8 Years

Yesterday Tony and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. Throughout the last 16 years we have managed to avoid the dreaded "as we grew up we grew apart" that you hear many couples talk about when they get together so young. Instead of growing apart we have managed to help each other get through different stages of our lives with patience and lots of laughter.

Back When 30 Seemed So Old

I believe that Tony is my soul mate. I knew it from the first time I laid eyes on him in the 6th grade. I couldn't stand him but I couldn't get enough of him. He is not an overly emotional guy. He doesn't tell me every day how much he adores me. But he makes me aware every day through his actions. He has always provided me with anything that I have ever said that I wanted and he breaks his back to get it. His friends tell me that he is hopelessly devoted to me. And every year he gets me a mushy card that he misspells every word in, just like he did back when we were 17.

My Mushy Card (That's Supposed To Be Me On The Left)

To celebrate, we decided on a "staycation" at the Sandia Casino and Resort here in ABQ. We enjoyed a little time by the pool and a 2-hour dinner free of spillage and tantrums. Do you know what a treat it is to enjoy a 2-hour dinner? To actually taste the food that you are putting in your mouth and have a conversation about something other than telling your kids to take another bite? It was amazing!

The Sandia Mountains From Our Room

I am so lucky to have Tony as my best friend and husband. I look forward to our future and many, many years of happiness to come!

8 Years Down...Forever To Go!

15 Seconds of Fame

Last weekend, I was awoken around 2am by a loud BOOM coming from the front yard. Knowing that anything that can happen does happen to the Mazottis, I immediately woke Tony up to investigate.

From the front porch we could see and hear nothing. Pitch black. Well that is strange. Then Tony noticed that the metal trash can across the street from our house (for the park) was "blinking." He asked me to grab a flashlight so he could go look inside. As he approached the can a strong odor of smoke could be smelt in the air. I immediately thought my house was on fire. The trash can must be a separate thing....something blew up in my attic and my house was on fire...I just knew it! But no. There was no smoke in the house. One of my neighbor's houses was on fire! I knew it! But no. That was all just me being dramatic. The garbage can was on fire. Well, smoldering really.

Once Tony determined that the trash can fire wasn't going to spread we headed back in the house and Tony went back to bed. I stayed up, rewinding video footage from the security cameras that we had installed on the house last year after our 4th vehicle theft. Sure enough...at 1:56am the video showed someone dropping something on fire into the can, run off, and then 10 seconds later a huge boom! I made Tony watch the video and call the cops. We told them that the trash can was still smoldering. Then we went to bed.

The next morning Tony was leaving for the fire station. On his way to the car, he decided to take one more look in the garbage can. He saw a piece of pvc pipe and a large amount of marijuana stems inside, which usually has pizza boxes and remnants of pinatas. He called the police again to report a pipe bomb in the can and went off to work.

About 30 minutes later they had the entire street blocked off in every direction. The bomb squad was on the scene because all of the sudden, after a civilian had done his own investigation, they were concerned about everyone's safety. Apparently they weren't concerned at 2am when we called them saying that the garbage can had blown up and was still on fire. But now that a pvc pipe was found it was like priority #1. Ridiculous if you ask me.

After holding us captive for an hour while they did there "investigation" I was ready to go crazy. I put the kids in the stroller and was just leaving my house when the Channel 7 News van pulled up. A man got out and told me that he heard that I had video of the incident that happened there this morning. I told him I did. He asked if I would be willing to give an interview and show him the video. I said sure. While Channel 7 was there doing there bit, Channel 4 pulled up. I told them no more interviews. They begged for 30 seconds. I said ok. The whole time not telling them that I had video because Channel 7 had begged to have the exclusive rights to it. I should have charged. After all of the hubbub and after my run, I was back in my house when Channel 13 came knocking on the door. I didn't answer. This was getting absurd!

That night I was channels 4 and 7 at 5pm and 10pm. Then I was on the next morning. Then the next night. They were playing multiple clips from the interview. Every time I watched it was something different. They led with things like "she is afraid that something like this will happen again" which I never said. Totally sensationalized the whole thing. My perspective on news agencies has certainly changed.

