Five years ago today, Angie and I threw the best party I've ever been to... also known as our wedding.
Nearly 300 guests. The best DJ around. Amazing food. A bouncy house. Eight kegs. I could go on and on and on.
But, there were really two things that made the day so special.
1) the people involved...
300 of our closest family and friends. My dad as Best Man. Sammy as the Maid of Honor. Vicky as Justice of the Peace. Heather on the flute. Readings by our sisters. Jimmy and Corey as DJs. Mandy's cake. Candy's flowers. Carl & Lynda's house. Muddah and Papa John. The food crew. The clean-up crew.
2) the little moments that I will never forget...
My dad's cherry toast. Wearing the cake, not eating it. The mother-son dance. JuJu eating corn. Carl on the golf cart with the kids. Grampa dancing. Uncles tending bar. The downpour. The sombreros. Shoeless Polgreen. Fusta the bride. Keg stands.
And, I'm sure I'm missing some key people and events.
Nonetheless, day one of our marriage set the bar extremely high, but the past five years have not disappointed for one second.
Our wedding day actually foreshadowed what the next five years would be all about: family, friends and fun. Those are the three things that we wanted to make our wedding all about and it's also what we've tried to make every day as husband and wife about.
The past five years have been hectic and full of significant life changes and milestones for us, both personally and professionally, but we couldn't be happier with where the journey has led us. And, I'm very proud of the family we have started, the relationship we've maintained and the direction that we're headed.
With three healthy and wonderful kids, families that we love dearly and friends that we couldn't live without, we feel like the luckiest people in the world.
I love you, Ang. Here's to not changing the locks on me for a few more years. Cheers!
It's not every day that you are fortunate enough to experience a KIMism in person (unless you're my Mom), but boy oh boy was I treated to one while camping with my parents last week... and I have audio to prove it!
[If you're not a long-time follower of The Cardinal Blog, then you probably have no idea what a KIMism is... well, read the original post here.]
Anyway, this gem occurred while my Dad was playing his guitar as we sat around the campfire. For me, this was a real cool set of songs by my Dad because it was a lot of stuff I hadn't heard him play in years.
After listening to a cool version of "Don't let the sun catch you crying", made famous by Gerry & the Pacemakers in the mid-60s, he let out this priceless nugget (WARNING: a little 'choice' language).
I had to leave a little of our reaction in there because that part cracked me up too. There was about a one-second pause and then I start giggling like a school girl.
There are seriously no two people on this planet that Angie and I would rather hang out with than my parents. And that's a fact... especially if KIMisms are gonna be thrown around.
I don't think I could script a better Fourth of July weekend for us if I tried. We packed as much stuff as we could into the long weekend and ran the kids (and ourselves) ragged, but it was such a blast.
[WARNING: You are about to embark on an epically long blog post now.]
Friday night we kicked off the festivities by hitting up a Worcester Tornadoes game. Leo was actually into the game for a few innings, which was kind of surprising. His fascination for balls and people watching skills were on display and everyone in our section clearly loved the little guy.
Anna's infatuation with Twister, the Tornadoes mascot, continued. She brought her Twister doll that we got her last year and couldn't wait to see him in real life when we got there. Once again, she spent nearly the entire game worrying/wondering about Twister's whereabouts.
Unlike last year though, she wasn't afraid to go up to him and say hello. She actually wanted to give him some of her popcorn, then milk, then cotton candy... we eventually convinced Anna he wasn't hungry, so she settled for a high-five and a hug from the furry "dog".
I got it all on video and her (and Angie) are so cute after... as Anna says, Twister was so "comfully".
While Leo didn't go in for any action with Twister, he was perfectly content just hanging out in the stands and playing with Mommy...
On Saturday, we headed down to Jamie and Maura's house in Stoughton for a Fourth of July cookout, but first we decided to brave the Atlantic Ocean on the kayaks with the kids down at Plymouth Harbor. Don't worry, I had done a significant amount of research to find a good spot that would be safe for us and Plymouth Harbor was exactly that.
We headed down to Stephens Field, right on the water in Plymouth, to put the kayaks in there. Plymouth Harbor was absolutely mobbed with boats, but it was great to navigate through them all to get to the Mayflower (replica) that is docked in the harbor, along with the Plymouth Rock.
The Mayflower replica was pretty cool, but other than the historical significance of the Plymouth Rock, I could not have been less impressed. I mean, there are larger boulders in my parents front yard... seriously.
After kayaking, we had a picnic lunch back at Stephens Field, let Anna explore the playground for a little bit, and then we were off to Jamie's for the cookout.
