Bella's Ballet recital

Foundations are optional right????



It wouldn't be a Paradiso Post without a devastating house photo or two!!! :)



this is what our friend John unearthed most recently. I wonder why we get water in the basement???? Lucky for us John is a whiz kid when it comes to tackling weird house problems....time will tell, but I think we finally have it undercontrol (after building a monolithic wall to hold our foundation together)

Okay....now Bella can get her props. She had her annual dance recital here in Falls Church. Man does this girl love to spin and twirl...never mind the mud and holes in the knees of her ballet tights from sliding "Fame"style across every flat surface....there is a controlled graceful girl just trying to break out of her...I think.... Bella with her beloved teacher, Mrs. O'hara

A lot of tulle.....

Bella doing her thing...believe it or not (those of you who know Bella personally...) she uses quite a bit of self-control when dancing:)

Getting ready for the recital

Coloring ballerinas

Sweet D wants to get in on the costume action

Vogue-ing

Busy Spring!!

This posting is going to have a little bit of everything spring...as I have been very lax in my postings! We had a lovely Mother's Day...above are some flowers that Enzo made:) It is so cool when the kids start getting old enough to really put their own thoughts out there in writing, I was touched by all of the artwork and sweet notes I recieved. The kids made pancakes and we took a 7 1/2 mile bikeride in the sun. Perfect day!

And I finally got the curtains hung! Hooray! In the living room and kitchen...every day it feels a little more cozy in here.

Our formerly green back yard has turned into a mound of mud...as we try to track down the foundation problems that are allowing water into our house...let's just say the problems are many...but we are really getting down to the bottom (literally) of our problems...

Giant holes in the foundation and pipes designed to guide water into the house...SMART! Guess you don't really have to know what you are doing to build a house.

We found a giant tree stump 6 feet across covered up by rocks up against the house...crazy.

Big daddy putting up some new lights in the front....This house has been a great place for Mike to hone his "fixer-upper" skills...He looks like a pro now;)

Enzo and I took advantage of the sun to wash the 6 inches of pollen off of the car. The girls helped too, but they removed their swimsuits...so those pics will have to stay in the "pesonal" collection;)

Grammy and Papa came for a visit and we spent a gorgeous day wandering around Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon, overlooking the Potomac.

Grammy and Papa snuggling the kiddoes in the sun on the Potomac

Kicking it George Washington style...hanging in rockers on the veranda at Mt. Vernon

Lil' explorers determining which direction to go. Bella is hoping for the outdoor kitchen...while Enzo is pushing for the old distillery;)

Kiddoes snuggling up to George and Martha and family...not too satisfying.

And EASTER.....we spent the day with our awesome friends and family...entertained by many a show from the kids....it felt like we had step foot into the Sound of Music...if only for a few hours:)

We had Auntie Steph, Uncle Josh, the Hamptons and the Lewis's

Bella and Olaiaya putting on a "show". The jokes were abundant and BAD!!!! ;) But you couldn't help but laugh your head off...

Naomi and Delia cultivating their inner DIVA's ...feel the love

Uncle Josh...looking sauve.

Momma Lewis in the kitchen!

The official Easter photo....a little less organized this year...

me and my girl taking a break from cooking

The kids decided we needed some color...

Painting with our friend Essi.





Sorry this post covered so much ground! Hope you enjoy the pics and I will try to keep this more regular...I am off to snuggle a crying 5 year old! WHat's new????? :)

Enzo's Birthday

Enzo turned 7 years old this week...I can't even believe it. Suddenly I have some frame of reference to all of those times my mother tried to explain to me how fast we were growing up...I didn't believe her at the time...but now I understand completely...which gives me PANIC;) Feels like yesterday that we were waiting so impatiently for him to be born...It feels like a lifetime ago at the same time, as Mike and I sometimes have a hard time remembering life with just the two of us....what on earth did we do with ALL OF THAT TIME???? These photos are of Enzo's actual birthday...we are having a little dino-dig (he wanted a palentologist party?!?!? Science nerd! :) this coming weekend...so more exciting pictures should be coming.We had great birthday weekend however...where we went fishing as a family, had burgers with our good friends the Eldridges, had Griffin (enzo's good friend) sleepover and Enzo and Daddy watched STARWARS (4) for the first time together (such a moment!) and then finished of the weekend with an 8 mile bike ride...how much fun can one little boy tolerate in a weekend? All in all the whole family had one of the best weekends ever:)Welcome Spring!
Sistah-love...what a fun relationship these two have...

Enzo got what he was pining for...BAKUGAN! These things are cool...if I were a 7 year old boy they are exactly what I would want.

Grammy and Papa sent this awesome Brewers jersey...you can take the kid out off Milwaukee....

Enzo also got his first swiss army knife from Bugga and Pop-pop...what a hit...Knife Saftey 101 crash course with Daddy soon to follow.

March Madness

Apparently somebody spiked our Lucky Charms this St. Patrick's Day...we didn't celebrate in the traditional ways however... Enzo as a crazed dancing Anakin Skywalker Leprechaun...man can that boy jig....

Bella chased the rainbow to the pot o gold on her own belly...my children have an obession with decorating themselves....this doesn't really come close to the time Bella and Enzo drew full, life size skeletons on all three kids...

This is gonna be trouble when she is of legal tattoo age...the girl shows no restraint...:)

Kalahari!

We journeyed to what seemed like the end of civilization to hang ten with our friends the Meyers...we spent the weekend in a sweet compound full of waterslides, wave pools, surfing waves and lazy rivers...just say "cure for the winter BLAHS!" Sadly, I only remembered to use my camera in the hotel room...so you will just have to believe us! Hopefully the Meyers got some shots that actually document the fun part! Delia and Nora snuggling up after the long car ride...love the stuffed animal buffer..."I like you and everything....now stay on your side of the stuffy!"

There is nothing to say here....I promise they are both "within normal limits"

Bella in a rare shy moment with daddy...perhaps she had seen one too many stampeding elephant murals in the lobby...

Enzo and Henry...The Drone Wars... "How dare you snuggle my blue blanket...You have violated our code of honor...prepare to be dispatched"

"I do not fear your powers...I will attack first using my kicking wolverine...you shall be defeated"

"My superior Karate chop action will render you powerless...snaggle-tooth lord!"

You get the picture...we can sit in a hotel room and have a blast with the Meyers....you can only imagine how much fun the real events of the weekend were:)

Auntie Kara and G-luv make our DAY!

We enjoyed an awesome though short visit with some of our favorite people, Kara and Georgia (of course we missed you Brendan!:) They came down for a short business trip from Boston and the girls and I got to play with G-luv while momma was working the day away.
It is not a day with the Paradiso girls unless you hit the water in some shape or form...I prefer the beach but the little girls are just as happy in the tub!

Bella and Delia teaching Georgia some of their tricks...these children are always top over tea kettle...no pictures of the next frame where they collide mid-air and land in a heap on the floor...

G got lots of "help" this day...good thing she is chill...even I was feeling a little claustraphobic from all of the "mommying". G took it all in stride..."this is the life of a celebrity girls, my public comes first".

Kara and Georgia looking be-u-ti-ful as always

Georgia's attempt to stop the kisses....just plug that hole!