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Happy 9th Birthday Elise!

An update on Elise’s 9th birthday, Summer vacation, and upcoming plans.

Today our sweet Miss Elise turns 9 years old! It’s hard to believe she is 9 already; I remember holding her as a newborn like it was yesterday. Although today is her actual birthday, her main celebration was held at home this past Saturday. It was a Pokemon-themed party, so kids started off doing a little Pokemon scavenger hunger, then everyone jumped in the pool for an hour or so.

After swimming, we came inside for food, cake, and presents. Elise’s cake this year was something to behold; it was certainly one of the fanciest cakes we’ve ever gotten. I don’t know how Jessica found this baker, but Elise and I went to her house on the day of the party and we couldn’t believe it when seeing it for the first time. The Pokemon theme was in full effect!

After cake and presents, plenty of kids got back in the pool. It’s over 100 degrees everyday here, so swimming is pretty much the only thing you can do outdoors during the middle of the day. Consequently, we’ve been swimming almost daily.

As far as today goes, Elise started her morning off by opening more presents from family. I got a video of the whole thing and added it to the kids’ YouTube channel, which you can see below. Around noon the kids rode with Mom down to the airport to pickup Grandma and Grandpa Rudd, who are out here visiting from Iowa through the weekend. We haven’t seen them since last Summer, so getting to see them on her birthday was special for Elise. We all went out for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, which was a fun way to end her special day.

Beyond that, we’re having a great Summer, it’s just hard to believe how fast it’s going by. The kids go back to school on the second week of August, so we’ve only got a few more weeks of Summer, then the house will be quiet again while I’m working 🙂

We recently celebrated the 4th of July by having friends over for swimming, food, and fireworks. We lit off our own small fireworks at the house, then walked over to a park near our neighborhood to watch several different fireworks shows going on at various casinos. The one at Green Valley Ranch was really close and looked awesome, while the ones on the strip were cool to look at from a distance.

Although Summer break is starting to draw to a close, we do have one more exciting little trip to look forward to. On Sunday, July 31st, we’re going to leave early and head to Los Angeles for a couple days. We will spend that Sunday afternoon at the Santa Monica beach and pier, then the next day we’re going to Six Flags Magic Mountain! We’ve been wanting to do this for a while but waited until Enzo was tall enough for all the rollercoasters. I remember us taking Ava there on my birthday weekend when she was less than a year old, now here we are doing the same thing again nearly a decade later. I look forward to writing about it in next month’s post.

That’s about it for now. I hope Elise had a very happy birthday, and want her to know how proud her Mom and I are of her! She is such a great kid, a great sister to Ava and Enzo, and we all love her to the moon and back. Happy Birthday Elise!

Singing to Elise at her birthday dinner at Lindo Michoacan

Elise’s 9th birthday video

Enzo showing off his home diving skills

Happy 7th Birthday Enzo!

There’s so many exciting new things going on for our family that I almost don’t even know where to start. Well, that’s not entirely true, because obviously I’m going to start with Mr Enzo’s birthday! That said, we do have quite a few exciting things going on, so let’s get to it.

Today is Enzo’s birthday, but it’s a Friday and they had some fun activities planned for the 100th day of school, so Enzo and his sisters went to school just like any other day. Before that he was up early to open presents, but after that it’s been a pretty normal day. He’s really happy with all the various cars, magic sets, and toys he received, but there’s more to look forward to.

Tomorrow afternoon we will be holding Enzo’s birthday party at our house. Over the past couple months our family has gotten really into the TV show ‘Survivor’, so based on his request, that will be the theme for Enzo’s party. There’s going to be various challenges for the kids to take part in before getting into cake and treats. Jessica has been doing an awesome job preparing activities, decorations, and challenges for the party. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to doing lots of filming for the kids’ YouTube channel, and working on my best Jeff Probst impressions.

In addition to the party tomorrow, we’ve got one more related activity to look forward to. A week from tonight the 5 of us are going to see the Jabbawockeez show at MGM Grand. I’ve read it’s one of the most popular Vegas shows for families, plus I have some friends who went with their kids and said it was awesome. All of the kids are excited to go, but Jessica and I are as well, so it should be a fun night. If you’re not familiar with Jabbawockeez, they will be performing at halftime of the NFL Pro Bowl, which is happening here in Las Vegas just a couple days after we’ll be seeing them.

Speaking of Vegas shows, we all had an amazing time going to our first shows earlier this month. Jessica had the pleasure of taking Elise and Ava to see Katy Perry at the new Resorts World Theatre. As expected, the show was amazing and they had the best time ever. It’s the biggest stage in Las Vegas and the production was over the top. The girls were screaming, singing, and dancing the night away. They will always remember this as their first concert and I’m so glad it turned out the way it did.

Things didn’t quite go as planned for Enzo and I, but we still had a great night as well. The plan was for me to take him to see David Copperfield that same night that the girls were seeing Katy Perry, and I was really happy with the seats we got, but unfortunately the show was canceled at the last minute. I’m still not sure why it was canceled but these days you almost have to assume it’s Covid-related.

Enzo was really bummed but I promised him we would see David Copperfield another time. So, we ended up going to see The Mentalist instead, which is a mind reading show by Gerry McCambridge. It wasn’t a big production show like Copperfield but it was still very entertaining and exciting. We ended up making a full night of it by leaving the house early that day, walking around on the strip for a while, then having dinner at Nacho Daddy. After dinner we walked over to Bellagio to watch the fountain show, then we went inside and walked through their whole shopping and dining area. The show was across the street in the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood, so we walked all through there as well. We definitely got our steps in that night, and stopping for ice cream was a must. Leaving the house that day Enzo couldn’t help but express concern because he was sad about our show being canceled. However, by the time we were heading home he was calling it the best day of his life and couldn’t stop thanking me. If only he understood how happy it made me to see him living his best life.

Okay, more big news to share… Jessica just got a job working at a nearby school! She’s been wanting to find something since moving to Henderson, but it had to make sense and work with our family’s schedule. Also, for the first time since before Ava was born, Jessica and I will once again be working the same hours. Obviously this was never the case when she was working nights in a restaurant and I was working days at Microsoft / Amazon. I’ve definitely gotten used to being home with her everyday over the past couple years, so it’s going to be an adjustment for all of us having her gone more, but we’re really happy for her, and she’s so excited about the opportunity.

The way this all came together is really interesting; it basically traces back to Ava’s dyslexia diagnosis from a couple years ago. It was that diagnosis that set Jessica off onto a journey of learning and self exploration. If you ask her, she’ll tell you that she also has dyslexia, although she was never tested or officially diagnosed. It’s been this journey to learn more about Ava and how we can teach her that has led to so much self discovery for Jessica over the past couple years.

Getting involved with teaching the Barton program to our kids to help with reading was a major step in this direction. Then taking on the huge task of homeschooling our girls for the entire school year last year was also very much related. Jessica is a natural teacher and great with kids, especially the young ones. She’s going to be working as an assistant in a special education classroom at Vanderberg Elementary School, which is less than 10 minutes from our school. It’s such a perfect fit; they even teach the same Barton reading program that Jessica has been using with our kids for the past couple years.

The plan is for all 3 of our kids to switch schools in the Fall and go to Vanderberg for the remainder of their elementary school years. This isn’t the easiest decision to make, mostly because we feel a lot of guilt for them switching schools so many times over the past few years. Some of it was out of our control, like when we got re-zoned by the Everett school district, or that whole pandemic thing which caused everyone to stay home for a year, but regardless the reality is that Ava hasn’t had (and won’t have) two consecutive years at the same elementary school since Kindergarten and first grade.

This isn’t something that we take lightly, but as a parent you have to make decisions, and of course we’re going to do whatever we feel is best for our children. Initially we were really excited about them going to school at Glen Taylor Elementary, but unfortunately some things haven’t gone the way we hoped. I don’t want to get into all of the details on it, but again as parents we have to do our best to make the right decisions for our kids, and there’s no doubt in our mind that Vanderberg will be a better fit. We just feel bad about them having to leave their friends, but they all live nearby and most likely will be rejoining in middle school anyway.

For now the plan is for Jessica to start work in February, but the kids will be finishing the year at Glen Taylor, then transitioning to Vanderberg next school year. I’m sure we’ll have a lot more updates about this in the future, but for now we’re just really happy for Jessica. It’s been great watching this all unfold for her and she’s so excited for this new chapter in our lives. We keep joking about how much we always seem to have going on. It’s always something with us but we keep it interesting.