It was an absolutely perfect day for some burgers and beers with good friends. We ended up pitching our tent outback of Jamie's house and stayed the night.
We headed home on Sunday morning to unpack and repack and then we were off to Boston. Scott and his roommate were out of town for the weekend, so they graciously offered up their apartment to us for the weekend so we could enjoy the Fourth in the city with the kids... and we did just that.
Sunday afternoon we got settled at Scott's and ventured into the city. The weather didn't cooperate that much, so we had dinner, checked out a few things and then headed back for a relatively quiet night at the apartment.
Monday, however, wasn't so quiet.
We started off the day just walking around the city and checking out all the huge boats in the Boston Harbor. It was hot early, so we let the kids cool off at the Rings Fountain that's part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Leo was slightly intimidated by the big jets of water at first, but a little help from Ang and he was in full attack mode.
Shockingly, we pretty much had the fountains to ourselves, which was great because Anna was a maniac in the thing. Running, jumping, sliding, sitting. You name it, she was doing it.
After the fountains, we headed over to the Old State House to watch the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the site where it was originally read in 1776...
This wasn't high on the priority list for Angie and the kids, but it's something I always wanted to do and it was cool... if you're somewhat of an American history fan, like myself. I know I'm biased, but Boston is the best city and the history around every corner is what helps make the place so special, without a doubt.
After the reading, we headed to meet up with Tiffany, Pete and the kids where we caught the parade rolling by in front of Faneuil Hall...
Next up, the New England Aquarium. Tiff and Pete recently purchased a big family pass and were happy to treat us to a day with the fish.
On our way over to the aquarium though, we got sidetracked again by the Rings Fountain as we let the kids cool off. Anna and Andrew have become rather inseparable lately, so to no one's surprise, they were even attached at the hip in the fountain. Leo didn't get to venture in this time as it was super crowded, but he was perfectly content hanging out with the adults... most notably Uncle Pete.
Finally on our way to the aquarium and the three big cousins couldn't be any happier as they walked hand-in-hand with Aunt Tiff...
The aquarium was a blast and probably my favorite part of the day. With Andrew as the tour guide, he basically took Anna through the aquarium, showing and telling her everything he had learned the day before when he was there too. Andrew is freakishly smart with an unreal memory... he's one apple that fell way off the tree.
Anyway, when we stopped in a little nook of the Giant Ocean Tank, the kids were priceless... screaming at the top of their lungs when they'd see sharks, Natalie joking with Pete to "throw her in", me getting Andrew to believe that a fish was whistling. I could go on and on. We were only at that spot for about 15 minutes, but it really summed up the day with Tiff and Pete and the kids... tons of fun!
After the Aquarium, we hit up Tia's on the Waterfront for lunch and then ice cream in Faneuil Hall before saying goodbye to the George's as they headed home.
We once again regrouped back at the apartment before making a late-night run out to catch the fireworks. Both kids were fast asleep, but we just had to get them out to see some of the fireworks.
Leo was an absolute trooper. He woke up the second we put him in the stroller at 9:15 p.m. and stayed awake until about 11:30 when we got back. And, we were so glad that we took them out for the fireworks because Leo was in sheer awe at the spectacle.
It was so dark on the Longfellow Bridge, that the videos I tried to take didn't come out, but he was oohing, ahhing and pointing the entire time.
Anna, however, was not interested in being woken up to catch the fireworks... at least we tried.
Well, I hope you're exhausted from reading this uber-long blog post... imagine how we feel after just living it. Excuse me while I try to sneak a nap in this afternoon.
PS: Special thanks again to Scott and "The Grizz" for letting us stay at their awesome Beacon Hill apartment. We had a blast!
A year ago today, we were graced with the best-natured little boy that anyone could ever ask for when Leo Michael Cardinal was born.
It's insane to think that we've had the little guy for a full year now... as the last 365 days have been a complete whirlwind for us.
The leap parents must take going from having one young child to two young children is HUGE and Leo did his part to make this a stress-free transition for us. I mean, thrice he had double ear infections and never even cried about it. Talk about low maintenance, huh?
There are a lot of things that I could say about Leo. Like how I'm so proud to finally have a son. Like how psyched I am that he's a "big" kid. Or how much I love seeing him in Angie's arms. But, honestly the thing that I can't express enough about Leo is how happy he makes me each and every day.
