The Pascuzzi Family

Santa

2011-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

We went to see Santa at the "Christmas in Cook" event and Izzy asked for a "pretty necklace, a ring, and a hair salon". Vinny started crying and said, "No! No!!". He wouldn't even go near him.

2011-12-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

2011-12-17T19:09:00.001-08:00

Louis is such a good boy. He still sleeps with Izzy but now Vinny tries to call him in to his room. He usually lays in Vinny's room while the stories are being read and then crawls into Izzy's bed so she can read to him. If he could only talk he would know a ton of books by heart.

2011-12-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

The family picture that didn't make the Christmas card.

Izzy with her "cheese" face.

2011-12-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

Isabel with her cousin Molly Nelson and with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson.

Wedding

2011-12-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

In October we went to Grand Forks to my cousin Lynne's wedding and the kids had a blast. They were the first ones on the dance floor and Tony and I had to drag them literally off at 9pm. They swam and ate pizza in the room and they all got to sleep in "mom and dad's room".

Horses

2011-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Vinny and Izzy love horses so much that last time we went to Fosston Vinny asked to see the horses steady for the first hour of the trip. We tried not to talk about them because he would be so insistant that he see them right now!! The first thing they both do when we get to Fosston is run down to the pasture and call, "Annnnnnnieeeee, Saallllly!!"

2011-12-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

Tony and the kids carving pumpkins. Izzy was really into it this year and she loved eating the roasted seeds.

2011-12-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

My little "pumpkins".

Halloween

2011-12-13T16:15:00.001-08:00

This year Halloween was so fun because Izzy was Little Bo Peep and Vinny was her lost sheep. She talked about it for weeks before and even tried it on. The only bad thing was that it came with a shepherd's hook which she used to "hook" Vinny with and he didn't like that one bit!

2011-10-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

It really hasn't seemed like fall around here because the weather has been so hot. The leaves have changed and finally fell off this week. School is in full swing and I am taking 2 Grad classes online towards a degree in Library Media Specialist. We have been playing outside as much as we can and we were lucky enough to get a merry-go-round from Tony's cousins the Picek's.

2011-10-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

The kids are growing so fast; both of them are in the 85-95% for height. Vinny loves to follow his "sissy" around and try to do what she does.

Fall

2011-10-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful August and we tried to enjoy every minute of our last summer days. Izzy and I were swimming in Vermilion on Labor Day weekend. The lake was cold already even though the air was warm but Izzy is one tough little swimmer! We visited my sister and the kids for a day and Izzy and Vinny had so much fun playing with their cousins. Here are a couple of pictures of Izzy, Vinny, Thomas and Gabby.

Sisters and Brothers

2011-07-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Izzy loves to paint. Vinny loves it too and he will give you the brush back so that you can change colors for him. He is running everywhere now and he loves to play with all of Izzy's stuff. She has been pretty good about sharing but the one thing there is always a fight over is "her" chair. I told Tony that we may need to have two little chairs from now on.

2011-07-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Vinny showing off his new teeth.

Summer Days

2011-07-26T13:03:00.001-07:00

The kids love eating outside so we eat lunch either on the deck, at the lake, or at the park almost every day. Where ever we are, we have to watch Louis because he is very sneeky about stealing food, especially from Vinny.

Louis and Oliver's birthday

2011-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Louis and Oliver's birthdays' this year with a homemade liver cake. Izzy thought that this was so fun but I had to convince her not to eat the cake! Oliver is saying "Hurry up and blow those candles out so I can eat my cake!"

Tony's 30th Birthday

2011-07-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

We had a little party on Tony's actual birthday this year and a big summer party with all of our friends in July. We usually host a Christmas party but this year we decided to have a Christmas in July party and also to celebrate Tony's birthday since the weather isn't as nice in May. Here are a few pictures from May 14th.

Grandparents

2011-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Izzy and Vinny are so lucky to have so many wonderful grandparents around them. My mom and dad came up for her dance rectial in May and she was very excited to have them here.

Easter

2011-07-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

We spend Easter this year with my family in Fosston and the Easter Bunny dropped eggs with candy and money all over my mom and dad's farm. Izzy and Vinny had a lot of fun finding the eggs with their cousins.