Another big thing for us this month was the installation of our solar energy system! There’s now over 40 solar panels on the roof of our house, and we’ve got the final inspection coming up next week. I had been thinking about going solar since buying the house, and after learning more about it, I felt like it was an easy decision. You can think of it like renting a house versus owning a house; when you get your electricity from the power company (like I have my entire life until now), you’re just renting energy from them, and you pay whatever they charge. On average the cost of electricity goes up 4% per year too.

On the other hand, by purchasing your own solar system you’re no longer renting your electricity. You’re the owner of a system that produces its own electricity, meaning you’re no longer subject to variable costs from month to month, and the overall annual cost increases. Based on the weather here, and the size of our house, the electric bill used to vary drastically, which was a little shocking in the Summer. Now, however, the only thing we pay to the power company is the $12.50 per month fee to connect to their grid. We bought a solar system big enough to produce 112% of the normal usage of this house, based on historical records. We went with a larger system so we have room to grow. Someday there will be an electric vehicle in the garage, and this larger system will be enough to charge that as well.

Based on the net metering laws in Nevada, we don’t need a big Tesla wall (or equivalent battery) on premises because NV Energy is required to store our unused energy for us. Basically for every kilowatt of unused energy we produce, we get 0.75 kilowatts in credit. 75% is the current rate based on the net metering laws in Nevada, and it’s going down over time. Had we bought this system a couple years ago, hypothetically speaking, we would have gotten somewhere in the 90% credit range. Whatever percent you get when you purchase the system is the amount that you’re grandfathered in at, so even though it’s going to continue dropping, our house will always get 75% credit.

Since we got the system installed in January, we have several months ahead of us where we can build up extra credits for unused energy. Once the Summer comes around and you’re consuming more energy than you’re producing, those extra credits will cover you and keep you from having a separate bill from NV Energy. From a cost perspective, if you’re staying put long-term it’s a no-brainer to go solar here. Although I don’t love taking on debt, the reality is that I’m going to be making a monthly payment either way, and at least now I know exactly how much it will be, plus the solar system is a huge investment in the house. Our neighborhood is 20 years old now and lots of people are making upgrades to their houses. Adding a nice solar system is the single biggest thing you can do in our area to modernize your house, and it’s one of the most impactful things you can do for the good of the planet, so we’re all for it!

In other family news, the kids have been taking swimming lessons through the city of Henderson and they’re loving it. Water safety is very important to our family for obvious reasons, but it looks like Elise and Enzo really want to stick with swimming and eventually get onto a swim team. They’re taking lessons on Saturday mornings and each month they move onto something new.

Unfortunately Ava has decided to take a break from hockey, but I really don’t blame her. I didn’t realize how early the season started here, so by the time I tried to register her the only option was to get on a tournament team. They combined the 10u’s and 12u’s for practice, and the coach was really intense. She played D1 hockey for the University of Minnesota, which is the hockey mecca of the United States, and it was all just too much for Ava. She simply doesn’t take it as seriously as some of the other kids do, and it got to a point where she was dreading it.

I definitely feel responsible for this, and I can’t help but wonder if she’d still be playing had we not left Washington. There’s no way of knowing for sure, and it’s quite possible that she will join a co-ed house team in the Fall, but we’ll have to wait and see. For now we’ve got her signed up to play Softball in the Spring and she’s really excited about that. Once hockey season comes back around we’ll have to make a decision, but we’ll support her regardless. Our only requirement is that each of the kids has some type of athletic activity to be involved in. We don’t care how good they are, or if they decide to try other things, they just have to do something.

Last but not least, I’ve been busier than ever lately because I decided to officially start my own business. I’m not quitting my job or anything like that, but I am working constantly between the two. The name of the business is Vegas Showbiz and earlier this month I filed Vegas Showbiz, LLC with the state of Nevada. The concept and strategy for the business has grown recently, and I’ll get to that shortly, but the original idea that sparked it came right after moving here.

After arriving in Las Vegas Jessica and I found ourselves in a position where we suddenly had so much help with the kids. My Mom wanted as much time with them as possible, and we were eager to explore Las Vegas together, so we started going out more. I’d be looking for things to do on my phone, but found it surprisingly difficult to get an accurate idea of what the options were. You could find various event calendars, but it required a lot of jumping around from site to site. Some of these sites are slow, or don’t work well on phones, and overall I found the experience to be surprisingly poor.

Since I tend to think in terms of websites and databases, the wheels started turning on how I could create my own site and database dedicated to the entire Las Vegas entertainment and nightlife scene. I had designs on becoming that 3rd party source of truth that seemed to be missing. I was aware of sites live vegas.com and visitlasvegas.com, but those felt so much broader to me. They’re trying to sell you on everything from renting a hotel to getting married, and everything in between. That’s all fine and good, but I’m not trying to be that. I want to make a site that a local would want to use. One that doesn’t feel so marketing-heavy; it just gets you the information you want without having to jump around. It’s fast, super clean looking, and works well on any device. That was my goal.

I started coding the week before Thanksgiving and I’ve probably only had 2 or 3 days since then where I wasn’t working on the computer, either for my day job or VegasShow.biz (usually both). It’s been fun, exciting, and fast-paced. What started back in November as just an idea is now live to the world, as of last weekend, at https://vegasshow.biz

The work is nowhere near done, I just felt like the site had reached a level where it made sense to expose it to the world. It’s barely getting any traffic at the moment, but it’s more than ready when the time comes. I’ve never built something so heavy duty for a personal project before, but the exercise of doing so entirely on my own has been an incredible learning opportunity.

Every day there’s something new and exciting going on. Earlier this week my company was accepted into the StubHub affiliate program. This allowed me to start posting links to buy tickets to different events on StubHub. If someone clicks through my link and makes a purchase, my company earns a commission. This is standard affiliate marketing practice and just one example of the things I’ll be doing on the site. The plan is to get hooked up with a couple more ticket companies and put links for all of them on my event pages. This would allow my users to price shop all from one location, and I get credit regardless of which one they choose.

I recently had a logo design competition going on via a website called DesignHill.com. Designers from around the world read my briefing and submitted logo design ideas for Vegas Showbiz. I chose my top 10, then conducted a poll on the site, asking friends and family to vote on their favorite designs. 30 people ended up voting, which I appreciate so much, and it was a very tight race between two logos. The one I ultimately chose was the winner of the poll, but it was in 2nd place all the way until the last vote of the poll, which pushed it into first. I didn’t select it because it won the poll, but it was funny the way that worked out in the end.

This week I made what appears to be an important connection earlier this week with a VIP host at the Hakkasan Group, which is the largest nightclub group in Las Vegas. They run all the big clubs like Zouk, Omnia, Hakkasan, and more. I found him on Twitter, introduced my company/website, and asked if I could help him promote his events on my site. A lot of conversation followed and by the time I went to bed that night I had added all of his events to the site and started featuring one of them on the home page. Now I’m taking it a step further by building a guest list form on the site. When someone comes to the event page for one of our events (of which there are many), they can fill out a form to get on the club’s guest list for that night. This means I’m going to start collecting a database of users, which will be valuable, and I can’t believe that in less than a week since going live, I’m already working with a group like this. It’s really exciting.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to start getting a lot of support from my sister Dana regarding company vision and strategy. As I said before, I tend to think a little more on the technical side of things, mainly because I’m 100% responsible for keeping the site running, so having Dana onboard has really helped me expand the vision for the human side of the business. Jessica and my Mom have also been very vocal in this area. I need more than just a Las Vegas search engine. That alone will certainly draw people to the site, but adding fresh relevant content via blog posts and videos is a great way to build up your search engine optimization and get people on your site. It also keeps people on the site for longer, which is an important metric. Since I’m already hooked up with various affiliate relationships, these blog posts and videos can become a great place to drop some ads. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing them here on PellegriniPage too. I’ve always been happy to pay the hosting costs to keep this site running, but if I could recoup those costs simply by adding a couple advertisements to the site, it almost seems silly not to. I’ve just never really been clued into that world because it wasn’t something we ever did at work.

I’m thinking the Jabbawockeez show next week will be the first thing I review for VegasShowbiz. I’m hoping to start doing them regularly so that will be the first one. It’s going to take a lot of marketing to get this business off the ground, and I have to be willing to put myself out there much more than ever before. Honestly that’s a little bit daunting, but I feel like I have a lot of inspiration, a vision of what it can be, and a unique combination of skills to be able to run it as a sole proprietor. If you haven’t yet checked it out, please have a look at https://vegasshow.biz and help me spread the word. It’s constantly growing and I look forward to adding the blog and vlog sections soon. As is, I’m hooked up with the Ticketmaster API and am pulling 95% of my event data from them. On any given day my custom Las Vegas events database contains over 10,000 records, yet you can search/filter them in milliseconds. There is not another site in this market that can truthfully say that. I’m extremely proud of what’s been done so far, and how quickly it’s gone from idea to reality, but the hard work has only just begun. I expect this to be a fun journey, but we’ll see how it turns out. I’m certainly not going to make any rash major changes in my life, but I’m putting everything I have into this. It’s already been a learning experience and it’s barely even begun.

