Jen | TOCCI.ORG

Christmas Part II

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:41:27 -0600

Nunzio loves his new spy vision goggles, spy watch and elbow/wrist/knee pads!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:02:29 -0600

Sunshine State

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:38:21 -0500

Photos

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:15:58 -0500

Time to Make the Donuts!

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:40:58 -0500

I grew up with no less than five Dunkin Donuts in a ten mile radius. Before I left MA in 2000 there was easily double that in the same radius.

There was one Dunkin in Fort Wayne IN. It was located across town from where we lived and we frequented it every Christmas Eve to get some donuts for Santa.

After all these years of sad donut drought, look what I find not two miles from my door! I cannot wait until opening day. Its a good thing that most times I drive by it I will be on my way to the gym! That ought to deter me . . . sometimes anyway.

I'm sorry folks. You can keep your Krispy Kreme and your Winchell's and the rest of the third rate imitations. NOTHING comes close to Dunkin's Donuts, crullers, Munchkins and muffins.

Jen

Playing Catchup

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:55:56 -0500

Lines, Lines, Everywhere There's Lines

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:21:56 -0500

Let me preface my iPhone (mis)adventure with Monday's happenings. Sunday night, I had booked flights for Joseph to fly up north for the second half of summer to visit family and friends so I thought it would be a good time to get him a state picture ID. The DPS opens at 7:30 so we got there at 7:00 only to find that there were already about 80 people camped out waiting for the doors to open. Unreal! Well, his trip is fast approaching already so we couldn't put this off. We bit the bullet and took our place at the end of line. After waiting a half hour outside and an hour inside we walked out with his temporary paper ID in hand. Success! Now we wait to see if he gets his permanent picture ID in the mail before his trip!

Ok, so onto today . . .

I've been wanting an iPhone ever since they came out a year ago. We all camped out around the computer last month to watch Steve Jobs' announcement about the release of the new iPhone 3G. Well, the anticipation led us up to this morning's 8AM release. Michael and I left the house with Bernadette at 7AM and headed up to the Apple Store in Southlake. We were giddy as we made the 25 minute drive and took guesses as to how many people would be waiting in line ahead of us. I guessed about 25. Michael went with 100. As we drove up it looked like I was the winner--there were about 25 people lined up outside the door. I'm thinking this is sweet. I'll be on my way home in an hour with my trusty new iPhone. We go to take our places in line and I ask the first guy in line how long he's been there. "Since 8." is his reply. "8 o'clock last night?" "No, 8 o'clock yesterday morning." Wow! We get to the end of the line . . . Oh, wait, that's not the end of the line--it turns that way around the building. . . and then around that building . . . and then that building. Lets just say both our guesses were both way off.

Back in the van! We're on our way to the at&t store back over by our house. What an idiot--I could've saved the gas and went there first. Anyway, half hour later we're back at the at&t store and "Holy Smokes! Look at that line!" It was much shorter than the one at the Apple store but still about 150 people long. Ok, back home for breakfast. We'll come back once this crowd dies down.

Its 9:45. Mom, Michael and Bernie visit the at&t store take two: The line is just as long. We drive up to another store . . . another line.

Ok, it's 1PM now. Time to try again. I'll stick to just the close-by at&t stores again and skip the drive to the Apple store. This time its just Mom. OOOh, no line now! Sweet! I book it in the store quickly before the old couple who parked at the same time as me get in. And . . . no line = no more iPhones!

So, I paid for my iPhone and my leather iPhone holster but only walked out with the empty holster. There is an iPhone somewhere with my name on it, though, and I should have it in my hand in 7 - 10 days.

I guess one more week won't kill me!

Jen

Happy Fourth!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:58:25 -0500

Nunzio's First Communion

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:27:39 -0500

Nunzio received his First Holy Communion on Sunday April 27th. He's been anticipating this for quite some time now and was glad the day finally arrived. We're all very happy for him. He was so glad to share his special day with so many of his friends. Congratulations Nunzio!