Tea Party

2011-07-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Izzy's best friend Kaiji had a birthday party this spring and it was a tea party. Izzy loved dressing up and she especially loved using a real tea pot and real cups.

2011-07-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Izzy loves seeing her cousins Gabby and Thomas. We have gotten together with them about once a month lately, usually in Fosston. Here they are in Grandpa Tom's spot on the couch.

The Day the Snow Melted

2011-07-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

We had so much snow this year that it took forever to melt. I remember seeing snow in May in the woods. One day in March it finally melted enough for me to shovel off the deck so the kids could play in their sand box. What a difference a few months makes!

Summer

2011-07-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

Summer has been great here and with all the activity the blog has been neglected. I am going to try to be more diligent about posting from now on because the kids are growing so fast! Izzy is swimming like a little fish out to Don and Marcia's and Vinny is liking the water better now since the lake finally warmed up in July. June was so cold that when Izzy and I would swim we would have goosebumps for a good hour afterwards. It has been so long since I've posted pictures that I will have to start with a 1st birthday picture of Vinny and Izzy's dance recital in May!

2011-05-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Party People!

2011-05-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Party fun!

Spring

2011-05-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have been so busy with me working full time that I haven't had time to even download my pictures! We had two big birthdays with Izzy turning 3 and Vinny turning 1. Izzy had a big birthday party up at the hotel in Orr where there is an indoor water slide and kid pool. We had a lot of family and friends come from out of town and many of her friends from school too. She had a blast and still talks about "my party at the froggy slide". Here are some fun pictures.

2011-02-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

2011-02-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

Finally some Christmas pictures!

2011-02-04T21:15:00.001-08:00

Here are some cute pictures of the kids from Christmas Eve at grandma Diane's. Izzy is showing off her new necklace and earrings.

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

This winter has really been beautiful up here in Cook with the exception of the extreme cold. There are snow drifts higher than our windows and it looks like a post card with the snow on the evergreens but the last two weeks have been so cold it has been hard to enjoy it. Tonight I think it will be close to -25 so I have to get creative finding things to do with the kids inside the house. Izzy has a mini trampoline that great grandma Marcia found her so that helps burn off a little energy. We have been singing, dancing and playing the piano a lot too which Vinny really enjoys as well. The holiday season came and went so fast like it does every year and this year both Izzy and I had the stomach flu again so that cut our fun time short over break. The kids received so many gifts that I decided to save a couple and take them out later. Vinny started a new daycare and he seems very happy there and Izzy is going to Little Beginnings Preschool full time now. It is absolutely amazing to see her gain knowledge on a daily basis- like a little sponge. Oliver and Louis are getting cabin fever even though I play with them in the snow nearly every day. Oliver's feet get too cold to be out too long so I am looking at getting him some snow boots. Louis is on a diet (no people food and 2 cups of dry dog food a day) and he is already looking younger and leaner. He will be ready to hit the lake running this spring when it opens up.

2010-12-01T21:14:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how fast my kids are growing!

2010-12-01T21:09:00.001-08:00

Vinny has not given up on the Vikings this year and neither has Louis and Oliver. They tend to nap through some of the game... all 3 of them.

2010-12-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

Tony helped Izzy carve a couple of pumpkins while Vinny watched in the high chair.

2010-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2010-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Vinny was so cute in his pumpkin outfit that I hated to change him into his tiger outfit. He was a trooper as we took Izzy out trick-or-treating but he had had enough by 7:15pm. Being a baby is hard work!

2010-12-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Izzy loves grandpa's horses so much she was "Sally" for Halloween this year!

2010-12-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

2010-12-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Izzy loves being "on the farm" with the horses and cows and she especially loves it when her cousin's Gabby and Thomas are there.

