Deme's Own Underwater World

Deme has decided to take more scuba lessons. He is already certified to dive in open water but now is going for deep water certification. Yesterday he dove to 120 feet and was quite proud of himself. Of course he has gone overboard and purchased a ton of equipment but I am glad he is enjoying himself. Here are a few of his underwater photos.


Blue star fish, very common on Guam and a fun animal for kids to pick up and observe.


Crown of thorns starfish, a pest in these parts and an enemy of coral reefs everywhere.


Various reef fish that will nibble at the hairs on your legs and eat out of your hands if you have bits of bread or a hot dog.


Triggerfish are gorgeous and very colorful but they have teeth and are very territorial. Beware of the larger ones and watch your back because they can bite hard.

More Kiddie Cuteness

Veronica and her new mullet.


At first she was afraid of the animals of the carosel.


But then she got used to them and began to smile.


Veronica and the neighbor boy "help" my mom water her plants in the morning.


Lorenzo with his lovely eyebrows.





Double dimples on the little man.

Island Boy?

Someone in our family says that Lorenzo is not photogenic. What do you think? He is getting tanned and really enjoying the water. Both children are adapting well to the heat and humidlty in fact they are thriving on it. Lorenzo eczema had not made a reappearance since we arrived and thier skin absolutely glows.

The Scary Carabao

The carabao is sort of one of the official animals of Guam. At the Chamorro Village there are carabao rides for $3. We know Veronica loves animals so we assumed that she would not mind and in fact would enjoy riding him; well we were wrong. She was terrified and cried as we tried to place her on its back. We ended up just snapping a few photos and letting her ride the little train instead.

Underwater World

Who knew that little ole Guam would be home to the longest underwater tunnel in the world. (450ft, at least that is what they advertised). The kids had a great time looking at all the reef fish, sharks, rays, skates and other very cool fish. I must say my favorite was the giant sea turtle and the giant grouper.


That Tia is so friendly that she even gets sharks to smile at her. Most of the sharks were good sized, white tip, black tip and grey reef sharks.


This grouper was really something to behold, it was 450 pounds!


This ray or skate was so cool and spotted, it was gorgeous and bigger than Lorenzo.


We did not have to persuade Veronica to pet this small shark, she actually wanted to grab it.

The First Photos From Guam

I plan to upload tons of pictures during the next several week and so I think I will let the obvious photos speak for themselves and only make commentary on the ones that really need it.

On the Way to Guam

The flight was brutal since everyone in the family had head colds. The children did relatively well. Veronica did get bored and cranky at the halfway mark; I tried dosing her with Benadryl to make her drowsy during the flight but it did not work. She ended up napping several times on my lap and in her car seat though. Lorenzo napped on Deme most of the time and did very well.


After everyone gets a little shut eye, we prepare to land and see nonna Helen again.

Things I Forgot About Guam but Am Now Being Reminded Of

Veronica and Lorenzo have been running around in diapers and tank tops the entire time. Something they really cannot do in Seattle as a cool breeze will send them shivering. Both kids arrived absolutely fluorescent but have taken on a light pink glow after the 5th day of slow and steady sun exposure. Sunburn in a major concern here for kids as is heatstroke. We have been diligent about applying sunscreen onto the children even while they are riding around in the car and keeping them cool with drinks and shade. Before we head out, we open the car up and aerate it for at least 10 minutes with the air conditioning running before I even think about placing the children inside.

Veronica has really gotten used to being footloose and fancy free, she refuses to put shoes on and favors her new pink sandals; I wonder if I will be able to get he to put shoes on once we arrive back home in Seattle. It is a joy to see her doing all the things I used to do as a small child.

There are many simple things I miss about Guam, everyone asks me how it feels to be home again after such an extended time away. Most of the time, I reply that it is hot, hot, hot but in reality I have not had time to think about what I have missed about the island but after almost a week, I think I can come up with a short list.