Then the text messages started. "I saw you on the news." "Nice shorts." "Great interview." "Now everyone knows where you live!" "Can I have your autograph?" Then I ran into a firefighter at the gym. "Aren't you Tony's wife? I saw you on the news!" Then the UPS driver..."wasn't that you on the news?" Ahhhhhhh! I was ready to set my own pipe bomb across town just to take the heat off of my story! It's on You Tube for God sakes!

So that is the story of my 15 minutes of fame. I am no longer signing autographs. My hand is tired. And if I see you on the street, I most likely am not going to make eye contact!

Preschool Grad

Last week our baby girl graduated from preschool. Some may wonder...what exactly does it mean to graduate from a place that your parents pay for you to go to and is not required? Well I will tell you.

It means that you can write your name better. And you now know that you aren't just Cienna, or princess, or fancy pants. You are Cienna Elise Mazotti, born January 15th. You live at 1611 Kit Carson Ave, your mom's phone number is 991-2838 and your dad works at Station 3, Squad 2!

Graduating from preschool also means that your drawings have evolved. At the beginning of the year our family had no arms and really no bodies. Just one long torso and some legs (two if we were lucky!) Now, graduate, you not only have all the parts on the page but you have learned to accessorize mom with a broom and you with a flower bow in your hair.

In preschool you have learned to share with others, listen to your elders and be a good friend. Your teachers tell me that you are always looking out for others and eager to help with any and every task in the classroom. In fact, they say that you are so organized that you could actually teach the class! Much to my dismay, you do not yet think that boys have cooties. Instead, you ask me about once a week when I think you will meet your husband. You had the affection of many boys in preschool, always leaving things in your cubbie or inviting you to their parties. It pays to be pretty on the inside as well as the outside. My heart swells when I think of you. I worry that now that you are entering elementary school that the years are going to fly by. I worry that I won't be able to capture every moment. That I won't appreciate you and all that you bring to my life. Being a parent is the hardest, scariest, most wonderful thing that I have ever done. I am so proud of you today, and every day!

My New Toy

Last week I randomly woke up and decided that it was time for a new camera. I have several at the house, none of which can actually take a picture within 30 seconds of pressing the shoot button. This has come to be a problem, since my 2 year old only has an attention span of 2.2 seconds. So to avoid having to have conversation with AJ later in life as to why I have no pictures of him from the age of 2-5 I decided that it would be best to consult with my "photog" friends about what kind of camera to buy. The response was overwhelmingly the Canon Rebel. Since I do everything in my power not to buy anything new, I immediately jumped on Craigslist, waded through the potential serial killer ads, and found a Canon in my price range. After a few white lies about having a budget, I finally haggled the guy down to a price that I was willing to pay. Once I picked it up, I immediately snapped some shots of the kids. It was AMAZING. I could take 10 pictures of AJ within 10 seconds...which meant that I was bound to get one that he was actually looking at the camera! I was so impressed that I wondered what the hell took me so long to get one. I feel like a whole new world has opened for me! Below are some of the awesome pictures that I shot the first week!

AJ just "loved" this little slug a little too much. About 5 minutes after this photo was shot he brought it back to me in 3 pieces!

Who knew AJ could wink?

Family Time

Last weekend we snuck out of Albuquerque for some much needed family time in Colorado. We arrived Saturday afternoon and were greeted by the most fantastic weather that we have ever seen in South Fork. It was clear and sunny and wind-free. We immediately jumped on the river with our friends and had an amazing evening float. The next day we hiked at Million Reservoir for the first time. It was kind of a challenging hike, being that parts of the trail were washed out and it was a good fall to the water below. After managing to make it all the way around the water, we discovered a water fall that the kids and Tonka loved. It was a fun and relaxing way to spend the afternoon. We capped it off with a picnic lunch on the tailgate of the truck and headed back to the cabin for naps. On our way back to ABQ, we stopped at Treasure Falls and hiked to the top of the trail. AJ is finally getting to the point where he can walk unassisted for quite a distance so these little trips are fun for all. No more whining and complaining that it's too far...now he wants to lead the pack!

This weekend Cienna cheered at her first soccer game. She was so adorable with her little uniform and pom poms. She really likes cheerleading (unlike tee-ball) so we are excited that she is sticking with it!

And if that wasn't enough for Ms. Fancy Pants she also had a dance recital today. Lord help me. I need to build a stage in my house so that this girl can stay in the spotlight!