Moving Along

2010-11-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Life had been particularly crazy around the Pascuzzi house lately so I haven't had a chance to update the blog in awhile. Vinny hasn't been napping very well if at all, although he still sleeps 13-14 hours at night so I can't complain too much. However, between taking care of the kids and trying to keep up with the housework and dogs, there hasn't been too much time to spare to work on the blog and their photo albums. I keep telling myself that one of these days I'll get "caught up" on everything but I am pretty sure that will never happen because I will find something else that needs to be done! To top it all off our camera broke about two weeks ago and we finally bit the bullet and ordered a new one that it is quite a bit nicer than our old one and it is supposed to be here on Friday so I am excited about that. Here are some pictures of the kids at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's over MEA break.

2010-10-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Playtime with Louis. He is such a good dog!

2010-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Vikings fans to the end!

2010-10-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

The kids have enjoyed playing outside this fall in the nice weather.

2010-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Izzy loves horses so much and when we are at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's she spends most of her time feeding and petting their horses. She even got to ride them a couple of times! She is going to be a horse for Halloween.

2010-10-26T19:17:00.001-07:00

Both of my kids are good eaters and Vinny is enjoying trying new fruits and veggies.

Fall

2010-10-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy fall for the Pascuzzi household. We have been visiting Grandma and Grandpa Nelson a lot as Tony has been hunting with my dad and Izzy loves being on the farm. The weather has been beautiful until just this week and we have been outside enjoying it as much as possible as we are anticipating that winter is just around the corner. Izzy started tap dance once a week and she is the youngest student by 2 years! She seems to be doing well following directions and I think by the May concert she will be getting her steps and hand motions down. She starts swimming lessons next week too so she is very busy. Vinny is saying "mama" very clearly and he can roll over; however most of the time he is content just sitting and watching his sister. We are trying to get him to start moving more, which I am sure we will regret soon enough!

2010-09-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Izzy and Vinny playing Barbies and hanging out. They are going to be such good friends.

Vinny is Eating Food

2010-09-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Vinny had cereal for the first time at 5 months and now he is eating oatmeal for breakfast, rice cereal for lunch, and cereal and sweet potatoes for dinner. He still loves to nurse but he is starting to like his food too. Here are a couple of funny faces he made when he had his first bite of cereal.

2010-09-16T19:59:00.001-07:00

Tony and Vinny on their first NFL Sunday together. They both look a little sleepy.

Football

2010-09-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

Tony, Izzy and Vinny waiting for the first Vikings game of the season. Unfortunately it was a night game so the kids only made it through about the first 15 minutes. Izzy yells "Go Purple!"

Signs of Fall

2010-09-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look up here you see signs that fall is here. Isabel still doesn't understand why she can't where her swimsuit or her sundresses everyday and the dogs went out onto a deck slippery with frost yesterday morning. We have been in school for 2 full weeks now and are developing a routine. I love being home with the kids in the morning and I love teaching so I feel very fulfilled right now. Things are very busy as we try to squeeze everything we can into our mornings and I try to do as much as possible at work without staying late or taking anything home, so it is definitely a challenge. I have decided that I need to cut myself some slack. I am going to sit and hold my baby more, play barbies with Izzy, and throw the ball for the dogs instead of fold laundry or clean my house. I figure that the kids won't remember if their rooms where dusted but they will remember that I was present in their lives. Here are some great pictures.

Haircuts

2010-09-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Both Izzy and Vinny got their hair cut for fall. It was so cute Izzy always loves getting her hair cut from "Tisha" but it was a first for Vinny. He looks like such a big boy now!

2010-09-04T19:51:00.001-07:00

Vinny is the happiest baby in the world. He loves to cuddle and eat and sleep. He also likes to just hang out and watch his big sister and puppies.

2010-09-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Izzy loves going to "Grandma Sammie's" and last time we were there she got to feed the horses and ride them!

2010-09-04T19:43:00.001-07:00

Izzy the mermaid. It isn't too much of a stretch since she has literally wore her swimsuit all summer and loves the water. She loves her puppies too.

2010-09-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Vinny hanging out with his buddies.

Izzy in the Kitchen

2010-09-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is Miss Izzy "helping" with the brownies.

Vinny's Baptism

2010-09-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Vinny was baptized this summer in Lake Vermilion. It was a small beautiful ceremony and Gina and Justin are his God Parents. During the ceremony you could see the eagles flying right over us and hear the loons calling, it was very special. We had many family and friends visiting us to share in his special day. Izzy stuck her head in the lake several times "baptizing herself" throughout the ceremony. It was pretty cute.