That’s it for now. Once again, wishing my favorite little boy in the whole world a very happy 7th birthday! I love you beyond words and could not be more proud to be your Dad. Here’s some recent pics.

Enzo meeting The Mentalist, Gerry McCambridge, after the show

Ava carries Peach while riding Enzo’s hoverboard near furniture. Don’t try this at home.

Ready for a big night out with my little man

The girls had a fun night with Mom before the show, including dinner at one of our favorite Las Vegas hangouts, The Peppermill

Happy 10th Birthday Ava!

Celebrating Ava’s 10th birthday, Thanksgiving, and a visit from family.

On Thursday the awesome Miss Ava turned 10 years old! This was the first time in her lifetime that her birthday fell on Thanksgiving day, and considering that it was also our first Thanksgiving in our new house, plus the fact that we had family visiting us, made everything really special and memorable. Normally I would write a birthday post about the kids on their actual birthday, but I elected to wait until the end of the weekend this year because Kristy, Tito, and Madi were out visiting us for the past several days and we’ve been keeping busy each day with fun activities. As I write this on Sunday afternoon we’re all basically crashed out after going pretty much non stop for the entire holiday weekend.

Before I get into the details on Ava’s birthday I’ll just mention that Halloween turned out awesome. We had my Mom, Terry, and Bob over to hang out during the day, then that evening the trick or treating in our neighborhood was amazing. I’ve never seen a neighborhood quite like it. Our friends Tiko, Tina, Helen, and Beatrice came over to join us as we bounced around from house to house.

There was one neighbor who built their own haunted house and allowed groups of 3 at a time to go through. Elise didn’t want to go so I took Ava and Enzo through it. They had never done anything like this before so they were pretty freaked out. Then there was another house who not only had a light show synchronized to music, but they were out there in their driveway making cotton candy to order for each kid that came up. It was unbelievable.

Earlier that week Jessica and I were able to hang out with our new neighbors quite a bit. It really was that week where everything changed for us in the neighborhood because before then we basically didn’t know anyone, and after that we started making a bunch of friends. Since then there’s been a couple families who we’ve become closer with, and the kids are making so many friends. We really got lucky with this neighborhood.

As far as this week goes, on Wednesday morning my Mom came to the house and we all went to the Henderson Parks and Rec center to participate in their Charlie Brown Escape Room. It was a racket ball court that they converted into an escape room; you have to use the clues they give you to solve problems until eventually you solve the whole thing. It was a good time for all and we’re already planning on returning for their Polar Express themed escape room in December.

Later that afternoon I headed to the airport to pick up Kristy, Tito and Madi. I knew Madi was excited to check out some vegan restaurants so after coming to the house to drop off bags and do a quick tour, we headed down to the Arts district in downtown Las Vegas and had dinner at Tacotarian, which is our favorite plant-based Mexican restaurant. This was the first time for all 3 of them eating at a Vegan restaurant so it was great to see them really enjoying everything.

Thursday was Ava’s birthday and we were all up early. She did presents that morning, talked to a few people on the phone, then we hung out and watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV while food was being prepared. I made guacamole, fruit salad, and vegan crab cakes to snack on throughout the day, plus we ended up getting a real turkey and a plant-based turkey in order to keep everyone happy. There were lots of other snacks available all day as well, plus my Mom made stuffing, Bob made creamed peas, and I made roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Dessert was a big hit as well because we got this huge cinnamon roll covered in icing and fresh fruit from a place called Cinnaholic. We’d had it once before and everyone loved it, plus it’s all vegan, so everyone was able to enjoy.

I kept waiting for some Thanksgiving catastrophe to take place, which is entirely based on the various issues we’ve had in years past, but it never ended up happening. Nothing was forgotten, no delivery was missed, and the turkey looked beautiful. I guess the joke was on me with that part because I was up early to make sure it was in the oven before 8:00am and it looked like the best turkey I’ve ever made, but I wouldn’t know because I didn’t eat any of it. Oh well, everyone else said it was good.

On Friday we pretended to be tourists and spent the day checking out various attractions on the strip. We started off at Bellagio, where we enjoyed seeing their new holiday decorations. They always do an amazing job decorating at Bellagio so we figured everyone would enjoy checking it out. Later after lunch we made our way down to M&M World where everyone had fun shopping. Enzo is so into rainbow tie dye these days that he ended up getting a hat and a backpack in those colors. Combine that with the tie dye pants and hoodie he was already wearing, and what you end up with is something resembling rainbow vomit.

Since Hershey’s Chocolate World was right across the street we decided to check that out as well. All I can say is I’ve never seen so much chocolate in one room in my life. They sell these 3 pound chocolate bars where you can customize the wrapper. They had the famous green tea Kit Kat bars (which I first saw a couple years ago in Japan), plus so many other treats. By the time we got home that day everyone was exhausted but Kristy and Tito had tickets to see O that evening at Bellagio, so after a short rest they were back out on the town. Meanwhile Jessica and I were happy to stay home with Madi and the kids for movies and snacks.

Saturday was probably my favorite day of their visit. We spent the day shopping at vintage clothing and antique stores in the Arts district downtown. I think everyone in our group got at least one thing while out shopping that day. We stumbled upon a nice pizzeria that offered vegan pizzas, then took everyone out for ice cream. On the way home we stopped by the Pinball Hall of Fame and played games for about an hour.

After going home to rest for a bit we headed back out and ended up having dinner at Chef Kenny’s Vegan Dim Sum, which is easily our favorite Asian restaurant in Las Vegas. This was actually the second consecutive Saturday that Enzo, Jessica, and I had dinner there, and it was the consensus best meal of the visit. We ordered more food than ever yet practically nothing went to waste. The various sushi rolls, rainbow shrimp, walnut shrimp, orange chicken, spicy crispy beef, pot stickers, pork buns, and more, were all a hit. No one can believe it’s all plant-based and I love seeing people’s reactions when trying this stuff for the first time.

Since it was Saturday night and it was their final night in town, we felt like we had to hit up the strip one more time. With the windows down and the moon roof open, we tested out the van’s sound system at levels previously thought unattainable. We were all dancing in our seats, singing along (or in some cases screaming) to the music – it was like our own little minivan party bus. Of all the new memories made during the week, this one will definitely stand out.

This morning we went back out to see the 7 Magic Mountains art installation one more time before it’s removed next month. After that we had one more vegan meal in store: sandwiches from No Butcher. We ended up going to a park and having a picnic lunch, then letting the kids play for a bit before heading to the airport. It feels a little weird being able to do that sort of thing at the end of November, but it’s sunny and 70 degrees, so why not?

Overall it was a great week, a great visit, and several great meals. We really appreciate Kristy, Tito, and Madi coming down here to spend time with us and look forward to doing it again. We’re also planning on heading up to Seattle for a visit this Summer so at the latest we will see them again then.

Before wrapping it up I just want to focus on Ava a bit. It’s hard to believe she’s 10 now, and I can’t believe how much she’s growing up. She’s so much more mature now, and I’ve been impressed with how busy she’s been keeping herself. It used to be just school and hockey, but now she’s involved in multiple school activities as well; she recently finished up robotics club, and she’s now doing Wednesday morning flag football before school.

One of Ava’s greatest qualities is how considerate she is of her siblings. Whenever she’s about to get something special her first thought is how she can share it with Elise and Enzo. They may fight about the silliest little things, but they’re always thinking about each other and as the oldest sibling, Ava is very protective of them.

I remember thinking to myself when Ava was born “I wonder what our lives will be like when she’s 10…”. I never could have predicted all the adventures that would ensue but it’s been quite a ride already and we couldn’t be more proud or in love with the young lady she’s become. Ava is a really unique kid, and I mean that as a compliment. She knows who she is and she loves her family deeply. She gave us the gift of becoming parents and I’ve always said the successes we’ve experienced over the past decade never would have happened if it weren’t for her and her siblings. There simply wouldn’t have been as much motivation if it weren’t for them.

I know we flipped their world upside down this year but I’m so impressed with how each of them has adapted. The new lives we’ve built for ourselves this year have been overwhelming at times, but I feel like Ava is growing and thriving more than ever. I hope it was a special birthday for her and that she always looks back fondly on turning 10.

