TheFamilyOriani

PepsiCo Sculpture Garden

2009-05-23T17:32:00.000-04:00

Family Visit

2009-03-15T21:00:00.003-04:00

We had a great visit with Patricia and Brandon's Grandma and Grandpa, their Aunt Janice and Vicki, and Janice's daughter (their cousin) Tonya and Ellie (their second cousin). It was very nice to see all of them and visit. Ellie was the star of the show. Isn't she a cutie???

Aquarium

2009-03-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

James and Patricia visited the Norwalk, CT aquarium.

The Ninja Resturant

2009-03-10T12:33:00.003-04:00

We took our Friends Steve and Cheryl to the Ninja Restaurant for Steve's birthday! We battled scary ninjas and ate some really good Japanese food!

New Website

2009-02-26T21:12:00.002-05:00

Greetings,

Just a reminder that we have a new website. I will continue to keep this blog updated however the new website is a little more dynamic then the blog. I personally think its more fun to look at! Enjoy!

http://thefamilyoriani.synthasite.com/

Live with Regis and Kelly!

2009-02-19T14:42:00.003-05:00

James, Patricia and I visited the Live with Regis and Kelly show today. We had a lot of fun. We got to see Kevin Bacon, New Kids on the Block, Taylor Hicks, and David Spade. David Spade was a surprise guest for the audience. They taped his interview after the show ended. I guess it will air another day. Anyway lots of fun!

Visit with Kara

2009-02-17T11:00:00.002-05:00

Patricia and I went to visit my niece/her cousin yesterday. Kara is 26 days old and oh so lovely! She is just a beautiful baby. We had a great time.

Live with Regis and Kelly!

2009-02-10T17:52:00.004-05:00

James, Patricia and I are going attend the taping of Live with Regis and Kelly on February 19, 2009. Hopefully we will get a chance to say Hi! Look for us in the audience.

Fam photos!!

2009-02-09T16:25:00.002-05:00

Photos of family photos!

2009-02-02T21:11:00.003-05:00

We have a new website!

2009-01-27T23:38:00.002-05:00

Greetings,

We have a new website. I will only be updating the blog with general information. Photos and family information will now be on the website.

http://thefamilyoriani.synthasite.com/

Whitney Museum

2009-01-25T22:28:00.004-05:00

We went to the Whitney Museum today to see the Alexander Calder exhibit. We could not take photos inside the exhibit so I apologize for the reproductions. Anyway what led to this excursion was the book The Calder Game.

In our house, a new Blue Balliett book inspires a rousing chorus (or perhaps I should say a noisy duet), of “Oh goody!” We were one of many, many fans of Blue’s first book, Chasing Vermeer, and we was nearly as pleased by her second, The Wright III.

Petra and Calder are at it again, up to some serious, art-infused detective work, and this time, Calder’s buddy Tommy is along for the ride. It all starts when the kids go to an exhibition of Alexander Calder’s work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

Twilight update

2009-01-24T18:04:00.004-05:00

Graphics & Myspace Layouts

Patricia started the fourth book today. I am finished!!!! What a great series. We can't wait for the second movie!

Twilight Glitter

Twilight

2009-01-21T15:00:00.004-05:00

Twilight Glitters

Twilight! The new craze in our house. Patricia is beginning the third book and I am just finishing the fourth. We have seen the movie and are anxiously waiting for the release of New Moon in November of this year! Stephanie Meyer has captured us and reeled us in. This vampire story is riveting and fun to read. Patricia is obsessed with Edward!! I got her a necklace with the Cullen crest on it. She wears it every day. Very fun story the movie does not do it justice.

Twilight Glitters

The Museum of Modern Art

2009-01-10T20:17:00.005-05:00

We trekked to the Museum of Modern Art today. We braved the snow, wind, and freezing temperatures. It was all worth it!!! We had a great day.

James and Heather

2009-01-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Random stuff

2008-12-28T22:45:00.003-05:00

Upstate Wedding

2008-12-28T22:42:00.003-05:00

James and I went to a wedding in Fishkill, NY today. The bride and groom were former cadets from our detachment. They have both since commissioned, but they never had a real wedding. So today was the day. I didn't get any good pics of the wedding party...too many people! But the church was nice.

