School – Pellegrini Page

A Month to Celebrate

May was full of milestones, music, softball, pool tournaments, and summer travel plans as our family wrapped up the school year and looked ahead to a busy season.

Graduations

May has been a month full of graduations for our family, but none more meaningful than Jessica graduating from UNLV with her master’s degree in special education. She has worked incredibly hard over the past two years, earned excellent grades, and did it all while balancing work, including her first year as a full-time teacher, and home life. Her dedication has set an example for the kids of what is possible when you set a goal and refuse to give up on it.

To celebrate Jessica’s achievement, Amy and Tom flew out from Colorado, and Rick and Debbie flew out from Iowa to join us for a weekend full of ceremonies, meals, school performances, games, and more. My mom also joined us for Jessica’s graduation ceremony and the dinner afterward. It’s not often that we’re able to get all of our parents together at one time, so this was a special occasion that we don’t take for granted. It wouldn’t have happened without Jessica’s hard work and dedication, and we are all so proud of her.

There were a couple of other graduations to celebrate this month as well. First, Ava graduated from middle school and is now getting ready for her freshman year of high school. I remember Ava’s first day of middle school like it was yesterday. We rode bikes to school together, and I took her photo outside before she headed in. She was still a little girl at that time, but now she has grown into an incredible young woman who Jess and I are so proud of. Middle school was not always the easiest experience for her, but during that time she made new friends, found teachers she connected with, started playing the trumpet, made significant academic progress, and became quite the softball player. There has been a lot of good throughout this chapter of her life, and I can’t wait to see what comes next as she transitions to high school.

The final graduation for us this month was Enzo’s graduation from elementary school. This was his fourth year at Vanderburg Elementary, and all four of those years were spent there with Jess. Now she’ll be driving to and from school alone each day, which is a little sad, but we’re also excited to see Enzo move on to middle school. He did great in elementary school and has a solid core group of friends to lean on as they take this next step together. I had the pleasure of attending his graduation ceremony last week, which included a heartwarming speech about Jessica from one of her students. The tradition at this school is to take your child out to lunch after the ceremony, then bring them back for a party at school. Enzo’s request for lunch was one of our favorite sushi restaurants, so Jess and I were happy to oblige.

Ava, Jessica, and Elise Pellegrini at Jessica's graduation from UNLV

Family celebrating Jessica's graduation at Slaters 50/50

Jessica and Enzo Pellegrini at his elementary school graduation

Enzo Pellegrini at his elementary school graduation

The Vanderburg Spring 2026 Concert

A couple of months ago, the music teacher at Vanderburg asked Jess if she thought I’d be interested in playing the ukulele on one song during the spring concert. She knew I had been playing guitar for a long time and figured I could handle it. Without even listening to the song, I agreed to do it, even though I had never played a ukulele before. I figured it was a simple instrument and that it would be no problem.

Soon after, Jess brought a uke home for me to practice with. At that point, I didn’t know any chords or even how to tune it. After listening to the song I needed to learn, it became obvious why they wanted to bring someone else in to perform it. Most ukulele songs have four to six chords in the entire song. This one had 20! It was far more complicated than I expected and took me a few weeks to learn. I had plenty of time, though, and everything turned out fine.

In addition to practicing at home, I went to the school a few times to rehearse with the whole choir and the piano player. There were three performances in one day. The first was in the morning for the youngest kids, then we had an afternoon performance for the older kids, and finally, there was an evening performance for the families. I wasn’t nervous for either of the first two performances, but I could feel my heart racing a bit as I got on stage for the evening show. There were probably 250 to 300 people in the audience, making it the biggest “gig” I’ve had in a long time.

Everything went well, and afterward, I volunteered to come back next year and play with them again. I enjoyed the whole experience so much that I purchased my own ukulele the next day and have been having fun learning classic songs like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Hey Jude.” Below is a video of our performance of “Great Adventure.”