End of Summer

2010-08-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

Summer is officially over now that it is labor day and for me it is bitter sweet. We have had a wonderful summer swimming, visiting family and friends, and playing outside. We bought a camper and went camping last week up by the Boundary Waters. Vinny rolled over in the camper for the first time from his tummy to his back so that was exciting. He also started cereal on the 30th and got his first hair cut. There are a lot of changes going on with me going back to work but I will only be working 1/2 days so that will be nice. I am excited to be at Orr again this year with all of my students and staff from last year.

2010-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Both Izzy and Vinny love hanging out with their daddy.

2010-08-11T14:42:00.001-07:00

VinnyMan! That is what Izzy and I call him. Here he is in a cute hat that Grandma Di found.

2010-08-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Vinny is 4 months old now and weighs 16 lbs. 13 oz. and is in the 75% for height. He is almost rolling over and is a wonderful sleeper. He sleeps 12-13 hours a night and one day Izzy and I woke him after almost 14 hours because we wanted to go to the lake! He is a sweet little boy who loves to smile and be happy.

Busy Summer

2010-08-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the time goes these days. We have had a great summer with nice hot weather and lots of days at the lake. Tony, Diane and I took the kids to the Duluth Zoo one day and Izzy really enjoyed it. We are hoping to go to Como Zoo too before the summer is over. Vinny is growing so fast and Izzy is becoming such a little smarty pants. Here they are at the zoo.

2010-07-09T21:35:00.001-07:00

Vinny 3 months old.

2010-07-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Izzy and Vinny playing outside.

2010-07-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Summer Fun!

2010-07-09T21:11:00.001-07:00

Vinny is growing like a weed and he too has been swimming naked in Lake Vermilion!

2010-07-09T21:04:00.001-07:00

We have really enjoyed the lake this year. Here are some pictures of the fun we've had.

Hot Days

2010-07-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

We have been very busy the last couple of weeks visiting family and enjoying the hot weather. Tony and my dad were able to do a little fishing when we were up there the last week in June and they caught a nice bunch of Northerns. Izzy loves fish but she had never seen one being cleaned before. She watched Grandpa Tom and Tony put the knife in and she cried "Oh no! Oh no! Ahh!" and ran.

Relay for Life

2010-07-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

On June 25th my mom, sister, aunts, and friends gathered in Fosston to be a part of a Relay for Life Team for the American Cancer Society. Thank you to all of my family and friends that donated money to our team; it was a huge success! Our goal was to raise $1000 and we raised about $1600. Here is a picture of our team but we also received help from many others not pictured.

2010-06-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Vinny is growing so fast. He is almost able to sit in his little chair and I caught him starting to roll over the other day. What a big boy!

2010-06-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Move over Rachael Ray! Izzy loves to help me in the kitchen but she is starting to take over! Here she is making "macamole".

2010-06-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

Izzy loves Vinny so much but she still gets a little jealous now and then. I have a feeling that they are going to be the best of friends... and fight like cats and dogs. Isn't that what having a sibling is all about?

Summer

2010-06-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Big happenings at our house... Izzy is potty trained! It was hard the first couple of days but from what I here from other moms Izzy was very easy; it only took about 8 days. Of course we still have "accidents" now and then. Here are some pictures of her showing off her new underwear.

2010-06-13T14:21:00.001-07:00

One big happy family (at least for the moment).

2010-06-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Vinny and Grandma Diane. Izzy gets a little jealous when grandma holds Vinny but then again she is used to having all of her attention.

Grandparents

2010-06-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Nelson were able to stop by for a little bit and visit the kids on their way home from Duluth a couple of weeks ago. They couldn't believe how big Vinny had gotten. They bought Izzy some new summer PJ's that have horses on them and she was very excited about that. We will be up to see them in the end of June.

2010-06-13T14:10:00.002-07:00

Izzy and Vinny hanging out in Vinny's gym. Izzy said that Vinny was tickling her.