I think most parents can say this about their kids. And, I know I said it about Anna, but Leo really takes this to a whole new level. The kid just makes me happy. In fact, he makes EVERYONE happy. There's really not much else to say. If you've met Leo, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you've been a shopper passing by him in the grocery store, you know exactly what I'm talking about. He's just this little infectious bundle of joy that makes people want to do two things:
1) Smile, and 2) Pinch his chubby cheeks.
That's it. Just thinking about him makes me smile ear-to-ear. We have been blessed with an amazingly good-natured kid that is always smiling and loves to make people laugh. He's such a treat and I am so excited to watch him grow up.
So, happy birthday Leo! Thanks for being you and for making me the happiest father in the world. I love you, big bud.
PS: My "happiness" may turn to fear the minute he starts walking... stay tuned.
Summer officially began for us this past week as we took Leo on his first-ever camping and kayaking expedition.
We hit up Pawtuckaway State Park for four nights (well, three actually since one night was a "rainout" for us) and had a blast. The weather didn't cooperate the entire time we were there, but Friday was definitely one of the most enjoyable days with the wife and kids I've ever had.
The campground is right on Pawtuckaway Lake (we were at sites 75/76 on Horse Island), so we set out on the kayaks for a little exploring. The lake is great because there are tons of small islands with lots of spots to park your kayak for remote fun.
We ended up docking at the campground store, hit up the beach next to it and then got the kids' ice cream there. It was so great finally being able to take both kids out to do something cool like this. Anna was in her glory and Leo was a treat as always.
I snapped this video of Leo eating his apple in the kayak with me. It got wedged between his chest and his life vest, but that didn't stop him from eating it. I actually think he preferred eating it this way, as he is a pretty lazy eater...
Leo was also happy as a clam to just be in the tent. He got a pretty big kick out of it (as this video shows), so needless to say, we'll probably be camping and kayaking a whole lot more this summer...
Thankfully the tornado missed us last night out in Hudson, but it was a surreal scene that I have never witnessed before as our entire house was surrounded by lightning. Check it out...
As an aside, this HD movie and photos were all taken and edited directly on my iPhone. Took about 10 minutes from start to finish... technology is pretty slick, isn't it?
In an impromptu move, Angie decided that she wanted to give Leo his first haircut today. Being Mother's Day and all, how on earth could I say no, right?
Actually, I was all for it too. Sammy seemed a little incredulous. And Anna was a little disinterested, but we went ahead with it anyway. These photos really tell the story...
Three things I just need to say here:
1) I had to include that photo of Leo crying, but he actually loved getting his haircut 90% of the time.
2) Leo is no longer a baby or an infant, he's a little boy. And,
3) My wife is perdy.
Sunday marked Leo's first Easter and our annual trip to Ludlow was in order.
Anna was particularly psyched in the morning, not only because the Easter Bunny hid Squinkies throughout her room, but because she got to see her cousins and go on Vó Nezzie's "jump-a-room" (AKA: trampoline).
Nezzy made a feast that got approval by all, especially Leo as he had ham for the first time and sweet potatoes.
By mid afternoon the house was an absolute zoo with kids galore running around all hopped up on sugar and we had a blast.
Spring has arrived and with it comes a slew of kids in our neighborhood that are forever riding bikes around the block... the biggest difference this year is that Anna is quickly becoming one of those kids.
Angie knocked the dust off Anna's hand-me-down bike (from a neighbor), slapped the Dora helmet on her and away she went. Anna showed no fear, which was awesome.
Anna still doesn't quite grasp the concept of stopping or turning (much like me when I first learned to ski), but that doesn't stop her from going like a bat out of hell down the sidewalk, giggling the whole way.
Nine months of this "little" buddy have been so much fun. I know a lot of parents have tough times when their kids are babies and infants, but Leo has been so awesome.
For example, about a month ago, we were commenting that Leo seemed a little "off" and then a few days later he opened his mouth and had six teeth. I know the teething process for some kids makes parents want to gouge their eyes out, but Leo took it in stride... which is what he really does with everything in our crazy lives... flashing his infectious smile the whole way.
Leo had his nine-month check-up today and continues to impress the doctor. The little guy tips the scales at a healthy 26 pounds, nine ounces (99th percentile... finally back ON the charts), is 29" tall (87th percentile) and has a head circumference that ranks in the 96th percentile.
I think people who say it isn't fair or right to compare children are either crazy or don't have a blog to use as their reference. I mean, when you look back at when Anna turned nine months, she had four teeth, weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces, was 28.25" tall and had a head circumference in the 80th percentile. It's neat to compare Leo to Anna like that. Kind of puts everything in perspective for me.