Elise checking out the 7 Magic Mountains

Elise helped us solving clues in the Charlie Brown escape room

Enzo ran into a wall at school and got 3 stitches in his face. It’s healing well and he’s fine. He’s a tough little dude.

Enzo really loves Vegas. Here he is posing with Liberace’s Rolls Royce.

And finally here he is living his brightest / best life at M&M World

Our first visit to 7 Magic Mountains with Nana

Happy Birthday sweet Ava, we love you SO MUCH!

Happy 8th Birthday Elise!

Today our sweet Elise turned 8 years old, and she was lucky enough to have two birthday celebrations this year. On Sunday we went to our friends Tiko and Tina’s house to have a dual birthday party for their daughter Beatrix (aka Bea or BB), who was turning 3, as well as for Elise.

Our whole family, including Nana, plus our friends Devin and Bridgette, as well as a few others, were there for the party. They had a bouncy house in the backyard, and Jessica couldn’t help herself with the treats – she got a doubled layered bundt cake plus a box of vegan doughnuts from Pinkbox that spelled out “Happy Birthday”. It was a nice time hanging out with friends, and even Mom and I took a few turns jumping in the bouncy house with the kids. It was extremely hot that day though, so a couple minutes at a time was about all we could handle.

Today was Elise’s actual birthday and we celebrated by taking her to Omega Mart at Area 15. It’s pretty tough to describe this place but I’ll do my best. You enter through a fake grocery store called Omega Mart, which is full of funny fake products. You have a card that you can swipe at various locations to get clues about stuff, and as you explore you will eventually find yourself going into the back of the store, which turns into this sci-fi neon filled warehouse full of rooms to explore, slides to go down, and musical gizmos to play. “Star Wars on drugs” is about the best way I can describe it.

Most people in there are trying to find all the clues and figure out the purpose behind the whole thing, but for us it was enough of a challenge just to keep all 6 of us (Nana was with us) in the same place at the same time. It was a crazy and memorable experience, but Elise had fun, which is all that mattered. There are lots of other things to do at Area 15 so I’m sure we’ll be back someday.

After that we went to lunch, then back to Nana’s house for cake. This was a special cake because Elise and Jessica made it together the day before. It was a confetti cake with Fruity Pebbles sprinkled on top as a garnish and it turned out great.

Once we were finished with cake we decided to let Nana take a break, so we took the kids to our new house to hang out and go swimming, then have a sleepover. We closed on the house on Monday and got the keys that day, which is incredible considering it was a 15 day close after our offer was accepted. It’s even more crazy to think that we left Washington on June 16, arrived in Las Vegas on June 18, and got the keys to our house on July 12! Talk about a quick turnaround.

Jessica and I have been making trips in our cars between the storage unit and the house all week, and we’re making good progress. There’s boxes everywhere, but we’re getting things unpacked and put away as quickly as possible. Saturday we’re renting a moving truck to get all the bigger things that won’t fit in our cars. At that point all of our stuff will be in the new house, but we’ll still have these construction projects to take care of before everything can be put away.

The biggest project is the new flooring upstairs, and the demo stage is beginning tomorrow. We’re tearing out all the carpet on the stairs and everywhere upstairs, and replacing it with a really nice waterproof laminate floor. We decided to pay it forward by going with a premium floor that we really loved because we’re going to be here forever and we felt like this house deserved it.

On Monday my Uncle Terry is beginning a project to replace each of the wood posts on our staircase railing with iron posts. He’s also going to stain the railing so it’s dark brown, and paint the base of it white, where the rails connect at the bottom. I’ll share pictures in a future post once everything is done.

The other project we’re hoping to get done next week is in our family room. We want to remove the built in entertainment center, as well as the fireplace next to it, and knock out part of a wall insert. This will open things up even more in that room and leave space for the new TV and entertainment center that are on the way. There’s already a fireplace in the living room, so we’re replacing the one in the family room with one of those cool new electric fireplaces, which will be in the base of the new entertainment center. Once again, I’ll post photos once everything is done.

We may take on more projects in the near future but that’s it for now. Other than that we’re just focused on getting settled in the new house and getting the kids ready for school, which begins on August 9th. They got shorted on their Summer a bit this year, but it’s been very special staying with Nana, and they’re going back to her house tomorrow for a few more days. In addition, Grandma and Grandpa Rudd are coming for a visit next week, so they’ll get plenty of time with them, including a night or two at the hotel.

I think my first realization after moving into our house this week is that maintaining an outdoor pool is a lot of work! Even though we currently have a pool guy coming once a week, you still have the daily maintenance of brushing it and skimming it with a net. Eventually I plan on letting the pool guy go and doing all the maintenance myself, but I need to learn more about the chemistry aspect first. I realized yesterday while cleaning the pool that I’m going to spend more time cleaning it than actually swimming in it, but it’s worth it each time we jump in! Seeing the kids swimming out there this afternoon brought the biggest smiles to our faces.

Overall things are slowly starting to sink in that we live in Henderson and this is our new house, but it’s still crazy. I think Enzo put it best when he said “How were we able to trade our old house for this new house? Our old house wasn’t special, but this house is special.” It was difficult to explain, and I still don’t think he gets it, but I’m just so grateful that things have worked out the way they have.

That’s pretty much it for now. I definitely plan on sharing more photos once the projects are complete and things are all put away. I’ll probably even do another video walk through at some point, but I want to wait for our new couch to arrive, which will be at least two more months. One thing I wanted to call out, and I’m upset with myself for forgetting to do so in my last post, was that it was my Mom who found this house for us. She found it while searching online, on the same day it was posted, and we were there checking it out the very next day. While it’s possible that we would have found it, or our real estate agent would have, the reality is that Nana found it, and that makes it even more special! We can’t wait to start having her over for regular sleepovers.

Before I go I just want to say Happy Birthday to Elise one last time. We love you so much and hope you’re happy with this new life we’ve just landed in. Thank you for being such a sweet and caring daughter and sister. We’re all so lucky to have you in our lives.

Elise displaying the cake she baked with Mom

This stuffie named Rainbow was one of her favorite gifts this year

Having fun with Bea and her big sister Helen at their house

Right after getting the keys to our house

Happy 6th Birthday Enzo!

Celebrating our little man’s 6th birthday in style. Supercars and all!

We’ve been counting down the days for the past couple weeks but today it’s official, Enzo is now 6 years old! I think one of the things that makes kids’ birthdays tricky during the pandemic is figuring out how to make them special when you’re so limited on what you can do. We can’t do a traditional party, or any type of outdoor gathering due to the time of year, so it’s a bit of a challenge, but I’m happy with how today turned out for him.

Enzo got to open a bunch of presents this morning, and he was very excited and thankful for everything he received. After his daily video call with his Kindergarten class I took him out for a special occasion. He already knew that we were going to get a Pro Scooter at the sporting goods store, but on the way there I surprised him with a visit to Cats Exotics, which is an exotic car dealership in Lynnwood that specializes in Lamborghini’s.

You can’t even walk in right now so I buzzed the front door and a lady came to greet us. I said hello and explained that it was Enzo’s birthday and that he was hoping to see some fancy cars. She told me she would ask the sales manager, and next thing you know this nice guy came out to us and said “Enzo, it’s your birthday? Well you need to see my Ferrari!”

He ended up showing us around for about 15 minutes and it was simply awesome. We saw the owner’s McClaren Senna, many Lamborghini’s from different eras, a Ferrari California, a Porsche 911 GT4, a couple cool motorcycles, and several others. I thanked him many times for making this such a special and memorable day for us, and I feel confident that Enzo will now always remember his 6th birthday.

Afterwards we got him a really cool Pro Scooter, then by his request, we picked up Mod Pizza for everyone at home to have for lunch. Since it’s Thursday, we went to our Jiu-Jitsu class in the evening and followed through with our school’s birthday tradition of doing a dog pile on him at the end of class. Later on in the evening we finished things off with some birthday cake and cupcakes.

Although today is Enzo’s actual birthday, some of our celebrations will extend into this weekend. We’re taking the kids up to Snoqualmie Pass for a day of sledding and snow play, then on Sunday afternoon we’re heading down to Kristy’s to hang out and do a birthday celebration for Enzo, Beto, and Uncle Jim, whose birthday is tomorrow. We haven’t seen them in several months so we’re really looking forward to it.

In addition to all the birthday stuff, life has recently gotten a lot busier for us. Back in mid November we went back into a phase 1 lockdown due to the pandemic, meaning hockey was cancelled, but a couple weeks ago we were allowed to start playing again, so suddenly we’re back to being busy getting the kids to their practices. It’s nice though, and they’re really enjoying it.