2008-12-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

Comments & Myspace layouts

What Is Kiva?

2008-12-21T12:37:00.001-05:00

We Let You Loan to the Working Poor

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

Kiva partners with existing expert microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified entrepreneurs. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva, our partners upload their entrepreneur profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them. When you do, not only do you get a unique experience connecting to a specific entrepreneur on the other side of the planet, but our microfinance partners can do more of what they do, more efficiently.

Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle, and what effect it has on the people and institutions lending it, borrowing it, and managing it along the way. To do this, we are using the power of the internet to facilitate one-to-one connections that were previously prohibitively expensive. Child sponsorship has always been a high overhead business. Kiva creates a similar interpersonal connection at much lower costs due to the instant, inexpensive nature of internet delivery. The individuals featured on our website are real people who need a loan and are waiting for socially-minded individuals like you to lend them money.

http://www.kiva.org/about

The Doggies Had a Blast!

2008-12-19T16:39:00.003-05:00

Its a blizzard!

2008-12-19T14:19:00.003-05:00

The snow just keeps coming down!

Countdown

2008-12-16T12:41:00.001-05:00

Christmas Countdown & MySpace Layouts

How is this for a blast from the past???

2008-12-14T09:59:00.004-05:00

For those of you that don't know. This is a picture of me at Christmas. I assume I was three so 1978 would have been the year. You can't see my mom sitting in the chair just past the tree but let me fill you in. She has a lovely pair of pompom socks on with lace up dress shoes a gigantic collar and a sweater vest! Rock'en the 70s mom! Of course following suite was my dad. The burnt orange shirt...really? Anyway enjoy the blast from the past!

a new JibJab Sendable

2008-12-13T21:24:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

WE GOT A SMART ONE!!!

2008-12-07T16:57:00.001-05:00

2008-12-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

thefamilyoriani

2008-11-29T22:24:00.001-05:00

Christmas Countdown & MySpace Layouts

Anna Bannana

2008-11-29T21:41:00.003-05:00

This is Anna. She belongs to one of my clients. How cute is she!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T00:49:00.003-05:00

We went to PA for Thanksgiving. The kids had a really good time. We ate way too much food. Hope your holiday was great!

Bolt

2008-11-23T22:35:00.002-05:00

Everyone has to go see the movie Bolt. If for no other reason then the hamster!!! I laughed the entire way through the movie! Click on the title of this post to see the official website.

Brandon's Birthday

2008-11-23T22:29:00.004-05:00

Brandon turned 17 yesterday. The day was rather quiet. He slept late, so the rest of us ate his birthday breakfast for him. I baked him a carrot birthday cake, yes I baked!!! The family got him a new digital camera and the stuff that goes with it. Cannon camera bag, telephoto lens, memory card, etc. I will post some of his photos when I can get him to send them to me. He made out like a bandit. Grandma Jeannine sent him the new hot iron he has been wanting and Grandma Cross sent him a card. He hung out with Grace most of the afternoon so we went to Barnes and Noble to read and shop.

Catching up!

2008-11-23T21:50:00.007-05:00

This post is kind of a hodgepodge of things. I have not posted here for a while so I am just catching up. Halloween went really well! Patricia and her friend Kathy went trick-or-treating together. Kathy's mom brought a cart on wheels on the outing so the girls kept dumping their candy bags into the cart and going back for more. Both girls came away with soooo much candy! We still have a full bowl on the counter.

School is going very well for Patricia. She is excelling in math. Fractions and algebra seem to be her thing. Other students are seeking her assistance in class. She still has a lot of homework each night, but she continues to happily plug away at it. Her current independent reading book is Letters to a Little Sister by Harper Hill. She had to pick a non-fiction book for an oral report this time. This will be only her second oral presentation. She did very well on her first one. Her first oral report was on Barack Obama. She was assigned to build a campaign poster and give an oral presentation on her favorite candidate. She did very well on this assignment. She chose then Senator Obama on her own after watching the presidential debates. She and I made a button for her to wear on the day she gave her speech. I have posted her poster and her grading sheet. 98% on that one. She was very proud of herself. So were we, we sent her an Edible Arrangement.

First term grades...

