The Nicastro Ballpark

This weekend of rain has allowed our imaginations to play.  Today we turned the basement into a ballpark and practiced our hand-eye coordination.  Daddy was very pleased to see us discard the baseball tee and opt for a slow pitch game instead.  

The kids had a blast and learned all about the 3 strike rule.  Luckily, they kept their eyes on the ball and rarely got "out". (Yes, Daddy was loving it!)

Look out SportsCenter!  The Nicastro name may be prominent in your highlight reel! 

Remember little Nicastros, its not about winning or losing.... 

.... it's about making your Daddy happy that you may be athletic! :)

XoXoX

A Chicken, a Lion, and Some Bears

What does a chicken, a lion, and some bears have in common? Well, they are some of the favorite things that we found at the public library near Nona's house! Mommy promised us a trip to the libary, (oops we mean libRary - we are still practicing that one), so we could get a new and fun learning experience. The first thing we HAD to do was play on the computer.  Getting used to a mouse was a difficult thing but we picked it up quickly.

Anthony praciticed his letters with a train game! 

Next, it was on to puzzles. This library had many, many puzzles to choose from.

Once we found the perfect puzzles, there was no stopping us. 

Cute bugs for everyone,...

Until ... Anthony found the large inset toys!

He loved to play with them and make them play with each other. 

But he was also claimed to be "scared" of them...

Afterall, "Spiders are yucky."

Before we knew it, lunchtime was here.  But we couldn't leave without an impromptu puppet show... which is where we met the chicken....

The lion...

and some bears.

Ok, maybe one of them is a dog, but no one uses labels here at the library!  We all had a great time and can't wait until our next visit.  Who were those amazing puppeteers? Ysabella and Anthony, of course!

Remember Little Nicastros, we are never too old to use our imaginations and explore new places.

I'm sure we'll see you again at the libary,... i mean libRary!

XooX

Family Fun Day

This very long and seemingly endless winter weather may be miserable for most people.   For the Nicastro clan it can create fun filled days spent with family.  We had nothing but time and plenty of snow to keep us entertained....

...or full. (stay away from the yellow stuff, kids)

Ysabella learned how difficult making a snow angel can be when the quickly falling snow tickles your eyelashes. 

And Anthony struggled to master the use of a shovel, ... the snow goes on top of the shovel, not under. 

The best part, especially for Mommy, are the great photos we got to remember it all. 

Cheese!

Happy Snow Days everyone.  Daylight savings is coming this weekend which means spring can't be too far behind. 

Please little Nicastros, be nice to Mommy and Daddy as they spring ahead and lose an hour of sleep! 

Personality

As the kids get older Mommy and Daddy love watching different personality traits emerge.  Daddy loves that Anthony enjoys being active and plays basketball.  Mommy is thrilled to see the determination it brings out in him.  Nothing can stop him from trying,... even never making a shot.

Remember little Nicastros, practice makes perfect.... and never, ever give up!

XoXoX

Pirate or Princess

Mommy and Daddy know we love Disney Junior (and all of its programming).  All week we've been getting excited about going to Disney Live: Pirates and Princess Adventure.  Thanks to some great friends, we were even decked out with the proper accessories (sword and princess wand) to look just like our favorite characters! 

Sometimes we even got a little confused by what role we were trying to play. 

Daddy also promised us popcorn for the show, which is our favorite special treat. Thankfully, the show was interactive and had us up on our feet, dancing and acting like pirates, "Arg!!"

We all left with full bellies and big smiles....

or completely exhausted, but with good grip strength, from such a great day! 

Merry Christmas, little Nicastros! 

And remember families and great memories can last a lifetime! 

xoxox

First Snow

We've had a few minor snow storms here in VA, but this week was our first real snow storm (that we were old enough to enjoy)!  10-12 inches fell here and we got to enjoy every great snow day activity. Our friends, the Poindexters, also love snow and decided to spend the day with us. It all started with building a snow man.

Unfortunately, it started out a little rough.  Mommy had to make a path in the snow for Ysabella to walk.  She wasn't too fond of sinking with every step.  Eventually, she got used to it and was proud to show off how well she could walk around. 

Though, maintaining your balance through deep snow can be tough and Mommy often heard cries from Ysabella about "getting dirty" and other shouts of, "I don't like that!"

Soon, the plows came down the street and created a perfect opportunity to dig a snow fort.  We started with a small opening.

And each took turns getting close to the entrance.

Once Anthony saw the tunnel form, he was the only one brave enough to help dig deep.

Digging tunnels gets really tiring so it didn't take long before a snowball fight broke out.  Anthony, being smaller and less agile than the older kids, was left behind to snowball fight his own opponent.  He carefully and calmly gathered snow and packed it tight to create ammo.

Then aimed and let loose.

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all know who the winner of this snowball fight is.

After a little warm up, nap, and refueling we all trekked to the Poindexter estate to continue the snow day fun. Daddy was most excited to play with the 4-wheeler.

And the kids didn't hate it either! 

All in all, we had a great day off.  Ysabella took some time to enjoy the cold atmosphere, but Mommy and Anthony could have played outside all day.

Soon the sun was setting and the ice/snow that was falling felt like daggers in your face, particularly at high speeds on an all wheel drive, ride on vehicle.  Finally, it was time for Ysabella's favorite snow day ritual.  Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Cheers to lazy, cozy days off with family and friends!  We hope everyone stays safe and warm and can spend time with their loved ones. 

And remember, little Nicastros, never put your cold hands or feet on Daddy's bare skin! 

XOXOX

The Dink

 What is The Dink? A coin, a shape, or a hated (by some) nickname? The Dink is our very own Ysabella Sophia, who like a shape has many sides.  Like most toddlers, she has her "moments" OR she can be sweet and cuddly.

Or artsy (complete with proper/unique attire...)

Or a fashionista (fashion comes full circle, right? Like bell bottoms?)

You may even see her musical side with, The Dink: Live in Concert

Which Dink is Mommy and Daddy's favorite? The adorable, lovable, funny, smart, sweet, ticklish, thoughtful, silly, inquisitive, huggable, polite, energetic, smiley, and all around amazing Dink!! 

We love you, Ysabella Sophia. And its been amazing watching all of the sides of you grow and develop.

xoxox