Home school continues to go well, and although our school district is about to start bringing kids back in person, we elected not to go that route. It would have only applied to Enzo anyway since he’s the only one currently enrolled, but we’re doing just fine here at home and don’t feel like switching things up mid-year.

The kids recently got their eyes tested, and although there’s nothing wrong per say, we still decided to get each of them a pair of glasses due to the amount of time they spend on screens. The girls just received theirs and love them, but we’re still waiting for Enzo’s to arrive.

Another recent exciting thing for us was that the kids each got their first stripe on their belt at Jiu-Jitsu! It was definitely a proud papa moment for me, mostly because I can relate so well to being a little kid coming up the ranks at a martial arts school. They were so proud of themselves and they continue to say things like “I can’t believe I got a stripe on my belt!”. I told them that it’s just the first of many if they stick with it.

Overall things are good and we had no problems getting back into our routine after the holiday break was over. Our rescheduled Disney World trip is supposed to take place in a little over 3 months, but we’re not really sure if it’s going to happen then or not. Nothing will surprise me at this point, but we’re fine taking things day by day. It would be nice to have a little more to look forward to on the horizon, but we’re not taking anything for granted. We’re all healthy and doing things we love, so it’s all good. I’m just glad we were able to make today really special for Enzo. Happy birthday buddy, we love you so much!

Getting started with his gifts this morning

Ava and Elise each made special pictures for him

This kid never met a monster truck he didn’t like

This McClaren Senna isn’t for sale, but was probably our favorite car of the day.

Enzo was excited to see this Ferrari California

This Lamborghini set a record lap time on the Nürburgring in Germany

Here he is with his own new set of wheels from today

The girls are looking lovely with their new glasses

These beautiful tulips from Nana made a perfect photo backdrop

Getting their first stripes at Jiu-Jitsu!

Seeing the first woman elected as Vice President of the United States was a proud day for our family

Having a little family fun with Dad’s new look

Singing “Happy Birthday” to Enzo. #Candlegate

Happy 9th Birthday Ava!

Celebrating Ava’s 9th birthday with Nana

Today Ava is officially halfway to becoming an adult. That’s a bit hard to believe, but as all parents know, time flies when watching your kids grow. Birthdays are so exciting when you’re a kid and she has been looking forward to this for quite a while. Unfortunately due to the new Covid lockdown we’re unable to have a traditional birthday party for her, but she got a very special present in the form of a visit from her Nana.

Last night I picked up my Mom at Paine Field, brought her home, and she proceeded to spend the next few hours showing the kids all the things she brought them. They were ecstatic to be getting all kinds of trinkets from Nana, but most of all just to be spending time with her. She will be with us until Sunday, and although we can’t go many places, we have plenty of fun crafty projects to do at home. While I’m always thankful for a visit from family, I’m even more thankful than usual to my Mom for making this trip, mostly because it means so much to Ava for her birthday. There’s been plenty of letdowns for the kids this year, so a visit like this from their Nana means so much to all of us.

The kids spent the night in Nana’s room last night, and they were up late, so we let everyone sleep in, then came downstairs to a table full of presents for Ava to open. Before I go further I just want to say thank you to all of our family and friends who remembered Ava’s birthday and sent a gift. It meant a lot to her and we appreciate it so much!

After opening presents Ava got to do something she’s been wanting to do for a while, which is smash a pie in Mom and Dad’s faces. We let Elise film it and put it up on the Pellegrini Kids YouTube channel (be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already). Since we’re so limited on things we can do this year, Jessica and I were trying to think of funny memorable things and smashing a pie in our faces was at the top of Ava’s list. I’m sure none of us will forget it.

Obviously a shower was in order after that, then my Mom and I took Ava to the sporting goods store so she could pick out a Pro Scooter. I did the same thing with Elise on her birthday, except she got a longboard. Ava already has a longboard from her 8th birthday, so this time she really wanted a Pro Scooter like some other kids in the neighborhood. I like having this tradition of taking the kids out shopping for something special on their birthday, and having my Mom with us made it even more memorable.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home and letting the kids play with all the new toys. It’s going to be a quiet week at home, but we’re used to that these days and having Nana here to hang out with us is a nice treat, especially considering we haven’t seen her in over a year.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it will be the first one in my life where I don’t eat any turkey. I’m fine with that, as the turkey has never been my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner anyway. I’m more of a stuffing guy and we’ll be having that. Jessica and I ordered the Thanksgiving box from Purple Carrot, which will feature the following:

Hasselback butternut squash with cider glaze and a rosemary pistachio dukkah (“An entree so good that no one will miss the turkey”)
Rustic ciabatta stuffing with root vegetables and herb “sausage”
Roasted brussels sprouts with oyster mushrooms and garlic kimchi butter
Cranberry sauce
Traditional vegetable gravy
Pear cranberry crisp with walnut crumble

I think it sounds really good, and we’ve never been disappointed with the food we’ve gotten from Purple Carrot, so no concerns at all. Here’s Purple Carrot’s photo of the meal:

Before all the cooking gets started Jessica will be going to her workout class and I’ll be going to an open mat at my Jiu Jitsu school. Technically exercise activities like this aren’t supposed to be going on right now due to the lockdown, but in both of our cases the groups are so small that we’re just flying under the radar. We both realize there is some risk anytime you leave the house these days, but we’re always with the same small groups of people, exercise is proven to strengthen your immune system, and a little bit of exposure to other people is good for building antibodies. That’s how I’m justifying it anyway.

I forgot to mention this in my post last month but Jessica has really found her thing with this exercise group she’s been going to. It’s run by a friend of hers that she used to work with and it’s pretty intense. In all the years Jessica and I have been together I’ve never seen her so committed to a physical activity like this. She does 3-4 classes a week, including at least one early morning class each week, and has gotten into great shape. In both of our cases we really thrive on the activity and always feel great at the end. I’m just glad that with all the limitations in our world right now we have something to get out and do. The same goes for the kids too, as hockey has been suspended for at least a month, but we still have Jiu Jitsu and they love it.

As I mentioned last month, we had really hit our stride with homeschooling, and that continues to be the case. Certainly there are times that can be difficult for everyone, but overall it’s going so well. Jessica does a great job teaching, and we have been fortunate enough to receive regular weekly lessons from Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad. They have taken such an active role in teaching the kids everything from human anatomy and physiology, geography, or anything else the kids request. We really appreciate all the help they have provided and the kids love seeing them.

This past weekend Enzo lost his first tooth, which was the last of the firsts in terms of losing teeth in our family. He was such a champ about it too – he never got freaked out at all, making it the easiest tooth I’ve pulled yet. That night the tooth fairy delivered him a $5 bill and a red guitar pick. He told me the next morning that the money was cool, but that the guitar pick was more special, then he said “Maybe you should have the guitar pick Dad”. It was super cute and thoughtful of him. I told him to keep it as inspiration to start playing when he’s older.

Since school photos weren’t a thing this year, we ended up taking things into our own hands by hiring a photographer to do our own. We recently got them back, which you can see below.

Overall I’m very proud of how well the kids have adapted to our new circumstances this year. It’s hard to believe 2020 is nearly complete, and although it’s been a tough year for a lot of people, I continue to feel like our family has very little to complain about. The most notable thing for us is that Jessica no longer has a job to go to, but she’s busier than ever as the kids school teacher. Life has slowed down a lot, but we’re still able to do things we love, and we get so much more time together as a family. The cats have been an awesome addition to our household, and switching up the way we eat has opened up a whole new world of food to us, which has definitely added an element of excitement.

I know a lot of people will look back negatively on this year, but I refuse to do so. The holiday season is now upon us, and I’m just around the corner from a 3 week staycation to finish off the year. I did the same thing last year and felt like it would be a nice tradition to keep. You can only carry over 120 hours of vacation into a new calendar year and I have well over 200, so it was a no-brainer. I’ve never been very good at using my time off (it’s been 2 years since I’ve taken a sick day), but this year especially I haven’t felt like I’ve needed it. Not commuting to and from the office every day definitely reduces stress for me, and allows me to sleep a bit later, so I haven’t felt like I’ve needed it. That said, 3 weeks at home with my family, cats, and guitars will be very nice!

Before wrapping it up I just want to again wish Ava a very happy 9th birthday. Mom and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s such a loving and caring kid with a very bright future. I just wish she would slow down with all this growing. I can’t believe how tall she is now, and how mature she is becoming. Halfway to adulthood is crazy, but I expect the second half to go even faster. We love you Ava!