2010-06-13T14:06:00.001-07:00

Vinny had his 2 month check on Thursday and he is 14 lbs. 11 oz. and 24 inches long. Everyone at the clinic loved him and he even smiled at the nurse before she gave him his shots. I think it made her feel bad.

2010-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Vinny is getting so big; he is already 2 months old! He smiles all the time now and has even giggled a little. He "talks" by cooing back when you talk to him. Izzy loves to make him laugh and smile.

Crazy Days

2010-06-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

The last week of May and the first week of June were a bit crazy for us as I had to go back to work to finish out the school year. Tony was able to take a paternity leave and stay home with Vinny and Izzy went to daycare so we survived. Next year things will be much better for me as I have accepted a part time position at school teaching from 11:40AM to 3:10PM. I am looking forward to being home in the mornings with the kids and also to being able to get dressed and put make-up on and be a professional. I was part time for a year in White Bear and I think it is the perfect balance for me and our family. I love the kids in Orr and I am so happy that I will be back there next year. So far this summer I have already taken on a big project: potty training Izzy. We started last Saturday and have definitely had our share of ups and downs. She just got a new princess potty seat today from Grandma Diane and daddy picked out some pretty princess underwear yesterday so she is pretty excited about that! Like I said... crazy days!

2010-05-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

2010-05-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Izzy and Daddy

2010-05-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Fishing

2010-05-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Tony took Izzy fishing for the first time on Sunday and she loved it. She loves eating fish and ever since Tony went ice fishing and caught walleye which we ate, every fish she eats is "daddy's fish". She caught a little perch and she kept it in a pail until it was time to go home and take a nap. She was so excited she loved the minnows and the "mommy fish" that daddy caught.

2010-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

2010-05-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

We are loving the summer-like weather we have had lately. Izzy's favorite thing is playing in the sandbox. She pretends she is cooking and adds water to things to make "birthday cake" or "chicken and green beans". Vinny likes to sit outside too and of course the dogs love every minute. Cousin Lucky comes over to play a couple of times a week which wears them all out.

Vinny

2010-05-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Vinny is getting so big and he loves to cuddle on your chest. Some days he is awake for long periods of time and others he sleeps all day. He usually sleeps for a 6-7 hour stretch at night and then 3 hours at a time after that. He slept 7 hours at only a month old so I am very fortunate. He is such a sweet little baby! He is 6 weeks old already and is starting to enjoy his baby gym and bouncy seat.

A Little Helper

2010-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Isabel has become quite the little helper now that she has grown into her role as "big sisser". She especially likes to help daddy with his tools and me in the kitchen. Tony has realized what I have known for some time now... that when Izzy is helping it takes twice as long to do something. She is so cute though, who could turn her down?

2010-04-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

Izzy in her cool new ducky towel.

2010-04-25T15:10:00.001-07:00

Izzy on her 4-wheeler and Vinny just relaxing.

2010-04-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Izzy loves to hold Vinny. What a good big sister!

2010-04-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Izzy, Vinny and Baby watching cartoons.

Vinny's First Bath

2010-04-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Vinny is adjusting very well to life with our family. He loved his first bath and Izzy loved being able to help. She says "It's okay Binny, Izzy's here". Izzy is the one who needed a bath after grandma Di brought over some pudding.

Spring-Time Fun

2010-04-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

We have had great weather this spring even though we need rain the sunshine makes for great days outside! Izzy loves to ride with Daddy on his 6 wheeler and look for deer poop in the field. She points and says "icky"!

Vinny

2010-04-12T07:50:00.001-07:00

Vinny is such a good baby. He is already sleeping for 4 and 3 hour stretches at night and he never cries. I hesitate saying that because I am waiting for the other shoe to drop but I think I am safe. He has a very relaxed nature and doesn't seem to mind the craziness that comes with two dogs and a toddler at our house.

2010-04-12T07:42:00.001-07:00

On the hunt for more jelly beans.

2010-04-12T07:38:00.001-07:00

Jelly Beans!

2010-04-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Izzy liked her books and bracelet but she loved the Easter grass! We are still picking it out of the carpet. Oh well, Easter only comes once a year right?

2010-04-12T06:58:00.001-07:00

My little Easter bunny!