and see how much the place has grown. It was amazing. Dominic was so excited, he couldn't close his eyes during the drive down.

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After the trip down to San Diego, the next afternoon we had the family over for a bbq. We all got our baby fix with Christian and Nicholas around. They were so stinkin' cute. Becky and Julie even made sure that they had matching outfits - haha!

Dominic turns 7!

If you didn't get to attend Dominic's birthday party then you missed out (or didn't you?). To put it plainly 7 year olds are insane. In the video there are a few choice moments that were great. Though it was dark during the birthday song, you can watch while Dominic selflessly indulges in the moment as only a birthday boy can do. The boys were laughing so hard (at what? Probably a toot) that they were practically spitting lemonade out of their noses. Also at the end watch as Dominic celebrates his 30 point shot at skiball at what looks like his attempt at River Dancing.

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Testing day for boys

The boys had testing on Friday. They had to show the basic skills for one to advance from white belt to yellow/white belt. Terry was there. He is the only black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Denton County. He is quite a presence in the room and all he has to do is look at the boys wrong and they start to whimper.

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Fall asleep on mommy = we get funny pictures

Too tired to climb the stairs last weekend the boys decided to crash on mom... Daddy got the camera and... wuh-huh-huh!



Normally around here all the nose-picking goes on during the day. But not tonight.

Life is good no?

Jiu-Jitsu face...

Don't they look tough?? I wouldn't want to run into these guys in a dark alley.


The boys have now earned 2 stripes and will be testing for their white/yellow belt next week. Everybody say "ooooow, aaaaah, oooooh". We'll take plenty of pics. They are learing a lot every week and I'm amazed at how much they have retained.

Grasshoppa... I will squish you like grape... WAA-YAAAAH!!

This week we signed the boys up for Jui-jitsu, or as the boys call it "ju-ju-shoe". They couldn't get enough of it all week until last night when the instructors actally made them work. Ethan was actually in tears towards the end. The instructor told them that they will feel muscles they never even knew they had. Dominic toughed it out but scowled at me every chance he could. He repeatedly asked the instructor if it was time to play dodge ball yet. So we are taking a break today and going back tomorrow. Mommy and daddy love it because when the kids don't listen the instructors make them do push-ups.
Wuh-huh-huh!!

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Volini Easter 2008

Easter was quiet this year. Until about 9am when the sugar hit. Enjoy the slide show, the boys picked the song.

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It's snowing!

Today we got tons (well, tons for us) of snow. The temperature is staying right around 32 so not much is piling up, but it's mostly sticking. The boys are praying that it freezes real nice tonight so that school will be canceled tomorrow.

Too freaking cute not to post

Dominic's class play

Last week the 1st grade class at Degan Elementary had their play Ei-Ei-O... Oops! Here is a quick clip. Dominic was the only one we saw that did not sing or do any of the cute hand movements. When his lips were moving I think he was having an imaginary conversation with someone because his words were not in time to the music. Or maybe he was praying to God that it would be over soon. He told us he was nervous.

Notice the chick costumes as I made those (40 of them with help from a few other moms... they are paper plate with feathers glued underneath... trying to resememble an egg shell). I also helped make the barn and silo on the stage.

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