And finally here school pictures came in this week.

A little bit of humanity! Get a tissue!

2008-10-25T22:55:00.003-04:00

I received this is an email today and I thought I would share it. This is actually the second time I have received this so you may have already read it but I thought that it was odd that this story made it around to me a second time. I felt compelled to post it. So here it is.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son? The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presen ts itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay di dn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling,'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

We have a new intellectual in the family!

2008-10-19T09:16:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the day! Patricia got a new hair do, extensions put in her hair and eye glasses! Check it out!

Marble Mania

2008-10-12T00:29:00.004-04:00

It is marble mania time...check out this project!!! Patricia has to conseptualize, design and build a marble roll contraption that will hold a marble for 5-8 seconds. I think she has done it!!! Gotta love it!

Vampire princess - Take 1

2008-10-12T00:15:00.008-04:00

We practiced the Halloween costume today.

Huh!

2008-09-28T19:07:00.001-04:00

Make speech bubbles and thought bubbles at pYzam.com

Belmont Park

2008-09-28T11:27:00.005-04:00

9 P.P. 9 Kilroy, Mrs. William, S., Farish, W.S. Neil J. Howard 7/2
White, Emerald Green Cross Sashes, Green Stripes on Sleeves, Green Cap, White Pompon
Edgar Prado
MAMBO IN SEATTLE (KY) L 122
B .C.05, Kingmambo - Weekend in Seattle

My first experience at the race track!!! Holy cow how exciting! We watched Curlin's last race ever. This horse has set so many records and truly stepped up as the next great race horse to go down in history. I was amazed at how much ground this horse ate up. However, I do have to say that he was not my favorite of the day. Curlin was quite amazing but Mambo in Seattle was the fairest in the land. He did not run very well yesterday, but man was he exquisite! What a beautiful horse! The picture is Mambo.

Charity

2008-09-26T09:01:00.002-04:00

The word charity can be applied in many different ways. Charity can mean concepts or practices. Charity can mean a place, such as Charity Island in MI. Charity can also mean organizations or entertainment. The idea of charity as a practice is the practice of benevolent giving. Honestly this concept does not necessarily mean money or even material items. This concept can simply be time. Anyway my point is that charity is something that we should all consider in whatever means possible that suits each of us. A few ways that come to mind are donating clothes, or helping out at a soup kitchen. One of the issues I always have is that I want to know that my donations are going to a worthy cause and not some thrift store that is going to slap a price tag on the items and charge people for my donations. So I encourage you to take a little extra time and be sure that the money, time and items that you are donating are going to a worthy cause that is actually helping people and not just making money for themselves at your expense. It doesn't take allot to give.

The latest way that I have chosen to donate is Craig's list. It is not hard to find someone in the wanted section who is looking for clothes for their kids or dishes, household furniture etc. These are people in the local area, contributing to your economy, in need of help. It can be done through Craig's list with no exchange of information except on your terms. I just met a family in the Bronx, a mom and two small children who needed school clothes. The mom did not have enough money to buy groceries and clothes so she posted her needs on Craig's list. I responded with a box of Patricia's charity clothes. I also had three gift cards to the Gap that I was never going to use so I drop shipped her the amount of toddler clothes that I could get with those gift cards. My only expense was shipping on the initial box of clothes. I got the Gap shipping for free. I know that charity might have a bad stigma to some. Living on hand outs and being a "charity case" can enable those that simply need to get a job. However there are those that work hard and just don't seem to get ahead. They are out there find them and help out no matter how small. Just the positive interaction might be the charity. So like I said before it doesn't have to be much, encouraging words or a gift of clothing, money etc. Do what you can to leave this place better then you found it! Even if all you are doing is improving the life of those around you.

Give to those in need!

http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html

2008-09-22T22:19:00.001-04:00

School Fund Raiser

2008-09-13T12:51:00.003-04:00

Its school Fund Raising time!!!! Please click on the header for this post to go to the website. The school did not put out a school ID with the information packet so you will have to search for Patricia's school. The school name is Rye Neck Middle School, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. You will also have to put in her first and last name so that she gets credit for the purchase. We were pretty excited about this sale because they are not giving away crappy prises. Patricia gets to pick one free item from the catalog for every 11 items she sells. Her email address is GIRLSROCK15@verizon.net. You can email the invoice to her so she knows that you have helped her out. Thank you in advance for your support!!