Nice Things I Have Been Reminded of:

-cool breezes early in the morning and late in the evening
-lovely white sand beaches and warm tropical water
-Guamanian/Chamorro food
-visits with family
-large outdoor BBQ's
-fragrant tropical flowers
-mouth watering tropical fruits
-non pretentious lifestyle
-great snorkeling (not a certified diver)
-Hawaiian punch


Not So Nice Things I Have Been Reminded of:
-Cane toads
-cockroaches
-large mud nest building wasps
-feral and neglected cats and dogs
-roadkill every 1-5 miles of said feral cats and dogs
-brown tree snakes
-gecko calls late at night
-being awakened by dogs barking at absolutely everything
-rampant graffiti
-bad bubble tint jobs

This is the short list, I am sure as our stay lengthens I will find more nice and not so nice things to be reminded of.

Gone to Guam! (for 6 Weeks)

After 18 hours in the air, we have arrived on Guam. The kids were great and are now working on getting over their jet lag. (Remember I never get it so I feel great.) Deme has a head cold but is surviving and today we will dip our feet into the warm Pacific Ocean for the first time. Photos to come soon.

We are borrowing my mom's second car and have the double stroller so I think we are set. First impressions, it is hot, hot, hot and humid. I began peeling clothes off the children the second we landed in Hawaii. They are still getting used to the heat. Today as I was trying to get to my dad's shop, I got lost and Deme laughed; things have really changed here and I feel l like an outsider instead of an islander.

Angles on the World

Daniel was the youngest of the 4 children I was a nanny to for almost 13 years. He is now 14 and working on his photography on his site. I am giving him my support by ordering a box of photo cards and writing a post about his efforts to fund a once in a lifetime school trip to Alaska. I must say that I am impressed by his pictures and like them a lot. He is very talented and I hope he sticks with it. I also love the fact that 10 percent of his profits go to charity.

When I told him I would support him, I also warned him my support had a price. I asked him if I could write a post about him and all the adorable things he used to say when he was a little boy. He, of course, groans when I mention "this" and "that" but hides his head and runs away then I threaten to tell "The Squishy Tomato" story. Instead I got his permission to tell you "The Gina is a Stranger" story", something I hold dear to my heart. So here goes:

I was the nanny to 4 adorable children for many, many years. (S, J, R and Daniel) as they got older and more mature they began to want to do things on their own and away from my watchful eye. One day the kids wanted to take the dog for a walk around the block without me. (I was worried about them wandering.)

I talked to their parents about it and they agreed it was something they were comfortable with and had been encouraging. I was nervous about the idea but decided to let them do what they had already been doing with their parents. As the four kids took off with the dog and as the front gate slammed shut, my worrying began. 5, 10, 15 minutes passed and they still did not come back. I walked down the block and did not find them so I hopped in the car to see where they had gone.

When I found them, a block away, not on the path we had all agreed upon, I was upset but relieved to see all was well. I drove slowly up to the kids and began some small talk.

"Hi kids" I said, "What are your names?" The older kids knew what I was up to, only Danny did not get the joke right away.

"Where do you live?" I asked. I proceeded to ask them if they wanted to help me look for a puppy I had lost. I asked them to get into my van and told them I would give them some candy if they helped me. All three older kids told me to go away and that they did not know me and could not get into my car or help me. Danny looked at them incredulously and said "But she has candy." The older kids talked him out of going with me and I drove home.

When the kids walked in door 5 minutes later. I asked them what took so long and how was the walk. They told me a stranger approached them and asked them to get into a van. I told them it was great they did not and they made the right decision since the person that approached them was a stranger. Danny looked a bit disappointed he might have missed the chance at some candy but I explained to him that he ( and the other kids) had earned some candy from me for making such a smart decision and staying safe. I was very proud and remain proud of them everyday.

Please support Danny and order some cards from him today!

Bella Barista

Veronica has begun to make espresso with her papi. He calls her over when he makes a coffee for himself and she gets to help.

She knows to pull the lever up to draw the water into the piston and then she waits for the coffee to begin to drip out of the spout. When she sees the dripping begin, she pushes the lever down with both hands.

Often she does it so hard, her knuckles turn white. Just today we began making chocolate cappuccinos for her and she loves them.

Little Girl, Big Girl (Where Does the Time Go?)