While it may be easy to compare their stats, the difference in Anna and Leo's personalities is probably more of a reflection of how Angie and I have changed and how we (mostly me) had more of a clue what to expect the second time around as a parent to an infant.
Leo's just a feel-good kind of kid. Anna was, and obviously still is, our little performer, but it doesn't seem like Leo's personality traits are headed as much in that direction. Anna makes you die laughing by being goofy and putting on a show (see Exhibit A), while Leo makes you feel so warm and fuzzy just by smiling or tilting his head with that adorable look on his face (see Exhibit B at left).
Sure, comparing the children is fun to do and has some tangibles to it, but there's really no comparison with how lucky we feel to be blessed with another happy and healthy child. I'll let you debate who's cuter, I think it's a push...
Anna discovered the Photo Booth app on my Mac today and proceeded to ham it up, big time. If you can watch this without cracking up, then you need to check your pulse.
On the heals of Saturday's Play Pals post, I think I may have jinxed the great relationship between my two kiddos as Anna let her true colors come through during today's playdate with James.
Here's a brief recap of the day with three photos.
The three kids do their best zombie impressions while watching Toy Story 2.
Anna is enamored by the cute boys that surround her.
Anna turns on Leo in an instant as he tries to play with her ball.
Anna and Leo have turned out to be great play pals. Basically, Anna puts on a show and Leo sits back, watches and laughs. It's really a win-win for everyone because Anna loves to make people laugh and Leo loves to giggle.
I'm sure there will come a day when Anna and Leo at each other's throats (right, Tiff?), but at least I'll have this video to remind me how cute they used to play together.
In perfect fashion, Anna and Leo's first hockey game was none other than one of Ethan's games at the New England SportsCenter on Saturday morning.
With Ethan's Bantam team playing in a three-game, two-day tournament less than 10 minutes from our house, Bill and Ethan came down to stay with us for the tourney.
Ethan had a rough schedule which consisted of a 10:30 p.m. night cap on Friday night, an 8:30 a.m. contest on Saturday morning and then a 9:30 p.m. game on Saturday night. Crazy.
That schedule obviously meant that the only game we'd be able to take the kids to was the Saturday morning game. So, we bundled everyone up and off we went.
Leo obviously had no clue what was going on, but looked adorable in his "fuddy duddy" hat, and Anna seemed to like the Zamboni and arcade in the lobby more than anything. Nonetheless, it was their first hockey game.
More important than the actual games was the fact that we got to hang out with Bill and Ethan for two-straight days. I can honestly say that it's been about 15 years since I've been able to say that... which is a shame and something I'm hoping to change because Bill's always been one of my all-time favorite people and Ethan is following in his footsteps, that's for sure.
Anyway, the best part of the whole weekend was learning that Anna shared the same affinity for Bill and Ethan that I do. On Saturday, there was a lot of time between games and we just hung out at our house. Anna used this time to make Bill her play date... which was hilarious.
The two were making puzzles together, horsing around on the couch, playing catch in the kitchen and basically anything else that Anna could think of. After a good while of playing together, Bill sat down on the couch to get a break and Anna relentlessly came over to him and asked him to play some more. I was doing my best to interject and convince Anna to give Bill a break, but once she said to Bill, "You're my best friend. Do you want to come play with me?", all bets were off. I mean, not only did that leave me speechless, but it really left Bill with no choice, but to go play with his new BFF. It was classic Anna.
The icing on the cake of this great weekend was seeing Ethan score a goal in his final game on Saturday night. What a perfect way to cap a great weekend. Thanks for coming down guys. Hopefully we can do it again sooner rather than later... I mean, Anna can't go long without seeing her new bestie.
Angie and I can't even remember how this began, but for some reason, Anna and I have been saying goodbye to each other for months now by saying "Lova ya" and then "clucking" at the end.
It's turned into my "1, 2, 3.... 4". Only my immediately family probably understands what I mean by that, but it's just a special thing that somehow Anna and I started that has now evolved into me, Angie, Sammy, Anna and Leo saying it to each other on a daily basis.
Merry Christmas everyone! Today is sure to be the best Christmas of my life, thanks to these two little kiddos. I hope everyone enjoys time with their families because I know I will. Ho ho ho!
And... here's our "Christmas card" in case you haven't seen it yet. Enjoy!
Not really, but my little girl looks so old (and so adorable) in this photo. I'm gonna be in trouble when she really does turn 17. Excuse me while I load my gun.
2) the little moments that I will never forget...
Nonetheless, day one of our marriage set the bar extremely high, but the past five years have not disappointed for one second.