2008-09-11T19:24:00.001-04:00

Back To School!!!

2008-09-07T10:32:00.006-04:00

We are back in school!!!! Patricia has started the 6th grade and Brandon is in his 11th grade year. As you can see here Patricia hit the ground running with a full schedule. She has made several new friends already and continues to mention new people everyday. Her favorite subject is still math, but she has added a brand new subject this year... Italian. The jury is still out. The class is going to be challenging, but I think she is up for it. The homework is already in full swing. She has written several short stories about herself and her family. She has written a book report on The Egypt Game, and started a second book for independent reading. Very busy! Thank you to Aunt Jodi for the new school supplies. The kids at school ohhh and awww over the new things she brings to her locker everyday. Our challenge this weekend was to put together locker decorations. Most of the girls at school were prepared on the first day to decorate their lockers to the nines. We did know anything about, magnetic wall paper and the hanging locker organizers so we are a little behind. I ordered the hanging wall locker and we made our own wall paper. Patricia and I went to Michael's last night and found a bunch of girly skulls, and gothic pictures and beads and we made a collage that is one of a kind. We are pretty proud of it and no one else will have one like it. Patricia's locker is metal and she is allowed to hang magnets and pictures so if you happen across anything like that she would love it. We are going to make a few more collages that go with the holidays so she can change it up. If you find unique scrap-booking nick-knacks or pictures that we can add in she would love those too. The first one will be a halloween collage, should be fun!!! We are also going to make a Birthday one for her to give to her friends on their birthday to hang on the outside of their locker. We can turn cards into locker decorations too so that would be an easy way to kill two birds with one stone. Love you all!

2008-08-29T13:38:00.001-04:00

Myspace Graphics

2008-08-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

Awesome Free Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

2008-08-27T10:00:00.004-04:00

Click here for more Graphics, Funny Pics, and Myspace layouts at pYzam!

Ugly Dolls

2008-08-26T11:36:00.004-04:00

Very interesting little fella huh? Well these guys have a very interesting story. Check out the website by clicking on the header of this post. These would make great Christmas gifts for any one you know. They just seem to brighten your day. This guy "big toe" is only one of many. They come in all sizes and are great for all ages.

2008-08-25T06:47:00.000-04:00

Click here for more Graphics, Funny Pics, and Myspace layouts at pYzam!

2008-08-23T14:59:00.001-04:00

Get more Graphics, Funny Pictures, and Myspace layouts at pYzam!

Pay it forward!

2008-08-17T17:39:00.002-04:00

Just some food for thought! The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of third party beneficiary in which a creditor who offers the debtor the option of "paying" the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds. In sociology, this concept is called "generalized reciprocity" or "generalized exchange". A related transaction, which starts with a gift instead of a loan, is alternative giving (Wikipedia.com).

The bottom line is that giving a gift and expecting nothing in return has rewards like none other! Imagine the changes we could make in our lives with just one act of kindness. So many people are talking about it but how many are actually doing it? We get so wrapped up in the day to day of our own lives that no one else seems to matter. Think of the things just in your local area that you could get involved in to help others. You probably don't even have to leave your house!

2008-08-08T23:10:00.002-04:00

We have sunflowers in our yard!

2008-07-31T20:02:00.005-04:00

Everyday its anybodies guess as to what flowers are going to bloom in our yard. I think we have had a total of six or seven different flowers bloom so far this summer. Anyway, these were the latest. I thought they would brighten your day! Enjoy!

Meet Showy

2008-07-30T21:19:00.002-04:00

Hi everybody. This is Show Day (a.k.a showy). His owner just had a baby so I help her out by riding him a few times per week. This was last Sunday.

The Yankees Won Today!

2008-07-20T19:13:00.006-04:00

We went to the Yankees game today with Allen and Christopher. We walked through monument park. It was very hot today but we survived the scorching sun and the long lines in the sweltering corridors. Once we got to the see the historic wonder and experience the nostalgic ambiance for ourselves it was all worth it! :) In the fourth picture right behind the Fuji film banner are Billi Crystal's seats. Today New York's privious mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain were attending in those seats.