Deme and I have been trying to see as many people as we can before we leave to Guam. Friends and family alike have been scrambling to see us and us to see them. Yesterday I went to visit Rachel and Daniel, two of the children I used to nanny for. I knew Rachel had been learning to drive and applying to college. I knew Daniel was trying to raise money for school trip but had no idea that he has launched his of website and is selling his photo cards online. (Check out this site, his photographs are wonderful.) Both children have grown up so fast that the last 14 years seemed to have flown by. Having two babies of my own, I do not spend as much time as I would like with all the older "kids" but seeing them once in a while keeps us in touch. From the photos below you can see, she's not a little girl anymore. I love you Rachel!

Rachel was the quintessential princess and always will be. In five words, as a child Rachel was spicy, insistant, sweet, creative and very insistant.

All I can say is "Wow", I love the photo of her in shorts as she reminds of the little girl that I still have in my head. Good luck with your auditions!

The Polyglot Playgroup

When I was a nanny, tanti, tanti anni fa (a long time ago, or so it seems) I had a network of nanny friends I often did things with. We would pile our kids in car together, run to the playground together, go on outings together and be there for one another if say one of us had a dentist appt. so some other mid-day errand. It was a wonderful way to feel connected to someone who shared your love of children and was a great way to observe and hone your skills as a nanny as well by learning from others. More often than not, we chatted about how to help our kids with homework, how to get parents to come home on time and how to get the kudos we deserved at work. This group was a way to get some polysyllabic words in our day.

As a new mom I am searching for that network of support and understanding now as well; The Polyglot Playgroup is my answer. A friend and I had the idea to start a playgroup for kids who were either half Italian or who spoke Italian but we realized this might limit the group, we then decided to invite friends and friends of friends to participate. If word of mouth still does not expand the group, we plan to go public.

Here are examples of the cards that we are giving to friends in order to get the word out about our group. We plan to start really getting together once we have enough people. My job is to do the research kid friendly places in the Seattle area and kid fun activites that everyone can enjoy. Wish us luck as we get started.

Sprog Mamma is 35!

I really do not have anything lofty to say about being in my mid-30's. I really, really do not have any wise words to impart. What I do have is extra baby weight I need to lose and with dinners like the one my DH made for my birthday, I do not know if I am ever going to be pre-baby sized again. Thank you darling, it was all wonderful.

IMHO, one of the best oysters in the world, the delicate, petite Kumamoto.

Perfectly cooked, humongous diver scallops.

Fresh pasta with zucchini sticks, shrimp, scallops, and porcini.

The chef himself.

Chef Daddy puts the finishing touches on pepper crusted ahi served with fingerling potatoes and asparagus.

Dessert from Whole Foods, not diet food for sure.

Lorenzo is 4 Months Old and Veronica is 17 Months Old

Lorenzo had a great check-up yesterday. He is well on his way to being as healthy and as happy as his big sister. He weighs 7.4 kilos/16 pounds and 8 oz which puts him in the 50-75% and he is 68.5 cm/27 inches long which puts him in the 97%, his head circumference is in the 75% as well. Both of my kids are large and tall what can I say. Being the trooper that he is he cried only briefly after he got his 4 vaccinations. I must say that night I was worried he may have some pain from the shots but he did not and all went well at bedtime.

Things Lorenzo Can Do:

1. He can laugh and giggle.

2. He responds to the sounds of our voices.

3. If he has been on his tummy for a while and is tired he tries to "crawl".

4. He plays with his hands a lot, so when the hands go into this mouth he isn't always hungry.

5. He holds his hands at mid line and tries to grab onto things.

All in all, the doctor said he was pretty perfect.

Although we give him lots of tummy time everyday, our pediatrician still says his head is weak and he needs to work on his neck muscles.

His torticollis is much improved but still his head will list to the side a lot and it is still somewhat twisted. I decide to take him to my chiropractor to see if she can manipulate his spine and help out with his neck. So far he loves being massaged and handled and does not mind the adjustments at all. I hope he gets better soon. (This is a fairly good photo of his neck control but when he is tired, it looks quite twisted.)