Jen

Science Fair

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:00:10 -0500

Saint George's Feast Day

Fri, 02 May 2008 21:51:43 -0500

2192 Days Old Today!

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:24:01 -0500

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Cross is 6 years old.
. . . 72 months old.
. . . 313 weeks old.
. . . 2,192 days old.
. . . 52,623 hours old.
. . . 3,157,403 minutes old.
. . . 189,444,188 seconds old.

Jen

Jacinta's First (Discernible) Lego Creation

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:18:48 -0500

Any guesses as to what it is?

Jen

Schooltime

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:27:11 -0500

Happy 14th Birthday Joseph!

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:05:46 -0500

Joseph's birthday fell on Good Friday this year so he put off opening his presents until today, Easter Sunday. Justin took him shooting yesterday and he had a blast. Still to come: a cheesecake--yum yum! For those of you keeping up with his stats: He now stands 5 feet, 4 ½ inches!

Jen

Happy 8th Birthday Nunzio!

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:05:13 -0500

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:15:29 -0500

A Lesson in Higher Math: Eggs

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:23:02 -0500

If a family of eight eats 11 eggs per day for breakfast then that equals:

77 eggs per week

330 eggs per month

3,960 eggs per year

Now that's a lot of eggs! I know what you're thinking--what about cholesterol? Fear not. Both Justin and I had our cholesterol checked recently and we are both just fine. Personally, I think starting the kids off with eggs is worlds better than feeding them sugar bombs (cereal) drowned in sugar water (milk) with a side of more sugar water (juice.)

Bonus: 3960 eggs = 330 dozen

at $4/dozen for organic eggs that equals $1320/year on eggs!

Stay tuned for your next Lesson in Higher Math: Library books

Jen

PS. I fixed the numbers on last weeks Lesson in Higher Math: Socks. I was way off.

Bernie's First Pair of Shoes

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:26:04 -0500

I'm not sure which she likes better--the shoes or the box they came in!

Jen

I Never Thought I'd See the Day . . .

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:38:19 -0500

when the boys' closet was organized! Thanks Matilda for a great idea! I got the kids on it Tuesday morning after I read your blog Monday night. I've always heard the music from Psycho playing in the back of my mind when I dare to take a peak in their closet . . . Not anymore!

Jen

Lasermonks

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:59:34 -0500

I just wanted to give you all a heads up about a Cistercian monastery that operates an online office supply store. I can't wait until I need some supplies so I can order from them!

Jen

A Lesson in Higher Math: Socks

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:16:13 -0600

If each member of a family of eight wears one pair of socks per day then that equals:

16 socks per day

112 socks per week

480 socks per month

5,760 socks per year

Now that's a lot of laundry! And this doesn't account for those that feel the need to change their socks several times a day . . . but I won't name any names. . .

Stay tuned for your next Lesson in Higher Math: Eggs

Jen

Birthday Girls

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:39:09 -0600

I don't know if Auntie Laurie and Nana coordinated but Bernie got her outfit from Auntie Laurie and Jacinta got hers from Nana. They make quite a pair!

Jen

Happy Birthday Jacinta!

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:41:37 -0600

Three years ago Jacinta joined us. Watching her grow from a little baby to a little girl has been such a pleasure. She makes the world a happier place!

Jen

Ps. We made oatmeal cream pies instead of cake--yummy!

Future Aerobics Instructor. . .

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:25:04 -0600

Jen

Jacinta's First Bike!

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:47:16 -0600

When I read my Freecycle Digest this morning I saw a little girl's bike available so I got right on it and picked it up before morning was over. The timing couldn't be better. Cross just took his training wheels off his bike last week so we put them on Cinta's bike. Then we went over to Toys R Us and Jacinta picked out the girlie helmet and pad set. She is so thrilled. We have four boy bikes of various size here but this is our first girl's bike. Happy Spring!

Jen

Happy Bernday to You!

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:05:47 -0600

It's hard to believe my little girl is one year old already! It seems like just yesterday I was all snuggled up in bed with my new little baby. . .

Jen

Kitchen Adventures

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:39:46 -0600

Since the Chicken Satay was such a big hit last week I decided to try another new (to me) Thai dish.