Our Nephews and Great Niece

2008-07-19T10:34:00.004-04:00

This is James' brother's sons and the oldest's daughter. The top three pictures are Emmalee with her dad (Jon, Allan's oldest). Then the bottom two are Christopher (#2) in his marching band uniform. How cute is this little girl???

Everyone needs to go green!!

2008-07-18T16:23:00.006-04:00

Next time you go grocery shopping in San Francisco, you won’t be hearing “paper or plastic” at the check out. As of this past March, San Francisco is officially the first city in the United States to ban plastic shopping bags in certain establishments. The city by the Bay’s Board of Supervisors approved the groundbreaking legislation that would officially ban plastic checkout bags supermarkets by September and pharmacies by early 2008. City officials are optimistic that other U.S. cities including Los Angeles and New York will follow suit.

Massachusetts is considering taxing them. Reno is talking about banning them. Plastic shopping bags are increasingly popular targets of governments looking for ways to help the environment.
"It's a small, simple, modest act that makes people feel that they're actually contributing" to reducing litter, waste and dependence on foreign oil, says Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, sponsor of San Francisco's ban on petroleum-based plastic bags in big grocery stores.
Since that ban -- the USA's first -- took effect in November, he says, there's been a noticeable decline in plastic-bag litter and "a sea change in the habits of consumers," many of whom now tote reusable bags. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmusa/is_200803/ai_n24929669

We have made a huge effort to do our part. We found some nice, reusable bags on ebay and bought four of them. Plus we all have our own shopping tote. It is really not that difficult to get in the habit. If you put one in your car you will always have it with you. Now you are probably thinking what do I do when I need one of those plastic bags for scooping poop (which, admit it is the only thing they are good for after you bring them home). The answer to that is 100% biodegradable poop bags. You can find them at http://www.poopbags.com/. They are a reasonable price and you can order allot of them all at once. The website also has trash bags too. 100% BIODEGRADABLE!!! It is the way to go!

Bon Jovi

2008-07-13T17:58:00.002-04:00

James and I had a great date night last night. We went to Central Park for a free concert put on by Bon Jovi. We posted video on the tool bar. Enjoy!

It was a great concert. I could not believe how many people where there. People sang all the words to the songs and had a great time!

SIX FLAGS BABY!!!!

2008-07-02T13:09:00.004-04:00

GO Yankees!

2008-07-01T11:21:00.002-04:00

James' brother invites us to Yankee's games from time to time. James and Brandon got to go last week. Here are a few shots. They had really great seats and the day was beautiful.

Finally! Happy Father's Day

2008-06-26T19:39:00.003-04:00

This is James' Father's Day gift. I would have posted sooner but we had to wait for the final servicing etc. So here it is! We have been wanting a cruiser for a while and we were finally able to make it happen!

Dun Graduated!

2008-06-23T21:58:00.004-04:00

Patricia graduated from MAS tonight. She was recognized for academic achievement. The entire class looked very nice. They all cleaned up pretty good! The evening was very nice. The school made a video montage of the students baby pictures and their current photos. I think that was the highlight of the evening. The whole family went out for dinner after the event and had cheesecake to wind up the evening. Patricia had 29 areas of improvement from Fall to Spring and that is not including the new areas she was graded on in the Spring only. Patrica had a great year over all and is very much looking forward to 6th grade.

Club Getaway!

2008-06-21T22:22:00.005-04:00

The entire 5th grade (all four classes) from Mamaroneck Avenue School went to Connecticut yesterday for the entire day. We were in the Catskill Mountains at Club Getaway. The oasis is about 90 miles from Mamaroneck. It was beautiful! We had the best weather, and a very scenic route. We all piled into busses at 7:30 in the morning and returned at about 5:00pm. The kids had a great time. Here are some of the pics I took.

Seven days older!

2008-06-12T13:27:00.005-04:00

The girls are doing really well. They are going to the vet today for a check-up. Still eating and sleeping non-stop. They purr like crazy! They are too cute! I estimate them to be 3 to 3 1/2 weeks old.

The vet visit went really well! The doctor said they are at a good weight. They are eating very good and are right on track!