Presents and doughnuts on her birthday morning

I love how Ava wears #13 in hockey because she’s the first of three

Elise wearing her new shirt from this morning

Getting our pumpkin carving on for Halloween

Enzo’s first tooth pulling experience was a success

Elise “The Tooth” Pellegrini’s 2nd grade photo

Happy 7th Birthday Elise!

Today our sweet Elise turns 7 years old! I remember her birth like it was yesterday and couldn’t be more proud of the young lady she has already grown into. She’s such a great kid with so many amazing qualities; not only are Jessica and I beyond lucky to have her as a daughter, but Ava and Enzo are also extremely lucky to have such a loving and caring sister. Although the circumstances these days throughout the world make it difficult for us to throw a proper birthday celebration, we still wanted it to be a special day for her and show her just how much she is loved.

For a while now Elise and I have had a deal that I would take her shopping on her birthday, but she has been going back and forth on whether she would prefer a longboard or a scooter. She’s been thinking about it a lot because Ava and our good friend Avery love riding their longboards up and down our street, but she always enjoys riding scooters as well. I told her we would go to the store to look at both, and most likely she will find ‘the one’ when she sees it.

I was able to wrap up all my meetings by lunchtime, then the two of us headed out to the sporting goods store to have a look. We looked at the longboards first and there were a few she was interested in, then we took a look at the scooters. After a few seconds she said “Daddy, I’ve made up my mind. I’m getting a longboard.” I loved how serious she was about her decision and was happy to go along. She ended up picking out a really cool Stella longboard with orange wheels and an orange design on the bottom. It was fitting considering orange is her favorite color.

Earlier that morning she opened some of her presents, which included walkie-talkies from Grandma and Grandpa Rudd, an mp3 player from Nana, and a bluetooth speaker with microphones from Grandma and Grandpa Martin. After returning home with her new longboard she had lunch and then got out on the street to break it in, but took a cake and ice cream break in the afternoon. Later on we all went to our regular Tuesday evening Jiu-Jitsu class and she was greeted with a ‘surprise’, which was a pig pile from the other kids in class. In this case the only other kids in class were Ava and Enzo, so it wasn’t bad. I gave her the option of skipping class because it was her birthday but she wanted none of it. She really loves Jiu-Jitsu so it was a fun way to spend her birthday evening.

In addition to everything today, we’ve got some fun stuff to look forward to this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Martin are on their way up from Colorado in the bus, along with their grandson Cole from Texas, and will be here tomorrow. This weekend we’re having a few friends over to skateboard and ride bikes outside, enjoy some treats, and watch an outdoor movie once it starts getting dark. Then on Sunday or Monday the kids will head out on a road trip with G&G for about a week. They won’t be going too far away but there’s so much to see without leaving Washington so I’m looking forward to hearing about it.

Speaking of road trips, when I wrote my last post I focused on our change of plans around Disney World and how we had decided on doing a 3 week road trip to and from Florida. At that time the Covid-19 situation seemed to be trending in the right direction and Summer felt like the safest time for us to go on our long-awaited vacation. Unfortunately things with Covid have taken a significant turn for the worse and Florida has become arguably the most dangerous place in the world, so even though Disney World has reopened, we have made the tough decision to once again postpone our trip.

I knew there was a decent chance of this happening but it’s still disappointing because we hate to keep letting the kids down. However we have to be smart and can’t allow ourselves to be so dogmatic about the trip that we’re willing to risk our health and safety in order to make this vacation happen. At this point the plan is to reschedule the trip for May 2021, right between Spring Break and Summer. Hopefully by then things will be in a better state and we’ll be able to have the vacation we’ve been hoping for, but at this point nothing will surprise me.

For a while there we had a plan B, which involved a road trip to San Diego, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas, but unfortunately that’s not going to work out either. Just this week California had to shut everything down again due to spikes in Covid outbreaks, and Arizona + Nevada aren’t doing a whole lot better, so there’s no point in us going there either. Again it’s all very disappointing, but there’s nothing we can do besides be smart and keep our family safe.

At this point we’re onto plan C, which will most likely involve a very small road trip somewhere east of the mountains. We’re still working out details but are considering a couple days in Couer d’Alene Idaho so we can take our kids to Silverwood, which is a big theme park and water park. The kids have actually been there before with Grandma and Grandpa but Jessica and I have never been, and we really want to do something fun this Summer. I’m not worried about our ability to keep our distance and stay safe, and only crossing one state line seems most preferable at this point. We haven’t finalized anything yet but that’s what we’re thinking about at the moment. Considering what a strange year it’s been we just want to do something special to remember this Summer by, so hopefully this works out.

In the spirit of doing something special for the family, we also have some exciting news in the sense that we have adopted two purebred Siberian kittens! It’s been about 4 years since Bella passed away and we haven’t had a family pet since then. For a while now we felt like a cat would be the ideal family pet for us, but due to Jessica’s allergy we never thought it would be feasible.

After doing some research we learned that when a person is allergic to cats, it’s based on a protein secreted in their saliva called “Fel d”, which dries on their fur when they clean themselves and causes an allergic reaction for some people who come near them. Luckily not all cats secrete this protein though, and the Siberian breed is known as one of the most hypoallergenic breeds of house cats available. We were able to expose Jessica to them one afternoon and everything was totally fine, so we felt comfortable in moving forward.

We ended up finding a breeder in North Seattle and were able to reserve two sibling kittens who were born on the 4th of July. They need to stay with their mother for the first ten weeks, meaning they won’t be coming to live with us until mid-September. While we wish they could be with us now, after seeing how much work newborn kittens can be we’re happy to wait a couple months before bringing them home. We have never worked with a breeder before and would normally be inclined to rescue an animal from a shelter, but due to the allergy limitation we felt like this was our only option. Getting two was really in the best interest of the cats because everything we’ve read says they do so much better when they’re not alone.

At this point in our lives we definitely feel ready to commit to pets again, and cats just feel like the right fit for us. They’re a low maintenance pet but still show a lot of affection. While all three of the kids were excited, there’s no question Elise was the most excited at the prospect of getting a cat. She has always been obsessed with cats and was over the moon when we broke the news. Considering all the let downs we’ve had this year, it felt so nice for Jessica and I to give them some exciting good news. They certainly deserve it.

In other family news, we recently spent the 4th of July at our house with Kristy, Beto, and Madi. This was literally the first time we had seen any family since January, so it was really nice to get together. We had dinner, then hung out in the cul-de-sac with the neighbors and let off a ton of fireworks. Rumor has it that this was the last year we would be allowed to do our own fireworks, so it was fun to be able to share that with them. Hopefully we can set up another get-together sometime soon.

That’s about all for now, but before I go I just want to again wish Elise a very happy 7th birthday! We love you more than you can imagine and hope you enjoyed your special day. Noi ti amiamo così tanto!

Enzo is now attending Jiu-Jitsu classes with us and loving it!

Summer fun with our good friends Avery and Nathan

Our little furballs on the day of their birth

Someone is ready to open their presents!

Taking a family photo in the driveway on the 4th of July has become a tradition for us

Happy Birthday My Love

If it were up to Jessica, no attention would be paid to her birthday this year. Not because she’s freaking out about getting a year older, but because this quarantined Groundhog’s Day we’re living in prohibits any day from feeling especially, well, special. Fortunately however, it’s not up to her! It’s her birthday dammit, and a big one at that, although I’m not dumb enough to start talking about my wife’s age in public. Obviously we’re both well beyond getting super excited simply because it’s our birthday, but at the same time the family blog has become something we love looking back on as a reminder of where we were and what was happening at certain points in our lives. While I doubt we will ever forget this particular time in the world, I still want to take a moment to chronicle and pay respect.

In another week or so, we will have been ‘sheltering in place’ (meaning staying home) for two months. Although the official order from the governor didn’t come in for another couple weeks, we started staying home once I was ordered to work from home, which was at the beginning of March. It’s been a strange couple of months, and certainly there are many things that we miss from our normal lives, but overall things are going well. First and foremost, we all have our health, and that’s not something to be taken for granted these days.

A few days ago Enzo came down with a 102 degree fever (technically it was 101.9). Obviously Jessica and I were very worried because a fever is the most common first sign of Covid-19. He also threw up a couple times, so we immediately got him on a schedule taking children’s Tylenol, and pumping him up with fluids. Luckily the Tylenol broke the fever quickly and within 24 hours he was about 90% back to normal. Since then he has returned completely to normal, so there’s no more reason for concern, and no one else in our house has shown any signs of sickness. Other than that we’ve all been completely normal and healthy throughout this pandemic.