In Action

The Prima Ballerina

With Her Biggest Fans

Easter 2012

Easter 2012 was full of fun. From the Easter bunny leaving the baskets in the washing machine to AJ finding more eggs on the hunt at Mimi and Papa's house, it was a holiday to remember! We began the weekend with the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the retirement community. My kids don't know how easy they have it...as hunting for brightly colored eggs within desert landscaping is WAY less hard than searching through lush California yards. AJ really got the hang of it this year, and had there not been a limit to how many each child was allowed to get, he would have found 99% of them. He ran around like a mad man once he realized there was candy inside each egg!

My darling Cienna was as graceful as ever, navigating zeroscaping in high heels and a dress, bending down ever so ladylike each time she discovered an Easter egg hiding in the rocks. Next year I am going to suggest she wear shorts and tennis shoes so that she can get her allotment of candy (although I already know that she will say no and pick whatever she feels like wearing instead.)

After a riveting candy hunt, my mom flew in from CA to spend the week with us. The kids were thrilled to see their "Ganny" (as AJ likes to call her). We immediately hit the mall where Cienna convinced my mom to buy her a bunch of stuff that she doesn't need. But I guess that is what Ganny's are for! We made our traditional Easter basket cupcakes (OK, maybe they are not tradition but it's been two years in a row now!), dyed eggs and prepared for the Easter bunny's arrival.

Cienna and Granny

The next morning the Easter bunny played quite a trick on the kids. Instead of their baskets being in their normal spot, all they found was an empty cupcake wrapper (they figured Santa shouldn't be the only fictional character who got a treat) and a note. The note had a clue where they could find another clue, and then another clue and another. After running around the house like crazy (AJ just followed sister wherever she went) they finally located their baskets...in the washing machine!

We then had yet another Easter egg hunt in the backyard and then headed back to Mimi and Papa's house for a wonderfully tasty Sunday brunch and...you guessed it....another hunt! This time for little presents stashed all over the house. No wonder my kids like Easter so much. It never ends!

The rest of the week was spent visitng the zoo (we saw the crocodiles get fed for the first time ever!), going to the aquarium, soccer, cheerleading, Gymboree music class, Costco, Walmart, Bank of America, Starbucks, A Child's Garden, Tingley Beach, the park and probably the gas station. My favorite memories of the week were when my mom fell flat on her a** at the park trying to show off for us (LMAO!) and when she fed the ducks with the kids at Tingley Beach. I love my mama. And I miss her already!

The Wonderful World of AJ

I just wanted to take a moment to document the many sides of AJ. At 2 1/2, it has become completely apparent that he is never leaving my side. Case in point; yesterday the neighbor took him to the park with her son and after 10 minutes she came back and told me that AJ said he missed me and wanted to come home. What kid would rather hang out with his mom than his friends at the park? My AJ, that's who.



In the morning when he wakes up he stands at his bedroom door (we still use a baby gate as sort of baby jail feature!) and says in his loudest voice, "Hi Mama! It's AJ!" I find this totally funny because who in the hell else would it be? Of course a 2 1/2 year old mind doesn't realize that though.



Another thing he says is "oh mama, I love you so much." And then he will touch my hair and say "I love your hair mama! Your gorgeous!" No wonder I am such a pushover!

Some of the less endearing things that he says are, "Bye, bye stinky poop!" and then he spits at me. Or when he puts his hands on his hips and says "Alright, that's it!" and then he spits at me. Spitting is big right now. I guess all the 2 1/2 year olds are doing it.



I love how when AJ sees a baby or an animal he says "aww, look at it mama, it's a baby, aww." It's nice to know that behind all of that brutality there is a sensitive side. And then one second later he runs up to me, hits me in the shoulder, roars in his loudest voice, jumps off the couch, yells "To Infinity and Beyond", then spits in my direction, clobbers poor Tonka, pulls his sister's hair and runs off before I have a chance to officially put him on timeout. I had no idea that boys were so much different than girls.



Good thing for AJ he is cute. Cause if he wasn't I would put an ad on Craigs List that read "Free 2 year old boy, waiting at the curb, comes with his very own selection of hats, but probably has poop in his Pull Up."