I was a little nervous since there are three ingredients I've never cooked with before: coconut milk, ginger root and fresh basil. (I omitted the fish sauce.) Once I got to work and experienced the unique aromas of these ingredients I knew the result would be intense--good or bad remained to be seen. As it turns out, the Thai know what they are doing! I couldn't describe the taste to you but I will tell you my taste buds got quite the workout! I stir fried some plain chicken just in case the kids didn't like the Thai dish but it turns out that was unnecessary. Except for a little stress over the shiitake mushrooms everyone was happy.

Its nice to have a couple new dishes added to our menu here at Chez Tocci. . .

Jen

Ps Just in case you're wondering, coconut milk comes in a can and you can find it in the aisle with the mexican/international products.

My Precious

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:03:10 -0600

Way back in the mid-nineties we used Justin's employee discount at Sears to buy an already discounted induction cooktop. We couldn't even use it when we bought it because we didn't have our own place yet. It wasn't until December 1996 that we bought a condo and installed it. We enjoyed four lovely years of induction cooking. I haven't used it since December 2000 when we moved from the condo. It has travelled with us through six moves since then. The long awaited day of its re-enlistment into active duty arrived this weekend. Was it still intact? Was it going to fit into the hole where the ugly, ancient electric cooktop sat? Was it still going to work once it was hooked up? Yes, Yes (with a little help from a reciprocating saw), and Yes.

YES! My precious is back.

An induction cooktop produces a magnetic field which causes the electrons in a ferrous pan to vibrate. The vibrations produce heat causing the pan, and in turn its contents, to become hot. The heat is instant like a gas cooktop yet the heat is uniformly even over the cooking surface. And the heat is instant, so, unlike an electric cooktop, I can move a pan from one burner to another without losing any cooking time.

I can't tell you how much I have missed this particular appliance over the years. Now that its back its even better than I remember. It looks a little rough around the edges--the paint on the control panel is chipped in spots and even a little rusty--but I can live with that. Kenmore still carries parts for it, so, we can restore it to its original beauty. And in the meantime it beats the heck out of the eyesore it replaced as far as aesthetics go. In fact, there is no comparison (aesthetically or culinarily.)

Click here to see the newer induction cooktops available at Sears and here is a article on induction cooking.

Bon Appétit!

Jen

Chicken Satay

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:21:10 -0600

Bern Rubber!

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:28:20 -0600

It's time to get this girl a pedometer!

Jen

Up Up and Away!

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:53:14 -0600

Bernadette took her first steps this afternoon! It was unexpected in that no one was encouraging her to walk at that moment so we didn't catch it on film. Of course when I pulled out the camcorder she was no longer interested in walking. As soon as I do catch her walking on video I will post it but for now this video of her standing up will have to hold you. . .

Jen

Merry Christmas 2007

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:45:53 -0600

Happy Birthday Michael!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:49:06 -0600

Michael celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday! Happy Birthday buddy! We love you!

Jen

Nana and Pepere are Here!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:58:34 -0600

Nana and Pepere arrived on Monday for a visit! We wanted to surprise the kids so we didn't tell them. Michael must have overheard us planning because in the days leading up to their arrival he asked me more than once if they were coming. When I asked him why he was asking he said he had a hunch. Well, his hunch was well founded! It was nice to have Nana and Pepere with us for Michael's birthday yesterday and we look forward to spending Christmas and New Years with them as well!

Jen

My Little Helper

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:17:11 -0600

Jacinta likes to help me in the kitchen. She used to be constantly underfoot while I did my food prep but now she stands on a chair and watches (and asks lots of questions!). We made some bread this morning. The aroma is filling the house as I type this--I can't wait for lunchtime!

Jen

Jacinta is Asleep at the Wheel . . .

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:37:04 -0600

Too cute!

Jen

Let it Snow!

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:13:38 -0600

Happy Thanksgiving! Snow is such a rarity here I just had to catch it on film for posterity's sake! Of course it turned to rain pretty quickly and didn't stick so no sledding for us!

Jen

Poor Cinta!