I Like Blue Butts and I Cannot Lie

Last week I was with a girlfriend when both she and I just happened to need to change our babies diapers at the same time. She was shocked when she saw Lorenzo's blue butt and immediately asked if the blue spots were bruises. She said she had never seen such a thing before. I thought I better document his blue butt before someone calls Child Protective Services on me. Deme had never seen blue butts either until he saw Veronica's. BTW, my butt was blue when I was a baby as well. (The lighting is not great so you are not getting the maximum blueness.)

Blue butt cheek #1

This blue spot is a bit strange since it is a complete circle.

Blue butt cheek #2

Pretty Boy

Here are some photos of me in Saigon when I was around Lorenzo's age. All my sisters keep commenting on how much he and I look alike so dug up some old photos and paired them with now ones of him.

We both have giant tummies and giant hands. I hope both kids have medium toned skin like I do. I guess we will find out when we head to Guam for some fun in the sun.

We both have the same hair line. He has very sensitive skin like his papa and breaks out with dry patches almost daily.

We both have the same wide eyed looks and the same lips and nose.

This little boy is becoming more alert as the days go by. He is not squealing with delight at nothing in particular and smiling at everything. His hands are gigantic but his eyes are very feminine and pretty.

P.S. I am 35 today, yikes!

Monkey See Monkey Do

Veronica has been learning so much these days. She copies everything we do and tries to imitate what we say as well. I know her brain is like a little sponge that soaks things up from her environment, I just hope she absorbs more good things than bad. She has seen me feed Lorenzo so many times that today out of the blue she decides to try it herself.

"Here baby brother, look what I found lying around. Suck on this for a little while."

"Whoops, that's not your mouth, that's your ear. Ha Ha! " Look at the way she purses her lips as she is trying to feed him.

"Finally, you're getting the hang of it you little bugger. Eat up so you'll be as big and strong as I am."

Stroller #5

This is Veronica and Lorenzo in stroller #5. They love to take walks and Lorenzo often falls asleep while we are out.

Stroller Addiction and Blatant Consumerism

My friends keep making fun of me and telling me I am addicted to baby strollers/prams/passeggini. Sometimes I feel like I have gone overboard in the area but other times I feel like it is a matter of convenience and whatever works for us is fine.

We bought Bebe Confort High Trek in Italy. Since Veronica was our first child we wanted to spoil her and got the best thing on the market at the time. It comes with three pieces that your child can grow into and use until about age 4-5. It is a large stroller and mainly lives in the garage, although it does fold up and can be placed in the car. We use it when one of us is walking with Veronica and the other wants to carry the baby around in a carrier.

After we arrived back in Seattle, we decided we needed a light and fold able umbrella stroller for quick outings and to basically leave in my car at all times so we bought the Maclaren Triumph #1. This is a great stroller to take on travels as it is light and very portable.

Demetrio liked my stroller so much we got a Truimph#2 for his car as well. We were living the good life with three strollers until Lorenzo arrived.

After he was born we decided that a Graco Snugride stroller would be necessary as we could easily attach his car seat to this stroller without having to wake him up and move him from his car seat. #4 and counting. While my mom was here for 4 months it was easy for me to get around with both kids as she pushed one stroller and I pushed the other. Now that she is gone I realized that I have a problem.

So we solved the problem by buying two more strollers, one new and one used for $25 off Craigslist.

The Dreamer Design Double Stroller is for power walking and jogging up the hills near our condo. It folds up nicely and is light but very wide as well so it not practical to take in the car on a regular basis.

The Graco Tandem Double Stroller is the one we use to go to the mall and out and about around town. It folds up nicely and works well, it is heavier than the jogging stroller so we do not use it to take long walks.

We are now the proud owners of 6 strollers. I keep telling myself that one was purchased for $25 and another was last years model so half the price of this years. I know this is blatant American consumerism but think of all the people who will benefit when I give these strollers away as the kids grow out of them.

Lorenzo in a Speedo

Now that Veronica is taking swimming lessons, Lorenzo says he would like to take them as well. Here he is in his new bathing suit. With giant hands and feet like paddles, Michael Phelps better watch out!