I think it’s safe to say this whole quarantine thing has been far easier on me than it has on the rest of my family. I’m still working full-time, which keeps me grounded in my routine, and I was already working from home 2 days a week, so switching to 5 days a week was no big deal. I just miss taking my kids to the ice rink and jiu-jitsu, plus I miss going to the gym, but I’ve found plenty of other ways to stay busy. Music has been my sanctuary throughout this experience – I’ve never spent so much time practicing and recording.

For Jessica, not being able to work any more has been difficult on multiple levels. There was a sense of guilt for not being able to contribute in that way, and not working means she misses out on a good portion of her social life. It’s a way for her to get away and interact with adults other than myself. Certainly she has found ways to stay busy at home, mostly due to the role she has taken on with homeschooling the kids, but it’s obviously not the same.

What was originally supposed to be a 2 month closure for El Gaucho has now become about 5. They were already supposed to be moving to a new location this Summer, so recently they made the decision to not reopen the Belltown location at all, and wait until the grand opening of the new location, which will be closer to the market, in September. This means it could easily be 5 months off for Jessica. She’s not happy about it but there’s nothing we can do.

Based on all this, she has fully invested herself into homeschooling the kids, and is doing an incredible job. She really deserves so much respect and credit for this. I’ve heard and read plenty of stories about parents who are more qualified to homeschool their kids, but simply don’t have the motivation to do so, and consequently the kids spend all day playing video games. In our case there is no question that the education our kids are getting today is better than what they were getting at school. It’s more focused and personalized, with far fewer distractions. It’s such an improvement that Ava is requesting not to go back to school and remain homeschooled for the foreseeable future. We haven’t made a final decision on this yet but we’re seriously considering it.

As far as the kids go, their resilience constantly impresses me. Their entire worlds have been flipped upside down, yet you wouldn’t know it when speaking with them. Other than the neighborhood kids, they haven’t seen any of their friends in 2 months, they’re getting less exercise, and doing none of their activities. You’d think this would be a recipe for disaster but they’re actually doing quite well. In terms of exercise, I’ve been doing some home jiu-jitsu classes, but not on a regular enough schedule, so that’s changing. We had a 90 minute class at home on Sunday and the girls loved it, so I promised them we’d start doing classes like this at least twice a week.

Just like our normal jiu-jitsu school, we worked on techniques for a while, then at the end I let them spar, and the sparring got pretty epic. Although Elise is younger and smaller than Ava, she has a natural ferocity and toughness that lends itself to martial arts. She would repeatedly take Ava down to the mat, get on her back, and submit her with a rear naked choke. At one point Ava was calling out for help and Elise screamed “There’s no one here to help you!!”

Jessica and I were both right there the whole time and obviously we would never let either of them get hurt, but the competition is good for them on multiple levels. I was recently talking with the owner of our school and he said he’s hoping to reopen in the next couple weeks, so hopefully that works out because we’re all looking forward to getting back in there on a regular basis.

I’d say easily the biggest highlight for the kids during this quarantine has been Easter. Normally we would go up to the Palmer’s house for a big outdoor egg hunt, followed by a delicious dinner, but that wasn’t an option this year. Instead we had a fun indoor egg hunt, way too much candy, and spent pretty much the entire day playing outside. A bunch of neighborhood kids came out to play catch, ride skateboards, and soak up the sun. The kids all said it was the best quarantine day by far, and it made us feel good to give them a day like this, even if it was a break from the norm.

Regarding the ongoing saga of our Disney World trip, we were originally supposed to go in early April for our 10th anniversary, but we ended up postponing it to the third week of May. Unfortunately it had to be postponed again, but we’re committed to making this happen. It’s something we’re all looking forward to, and by the time it actually does happen I think we’ll appreciate it even more.

At this point we’ll be going to Disney World the final week of August, and each time we call them to reschedule, they sweeten the deal even more. When we rescheduled the first time we ended up getting an extra day (hotel and meal plan) added for free. Then when we rescheduled again they refunded the entire cost of the meal plan! This was a considerable expense, but it was their way of showing appreciation for the customers who stuck with them throughout this whole ordeal. We weren’t expecting it, but it was a nice surprise. It’s a bummer to have to wait even longer for this trip, but it’s going to be freakin’ magical once it finally does happen!

While I would have been happy to make a delicious meal for Jessica tonight, she decided what she really wanted was sushi. I think she took pity on me because I’m on call for work this week, so we’re getting takeout from our favorite place. It feels good to help support local restaurants, especially since this is something we’ve done very little of over the past 2 months.

The bummer trifecta of being stuck home for our anniversary and Jessica’s birthday will soon be complete when Mother’s Day rolls around, but there’s nothing we can do besides remain positive and enjoy the time together. While none of us know what the new normal will be, I think it’s safe to say we all have a newfound appreciation for the smaller things. We look forward to seeing friends and family, getting back to our activities, and being able to leave our house just because we feel like it. Jessica will surely never forget this birthday, but I hope she doesn’t look at it in a negative light. She has jumped at the opportunity to once again show what an awesome mom and wife she is, and we love her so much! Happy Birthday my love.

Happy 5th Birthday Enzo!

Today our amazing little boy turns 5 years old! I know I say something similar to this on each of the kids birthdays, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but I just cannot believe he’s already 5! I also can’t believe our youngest child is now 5. I know it’s super cliche, and I say it every time, but time is flying at a relentless pace and the older I get the faster it seems to go. Overall he’s doing great with all of his activities and school, while also enjoying his final year at home before entering school full time as a Kindergartner in the Fall. He loves monster trucks, racecars, video games, bike racing, listening to music, dancing, and getting out on the ice to play hockey.

To everyone who got him a present or wished him a happy birthday, thank you all so much. Some of the highlights this year included various cars and monster trucks, a red leather jacket, and his very own Nintendo Switch! We got our first Nintendo Switch about a month ago for Christmas and we all love it, but it’s probably safe to say that Enzo loves it the most, so it felt appropriate for him to have his own.

Although today is Enzo’s actual birthday, we primarily celebrated on Sunday by going to an Everett Silvertips hockey game, which they won 4-1 over the Spokane Chiefs. We were joined by Kristy, Beto, and Madi, plus our good friends the Palmers and the Browns. They were supposed to announce Enzo’s name during the second period, and I had my phone out filming when they started calling out the birthdays, but for some reason Enzo got skipped. Obviously he didn’t know the difference but we were a bit bummed and confused. Either way it was still a really fun evening, then afterwards we went out for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Much like his first birthday, after dinner they brought out the sombrero and sang to him before enjoying a bowl of fried ice cream.

It was a very hockey-filled weekend which began with Ava’s practice on Friday night. Then on Saturday morning Enzo had his final class from his first Hockey 1 session that he began a couple months ago. He made great progress during this time and after the final class I told him he certainly didn’t have to stick with hockey, but he could if he wanted to. His response was “Daddy, I want to keep playing hockey until I’m good.” So, on that note, we’ll be signing up for another session in the spring.

Saturday afternoon Ava had practice and a game, which she played very well in, then Saturday night we met up with a few other families for the University of Washington’s hockey game against Oregon. Sunday afternoon Ava had a special practice in preparation for the Wickfest tournament we’ll be attending this weekend, then Sunday evening was the Silvertips game. So yeah, lots of hockey this weekend!

In addition to Sunday’s birthday celebration, we were joined this evening for dinner at home with Auntie Dana. She wasn’t able to make it to the game but wanted to see Enzo, so it worked out perfectly. I figured it would make sense for us to have Cioppino (our dad’s specialty) for dinner, and luckily my favorite grocery store Central Market sells a really good Cioppino base, which makes it quick and easy to prepare. We’ve been getting to see Dana a lot more frequently over the past couple months and that’s been really nice, so we appreciate her coming over.

As briefly mentioned already, we’ll be up in the Vancouver area this weekend for the Wickfest tournament, which is an all-female hockey tournament put on by Canadian Olympian and recent Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser. It’s a very popular tournament and is so tough to get into that our 8U team was the only team from the entire Washington Wild organization to actually get in! We’ll be attending the “Let’s Glow Girls” opening party on Thursday night, which will be filled with food, music, neon lights, and lots of glow sticks. In addition to playing 4 games throughout the weekend, there will be all kinds of events going on for the kids to participate in, plus we always enjoy hanging out at the hotel and going swimming with the team.

In addition to all this hockey with Ava and Enzo, Elise has recently joined a Lego club at school and is enjoying that. She’s looking forward to trying a Jiu Jitsu class soon, as are the other two, after we get back from Canada, and I also just found a kids cooking school in Bothell called Frog Legs that we’re interested in checking out. She went really out of her way to make Enzo the sweetest birthday card, Pikachu ears, and gift basket (full of his own toys that she found around the house), then was the first one downstairs this morning wishing him a happy birthday. Overall she’s doing great and looking forward to a weekend in Canada. I have to give Elise credit because she’s so good at going with the flow and having fun with whatever we’re doing, but at the same time I want to make sure she gets to go and do things that specifically cater to her interests. So far she’s loving the legos, so hopefully we can ‘build’ from that… (get it – build??)