Enzo and Michael Pellegrini at the 2026 Spring Concert

Elise auditions for Chamber Orchestra

Without question, orchestra has been Elise’s favorite class during her first two years of middle school. She takes a lot of pride in representing the orchestra in the ongoing band-versus-orchestra debate over which one is better. She practices her violin regularly, and I’m proud to say she recently received the award for “Best Musician” in her class. This is obviously near and dear to my heart, and it’s been a joy to see one of my kids become so dedicated to playing a stringed instrument.

As her musical journey continues, the next step was auditioning for the school’s chamber orchestra. This is a big deal and not easy to get into. She knew it would be difficult, so she practiced regularly at home to prepare for the audition. There was only one open spot left for violin, but we also knew they needed to fill a couple of viola seats. As it turned out, Elise was accepted and asked to play viola in the chamber orchestra! She hasn’t actually played the viola before, but since she already plays violin, a lot of the technique should carry over. The viola is similar in many ways, though it is tuned lower and will take some getting used to.

Jess and I are both extremely proud of her dedication to music, and we can’t wait to attend her chamber orchestra performances next year!

Summer Softball

Normally, we only play softball during the spring and fall, but this year is a bit different. I was asked to be the assistant coach for Havoc, our league’s summer All Star team, and I was happy to do it. I knew Ava was going to try out, so my only concern was whether she would make the team. I was very confident she would, but we still worked hard to prepare for tryouts. Not only did she make it, but our head coach was so impressed with her play and natural athleticism that she is now our starting shortstop! Her normal position is third base, so it’s not a drastic change, but shortstop is the captain of the infield and comes with more responsibility, so there has been a lot to learn. She has taken it all in stride and already looks like she has been playing there for years, even though she is just getting started.

One of the exciting things about this team is that we’re traveling out of state to play in multiple tournaments. The first one is next week, when we participate in the Utah Summer Games. We’ll be playing games Thursday through Saturday and participating in a parade on Friday night. Unfortunately, Ava and I are going to miss a tournament the following weekend in Arizona because we’ll be up in Washington for Aunt Norma’s 100th birthday. That is more than a worthy reason to be absent from the team. There will be more tournaments and games, both this season and beyond, but 100th birthdays don’t come along often, and we wouldn’t miss it.

This All Star team has been a bigger commitment than we’re used to. During our normal seasons, we have two 90-minute practices per week, plus an hour at the batting cage every weekend. Now we have practices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 6:00 to 9:00, plus an hour at the cage on Friday night. I’m out there in the field running and participating in drills the whole time, and at my age, it adds up. By the time Thursday night comes around, I’m sore and exhausted, but that never stops me from going hard in practice and showing these teenagers that I can still keep up with them. I got on a roll hitting fly balls to them on Wednesday night and ended up hitting five home runs out of the park, which was a personal record. Having the wind blowing out didn’t hurt.

Memorial Day Weekend in Phoenix

Last Friday, the kids finished their school year, and literally a couple of hours later we were on the road, heading down to the Phoenix area so Enzo could play in his second pool tournament, the Arizona State Championship. Enzo’s coach, Sean, who has quickly become a friend to our whole family, joined us for the trip. Sean is focused on building up the youth pool community and really wanted to attend, so we were happy to bring him along.

At the tournament in Nevada the previous month, we had become friends with a couple of families who live in Arizona. One of the dads we met is a real estate guy in Phoenix with a few rental properties, and he was kind enough to give us a great deal on a rental house for the weekend. He ended up taking Sean and me out Friday night for a crazy night of pool at one of his favorite dive bars. It felt like we had walked into a movie scene, with all kinds of characters partying and playing pool. Word quickly got around that “the Vegas players,” Sean and I, were in the house, so we started getting pulled into games right away. It took me a few games to get warmed up, but then I got on a roll and started playing some of the best pool of my life. A couple of Crown Royals didn’t hurt in terms of loosening up, and before long, I was running tables and making shots that got quite a reaction. Considering that I’m mostly the dad, coach, software engineer guy these days, the attention I received that night was a lot of fun.