Look what we found!

2008-06-05T22:01:00.004-04:00

Patricia's friend Natalia is going to take one of the kittens and we will find a home for the other one. Someone left them in a box in a parking lot at the high school I spoke at last night. Can you believe this? Who would do that???? They are two little girls. Pretty cute!

AIM

2008-05-29T21:44:00.003-04:00

The family has exploded with AIM accounts. We all have one now and would love to chat with you. Let us know what your AIM handle is and we will add you to our buddy list. Mine is princessoriani@optonline.net. I know, I know my full email address?!?! I can't change it now, anyway if you IM me, I will pass your handle on to everyone else.

You can visit AIM.com to get your own account. You can video chat from AIM and you can phone chat or you can just text chat. It is pretty fun.

http://dashboard.aim.com/aim

Patricia's Concert

2008-05-11T12:01:00.003-04:00

Patricia's Spring concert was last Thursday. Here are some pics from the event.

Patricia's Spring Break

2008-05-07T07:24:00.005-04:00

Patricia spent Spring Break in Tucson. She also celebrated her birthday while she was there. Here are a few shots from the party. Her friends Ron, Meranda, Courtney and Amore were all there to celebrate with her. She had a great time! They did lots of swimming.

The Skating Party

2008-04-18T00:15:00.003-04:00

Our gifts for Patricia

2008-04-13T10:54:00.003-04:00

Patricia received a new computer from us and new UGGs from Grandma Jeannine. She was very stoked about both. The girls are really having a great time. They stayed up until 2am and were right back at it Sunday morning!

The Gifts!

2008-04-13T00:50:00.000-04:00

THE SLUMBER PARTY!

2008-04-13T00:47:00.002-04:00

Birthday do - Party weekend #2

2008-04-12T16:30:00.004-04:00

Patricia got a new hairdo for her party! Her friend Diana came over for a little pre-party fun. They are both very excited for this evening. Patricia is having a slumber party with seven of her close friends then we are taking her class ice-skating tomorrow. More to come!

Birthday weekend...with a bang! Part #1

2008-04-12T11:08:00.004-04:00

Patricia started her birthday weekend with a bang! Don't panic you didn't miss her birthday! Patricia will be in Tucson for her birthday so we are celebrating early! Friday was the kick off of said event! She and I went to the Avril Lavigne concert on Long Island. We had a nice dinner at Red Lobster first then headed off to the concert. Patricia got a t-shirt and a bag to commemorate the event. These are pictures from the concert taken with my phone. I should have taken a camera, usually this venue won't allow cameras, but everyone had one last night. More to come from the weekend!

We are moving!

2008-04-01T21:48:00.005-04:00

Greetings All,

We just wanted to announce that we are moving. The kids will still be in the same school system but we are moving to a new house. The house is a bit smaller then the house we are in now but it is really the right size for us. We only live in about 1/3 of the house we are in right now and it is really a waste. We will post more pictures as we move in.

International fair

2008-03-29T19:58:00.004-04:00

Patricia's school had their annual international fair today. She and her friend Dianna met up with Zoie while they were walking around. It was allot of fun!

One of our friends

2008-03-12T20:41:00.002-04:00

We heard from our friend John a few weeks ago. He sent us a picture of him and his girls. We thought you might like to see it. This is the same guy that went to the ugly Christmas sweater party in December.

A new Hayduk in the family

2008-02-28T18:23:00.002-05:00

My cousin Kevin and his wife just had their first baby. His name is Nathan Michael Hayduk. He weighs in at 7# 10 ounces 20 inches long. 4:23pm EST He is pretty cute!

It Just keeps coming down!

2008-02-22T13:13:00.003-05:00

Winter Weather!!!

2008-02-22T09:45:00.005-05:00

We finally got our winter weather!

2008-02-21T21:38:00.001-05:00

Day in the city part 2

2008-02-19T19:22:00.004-05:00

We had a great day in the city. As you can see below we went to the Empire State Building, then Grand Central. We took a walk in Central Park and then stopped in at the Guggenheim. Enjoy the pictures.

Day in the city!

2008-02-19T19:16:00.003-05:00

New photos

2008-02-09T19:13:00.001-05:00

Just a few extra pics I have taken with my new camera.