Earlier this month we made our annual trip to see the monster trucks at Monster Jam in Tacoma. Our next door neighbor Jim came along with us and everyone had a good time. It’s just loud mindless entertainment but I enjoy this new tradition we’ve made and look forward to doing it again next year. Then the very next day we received about 7 or 8 inches of snow, which was enough to cause the kids to miss 3 consecutive days of school. They basically spent all day everyday outside sledding, building a snowman (whom they call Bob every year), and dumping snow down each other’s backs. It didn’t take long to warm up and all get rained away, but they enjoyed it while it lasted.

I hate to mention a somber topic in this post, but I have to admit I’ve been pretty shook up over the past couple days due to the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in that helicopter crash. I always looked up to Kobe and his death has been really bothering me. The fact that they and other families were going to their daughter’s basketball game hits close to home. I can’t help but make a connection with Ava and I regularly going to hockey practices/games together. Obviously we’re not traveling by helicopter, but anything can happen, and their deaths were a sad reminder that you can’t take anything for granted. It was all over the TV during our dinner on Sunday night, so we used it to have a good family conversation about life, love, and appreciating every day we have together because you never know what may happen next.

Considering how fast the kids are growing, I’ve recently taken up another creative hobby – photography. It’s not something that I’ll ever dive as deeply into as I have with guitar, but it’s another form of creative expression, and I love capturing all these special moments with our family and friends. I’ve been watching videos on YouTube to learn the basics and look forward to getting lots of shots this weekend in Canada.

The other big thing going on in my world has been based around transitioning into a new role on my team at work as the lead engineer working on experimentation, analytics, and personalization of the azure.com site. It’s the same team I’ve always been on (hard to believe my 5 year anniversary is only about a month away) but I’m now working with a relatively new group within the team to gather data and deliver more personalized experiences for our users. It’s a huge opportunity for me and should become a turning point in my career, so I’m very excited.

Jessica has been staying very busy tutoring the girls and things are going so well. They’ve been at it for about 6 weeks now and the progress speaks for itself. Ava and Elise are both on the cusp of finishing level 2 of the Barton system and it’s so cool to see them getting excited about reading! Not surprisingly their teachers at school are noticing a difference as well. Overall I just have to give Jessica so much credit and respect for taking this on. Her dedication has been amazing and we’re already starting to see it pay off. She’s a natural teacher too, so we have already decided to have Enzo go through the course when the time comes. Who knows, tutoring may even be a potential career for Jessica at some point in the future, but she’s not worrying about that for now. It’s all about our kids at this point, and I just can’t thank her enough for all the dedication and effort she continues to put in. The kids will thank her someday as well, but for now seeing them learn, and enjoy it along the way, is all the thanks she needs.

Before I go I just want to once again wish Enzo the happiest of birthdays. I still remember my fifth birthday and I hope he always remembers his. I couldn’t be more lucky to call him my son. Happy birthday buddy – we love you more than you’ll ever know.

Sporting his new red leather jacket. Happy birthday Enzo!

Happy 8th Birthday Ava!

Today Miss Ava turns 8 years old! In commemoration of this I wanted to write a quick post about her and her big day. Although today is her actual birthday, it was yesterday that we celebrated, by holding her party at a local roller skating rink. It was a small affair with just a handful of friends from school and hockey, as well as a couple families that we’re really close to. It was an LOL-themed party, meaning we had all kinds of LOL decorations on the table, and Ava was fortunate enough to receive some new LOL gifts from her friends.

We ended up spending 3 hours at the skating rink, but took plenty of breaks to enjoy pizza and pie. I’ve been trying to encourage pie over cake for birthdays (because pie is always better than cake) so I was happy when Ava requested pumpkin pie for her party instead of a birthday cake. We got a huge one from Costco, but got an apple pie as well, just to be safe. As it turned out, every kid requested pumpkin pie, and the entire thing got eaten. Along with the other parents, I was happy to enjoy some apple pie, but was surprised when kids would see me eating it and say “Eww” and give me a thumbs down. Since when was apple pie so gross? Whatever, I enjoyed it.

After coming home from the rink we opened presents, then had a relaxing evening enjoying gifts and watching shows. In addition to the LOL dolls, Ava received a nice leather backpack, and a marble run game (which has been very popular with her siblings as well) from Grandma and Grandpa Rudd. Nana got her a bluetooth karaoke microphone, a pair of binoculars, a bracelet, and some chokers, all of which she picked out online during Nana’s recent visit. She also received some cool art supplies, a nice sweater, and plenty of other things that I can’t think of at the moment.

Earlier this week I took Ava out shopping for a birthday present that I’ve been promising her for about 2 years – a skateboard! We made a rule a long time ago that you had to be 8 in our family before you could have your own skateboard, and Ava has been waiting patiently ever since. Since Mom and I both have longboards, she wanted one as well, and that’s what we got. However, there’s another rule in place when it comes to riding a skateboard – you must have full pads on at all times, otherwise it will be taken away. I’ve had so many injuries riding skateboards over the years, and many of them could have been prevented had I been adequately protected, so I feel like this rule is pretty reasonable.

Since today is her actual birthday and both her and Elise have perfect attendance so far this year at school, we decided to let them miss a day and have a special outing with Mom and Enzo. They’re going to see Frozen 2 at the theater, so this morning they’re watching the first one to get ready. Ava even went to bed with her hair braided, in true Elsa fashion… or is it Anna? We’re not too worried about them missing today at school, especially considering it’s the week of Thanksgiving.

Speaking of turkey day, tomorrow we have Grandma and Grandpa Rudd coming in from Iowa for a 6 day visit. They’re staying at a brand new hotel on the Everett Waterfront, but will be spending plenty of time with us at the house as well. We’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house, but besides our family and G&G, the only other visitors will be Uncle Butch and Aunt Carol. It looks like we’re in for sunny and cold weather, but I’ll take that any day over cloudy and rainy.

Our plan for black Friday is to stay as far away from shopping as possible – in fact all of our Christmas shopping is already done! We may pick up a few more little things here and there, but all the important stuff has already been purchased, so it feels good to be well ahead of the game this year. I think we’re going ice skating on Friday because Enzo will be starting his Learn To Play Hockey class very soon and we want to get him a little more ice time before it begins. He recently asked if he could start playing hockey, and one of his buddies (another little brother of one of Ava’s teammates) is starting in the same class, so we decided to get him enrolled. Ava and I will both be helping out on the ice during his classes, and I think it will be good for her to start teaching smaller kids how to skate, hold a stick, etc.

Recently Elise and I have started doing some new activities together. Based on her success in the school cupcake competition, she wanted to spend more time baking at home. Although I’ve always been into cooking, I know nothing about baking, so I told her we could learn together. Earlier this week we made skillet cornbread, which turned out good, and we’re excited to take on more things soon. I told her I’d like to teach her how to cook as well and she was all about it.

Another thing we started doing as of yesterday was going for a run together. I went to the gym early yesterday morning, then when I got home Elise and I went for a run throughout our neighborhood. We slowed down and walked when we needed to, then kept running side by side. It’s important to me that Elise and I get 1 on 1 time like this because I already get it with Ava via hockey, and expect to get the same thing with Enzo now that he’s getting started. Whenever you separate one of the kids from their siblings, your experience with them is so different than when all 3 of them are together, so I’m really excited to have different new ways to enjoy time with Elise.

After Thanksgiving, we will be home for the rest of the holiday season, which is rare for us. Christmas 2018 was spent in Colorado with Grandma and Grandpa Martin, Christmas 2017 was in Las Vegas with Nana, Uncle Terry, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Sandy, Christmas 2016 was in Iowa with Grandma and Grandpa Rudd, and Christmas 2015 was technically at home, yet we traveled to Iowa a couple weeks later for Jessica’s grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary, so I’m calling that one close enough. We’re excited to be home for the holidays this year (and probably next year too) so we can start making memories of Christmas morning in our own home. This weekend we’ll be getting a nice big tree and look forward to decorating it, along with the house.

That’s basically it for now. We wish all of our family and friends a very happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. Once again, happy 8th birthday Ava! We’re so proud of you and the young lady you’ve become. It’s hard to believe we’ve been parents for 8 years already, but we couldn’t be happier or more thankful for you, Elise and Enzo!