Happy Pumpkin Day!

Well the big day is nearly upon us....the day we dress our children up in crazy outfits and send them out around the neighborhood (with us trailing behind hauling ALL the accessories they just had to have to make their costumes complete) and throughout this entire process we allow them to gorge on candy, candy and more candy. Of course this leads to tummy aches, irritability and the inability to sleep. I guess this makes Halloween the childhood equivalent to the adult’s New Year’s Eve, different addictions same hangover!!

Once Halloween comes and goes you know Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then BANG its Christmas. Just when I thought life was stressful enough somebody went and threw in a few major holidays to really drive me over the edge. The next two months are generally our most hectic not only because of the typical events these months bring but because it’s also the time of year we bring Max back to Baltimore for his yearly check-ups with the cardiac surgeon, cardiac geneticist and gastroenterologist. Each year during the second week in December we pack up and bring the Marangella show on the road. Our week at Johns Hopkins is long and each day is packed with appointments, testing and lab work. Our usual remark about a day at JHH is, “You know when you’re going into the hospital you just don’t know when you’re coming out.” Add the cold winter weather (we Phoenicians generally do not own winter coats) and hospital food and you have all the ingredients of a Caribbean resort and spa vacation. Please don’t envy us for our glamorous lifestyle, jet-setting like this isn’t for everyone.

And on that note I wish you all a happy Friday, go out there and get way more treats than tricks!

Crisis Mode...Once Again

Another not so calm night in the Marangella household, Ellie and I arrived home to find her hamster, Peppermint, quite ill. So far tonight I have been asked to dress its wounds and save him. Now I do remember taking CPR when both kids were born but I'm relatively sure we didn't cover rodent techniques...I'll have to go check the book. Our second crisis this evening revolves around Max, after a two week hiatus we have returned to spelling tests -- I'm not certain who is happiest about this event. And so our regular routine resumes!

Enjoy the results of Saturday's big "photo shoot". And before I sign off I'd like to wish my Mom a very happy birthday tomorrow. Have a great day!

Sometimes Normal is Nice

All in all it was a very quiet weekend here, no last minute emergencies requiring ER runs, auto mechanics or other assorted mishaps (all components of our last weekend). Instead we had what I would consider a "normal" weekend. Max had soccer on Saturday. Yes, Max is actually playing soccer and LOVES it! Our friend Wendy, who we have known since Max was born and is now officially part of the family, works as a child life specialist at Phoenix Children's and got Max involved in a wonderful program called Kids Playing for Kids. This organization allows chronically ill children to play a sport with their "typical" peers, an opportunity many of these children would never have. Kids Playing for Kids is run by a wonderful and patient man who just so happens to be Max's soccer coach -- I say patient because he's putting up with "Chatty Cathy" (aka Max).

On Saturday afternoon I was able to get everyone washed, coiffed and dressed and on time for professional family photos, no small feat but the results were great (examples to follow when Michele can download them). Today Ellie really wanted to take the dog to the park, it was great to spend a couple of hours doing nothing but enjoying a wonderful Arizona fall day.

Looking forward to a "normal" week.....(fingers-crossed!)

Just the beginning....7 years later!

Some things are worth the wait! After seven years of what we lovingly call "Max's Journey" we have decided to start sharing with our friends and family the highlights of "A Day in the Life of the Marangellas". Life isn't always easy in our household and things rarely run smoothly but for better or worse we take it as it comes together! Stay tuned for more......