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:23:57 -0600

. . . and now today she's back to her cheerful self!

Bernadette's First Tatoo

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:15:44 -0600

Phun Photo's

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:22:27 -0600

We got these hand-me-down PJ's from a friend a couple months back and I've been dying to see Jacinta wear them. She has stubbornly refused until tonight when she finally decided to give them a try!

Turn That Down!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:15:38 -0500

Yup. With a family of eight the noise level can be a bit much at times. Bernadette concurs!

Jen

It's all in a Name

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:30:10 -0500

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)

Dusty Van

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME:(first letter of first name, first three letters of last name)

J-Toc

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Purple Koala

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Lynn Leominster

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

Toc-Je

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Blue Tea

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Louis Lester

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Ann

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Stout Seattle

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Fall Lily

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)

Strawberry Shortsie

14. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Banana Bread Birch

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Centerfire Breeze Tour

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun. . .

Jen

ABC's

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:28:33 -0500

Jacinta learned her ABC's recently--have a listen. . .

Jen

My Cuties

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:56:28 -0500

What can I say about these two? They are two peas in a pod, for sure: Very Loud and Very Active! It's going to be fun watching these two grow up together!

Jen

Cinta Got a Haircut. . .

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:58:35 -0500

(Click on a photo to see it enlarged.)

Jen

Expert Crawler

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:56:34 -0500

Not two weeks ago I reported that Bernadette had just learned to crawl. In that time she has become quite the expert. If she sees something she wants across the room then she's there faster than a speeding bullet! Here you can see her navigating the only step we have in the house. . .

Jen

Pecans Anyone?

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:17:40 -0500

The last time I mowed I noticed a bunch of pecans on the ground under the pecan tree in our backyard. . We didn't what to do with them so we did what any warm-blooded American would do--we googled it. Following the handy dandy instructions we found online we had the kids gather them up and sort them. (Some are still in green shucks, some are in brown shucks, some brown shucks are cracked or peeling and some are shuckless.) The shucks are outside of the pecan shells. Now. . . we wait. The pecans have to dry. In a couple weeks we'll crack open the shuckless ones and (hopefully) roast them. I don't know--this is all new to us. I hope it works. . .

(Click on a photo to see it enlarged.)

Jen

Calvin and Hobbes

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:49:24 -0500

We finally emptied storage last month and I unpacked all the boxes of books that we hadn't seen in a while. Among the books are four very worn out Calvin and Hobbes collections that the boys love to read over and over again. . .

Jen

Group Effort

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:27:21 -0500

The kids (with a little help from Papa) put my upper back machine together tonight. I've been slacking in the exercise department--I guess I'm out of excuses. . .

(Click on a photo to see it enlarged.)

Jen

Jacinta's School

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:38:36 -0500

Jacinta must have been feeling left out when her older brother's were "doing school." She insisted that she "do school." So I hooked her up with Starfall and she loves it! Look at how intently she works!

Jen

B.L.T.

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 11:59:00 -0500

Bernadette has the best initials in this family: B.L.T. (My FAV-o-rite fruit!)

She's made a lot of progress in the past couple of weeks. All of a sudden she can sit up and play. Just today, for the first time, she sat up on her own from laying down whereas until today we had to physically sit her up.

Also, in the last week, she has learned to crawl. Now that she can crawl she's not interested in staying on her blanket of toys. She wants to explore. Oh boy, no rest for the weary now! I better grow eyes on the back of my head. . .

She's showing off her teeth in this picture. She got her first one at 4 1/2 months and then her second about a month later. And then, again just in the last couple of weeks, three more sprouted.

Bernadette loves to eat all of sudden, too. (All that crawling must make her hungry!) Her favorite food is sweet potato with guacamole a close second.

She spends a lot of time on my back in a back-pack. This frees up my hands to cook, clean, grocery shop, etc.

She certainly doesn't suffer from any kind of lack of attention. We all adore her. She is affectionately called "Boo-dette" by Jacinta and Bernadette, Bernadette, Bernadette-dette-dette (to the tune of the William Tell Overture) by Nunzio.

Jen