Holly Trees

2008-01-29T21:47:00.000-05:00

Our building at Manhattan College has several huge holly trees that line the front of the building. I took a few shots the other day. Enjoy!

Happy MLK day!

2008-01-21T16:41:00.001-05:00

Sweeney Todd

2008-01-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

James and I saw Sweeney Todd today. The movie was a musical like the broadway show and featured Johnny Depp. The movie was a bit gory, but still very good. Not a recommendation for young children but a good adult flick.

Sweeney Todd is a villain appearing in various English language works starting in the mid-19th century as a barber and an early example of a serial killer. His weapon of choice is a straight razor, with which he cuts his victims' throats. In some versions of the story Mrs. Lovett, who is his lover, friend, and/or partner in crime—and who is variously Marjorie, Sarah, Nellie, Shirley or Claudetta—bakes the corpses of his victims into meat pies, and sells them. He is also assisted by an unwitting apprentice lad named Tobias Ragg, who later aids in unmasking his crimes. In most versions of the story, Sweeney either helps or hinders (sometimes both) the love affair of a young woman, Johanna Oakley, who in the musical stage production and 2007 film, is Todd's daughter Johanna Barker, and a sailor named Mark Ingesterie or, later, Anthony Hope. Sweeney Todd may not be a wholly fictional character. In two books,[1][2] the horror and crime story writer Peter Haining argues that Sweeney Todd was a historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800. Nevertheless, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims.

Happy Friday to everyone!

2008-01-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

We hope everyone is enjoys their Friday! We love and miss all of you!

EVERYONE OFF THE SIDEWALKS!!!!

2008-01-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

Today is the day! Brandon got his permit today. Here is a recap of the events. We had to go all the way to Yonkers to get it done. We waited in line and got his photo taken. Then they called B319 and he and James showed ID and proved that Brandon had been born. Then we waited again for the number H319 so he could take his test. HE PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS!

OCC Day!

2007-12-31T18:57:00.000-05:00

We took Rie-Ann home today. We were all sorry to see her go! But I am sure she will be back!! On the way home we stopped at the Orange County Choppers store. James is especially partial to this store, it is close to where he grew up and everything motorcycle. Here are some of the pics I took. We especially liked the Air Force Chopper.

Ice Skating

2007-12-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

We went ice skating today at the local rink. The girls really enjoyed themselves. Brandon met up with two of his friends as well. It was a nice afternoon.

Visitor

2007-12-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

Patricia's cousin Rie-Ann is visiting from Pennsylvania. We picked her up today. She will be with us through the 31st. How cute is this girl!!! She is the daughter of James' sister Lorie, husband Tom. Rie-Ann has one brother Ryan and a sister Courtney. We are told that they are very happy when she comes to visit us!!! However very jealous that she gets to go to NY for a week. We love having her, she is absolutely adorable!!

2007 Oriani Christmas

2007-12-25T09:50:00.001-05:00

Pics With New Camera

2007-12-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

Check out these shots!!!

Holy Crap Santa Bombed Our House!!!

2007-12-24T13:16:00.001-05:00

Of course they begged and pleaded to put the gifts under the tree. Now they are begging to open just one!!! I am sure it won't end until tomorrow morning. We hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Eve!

Bad Christmas Sweater Party

2007-12-16T19:13:00.001-05:00

Our friend John Cotton went to a bad Christmas sweater party last week. He sent us pictures. We thought we would share. John is on the very far left.

The Christmas Tree!

2007-12-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

We finally put our Christmas tree up. Today was probably not the best day to go and get it, but we survived the snow, sleet and ice. It was miserable outside but we had allot of fun putting the tree up. Of course the boys had to get in on the fun too!

Patricia's Winter Concert

2007-12-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Patricia sang in the choir this evening at her school. James, Patricia and I got dressed up for the evening.

Brandon and Grace

2007-12-08T22:58:00.001-05:00

I would like to introduce Grace. Please forgive her we surprised her with the photo so I don't think she was ready. I am sure we will have more pics of the happy couple during the holidays.

First Snow

2007-12-02T12:28:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow last night! It was not very much but it is a good start!!!