On Saturday, we all drove across Phoenix to Dozer’s Grill, where the tournament was being held. This was the fifth and final event of the Billiard Education Foundation’s 2026 tournament series, and it had the biggest field of competitors yet. Enzo was nervous and honestly didn’t play to his full potential, but he still took fourth place in the 9-ball event. He easily could have finished third if a couple of shots had gone differently, but it’s all good. He had fun, got to catch up with some friends from the Nevada tournament, and left with a smile on his face. We stuck around afterward because they were giving away a beautiful Balabushka cue stick. Unfortunately, Enzo didn’t win it, but it was still cool to be there for it. Afterward, we all went out to dinner with another family we have become friends with at a Mexican-inspired sushi restaurant that everyone loved.

The next day, we laid low and spent most of the day at the swimming pool. The house we were renting was part of a neighborhood with a beautiful pool and community center, so we took it easy and enjoyed playing in the water. During the drive home on Monday, we talked at length with Sean about his ideas for a youth pool tour and development program. He actually wants to name the tour after Enzo by using his nickname, “No Fear,” in the title, so I’m getting started on building a website to promote it. Sean and Enzo have quickly formed a special relationship, and he is dedicated to Enzo’s success. Over the weekend, I also started an Instagram account so everyone can follow along with Enzo’s journey as a pool player. Just search for enzo.nofear and you’ll find him.

I think Enzo’s game is about to take a huge step forward because tomorrow, we’re getting our own pool table at the house! About a month ago, we decided to convert one of the garage stalls into a game room, so I took on the huge task of emptying everything out, cleaning it up, and painting. I hired a professional to paint the walls and ceiling, then handled the floor treatment myself. Sean was able to get us an amazing deal on the table and equipment, and assuming all goes well, we’ll be playing at home tomorrow night.

The table I bought is a Clash Steel Alumen Pro. The Clash Steel brand isn’t well known in the U.S., but it’s a professional-quality table from Europe that gets incredible reviews. I expect it to be the nicest table I’ve ever played on, and I can’t believe it’s going to be permanently located at our house! You can expect to see plenty of videos of Enzo and me playing on it very soon.

The contestants of the Arizona State Championship outside of Dozer's Grill in Mesa, Arizona

Sean Ryan and Enzo Pellegrini at the Arizona State Championship — Coach Sean and Enzo getting ready for the tournament

Enzo "No Fear" Pellegrini getting ready for the Arizona State Championship

Upcoming Summer Travel

As I’ve mentioned in some of my recent posts, including this one, we have a lot of travel coming up this summer. More than ever, actually. The trip to Phoenix started within hours of the kids’ summer break kicking off, and next up is Ava’s softball tournament in Utah. After that, we’ll be spending a week in the Seattle area visiting family and friends. We’re trying to cram as much into that trip as possible, and the timing is pretty cool because it will be almost five years to the day since we moved away. The kids haven’t been back since then, so this trip is going to be very special for them.

Shortly before Elise’s birthday in mid-July, we’ll be heading down to Arizona for another softball tournament, then after her birthday we’re traveling up to Canada for a week at the Martins’ cabin on Lake Huron. They’ve been doing a lot of work up there to get it ready for visitors, and we’re all excited to check it out. The activity I’m most looking forward to is deepwater salmon fishing. Although I’m not an avid fisherman, I went through a phase around age 12 where I frequently went fishing with my uncles Jim and Bob, so this experience should bring back some good memories.

Shortly after returning from Canada, Jessica and I will be heading to New York for a few days as part of a work trip. We originally thought I’d be going to Boston at the end of June, but things changed, and now it’s going to be Manhattan at the end of July. We’re actually traveling home on the night of my birthday, which makes it even more fun. I’ve only been to New York once, when I was 13, and Jess and I have never been there together, so it should be a great experience. We’ll only be there for about two and a half days, so it will be a quick trip. I’m a bit jealous of Jess because she’ll be able to explore during the day while I’m working, but we’ll make the most of the time we have.

As always, we have a lot to be excited and thankful for. I think this is going to be a summer to remember, and we can’t wait to see everyone on our upcoming trips!

The Best of Summers Comes to an End

This summer was full of adventures, from trips to Mexico and Iowa to afternoons at the pool and visits with friends. Now that school routines are back in place and Fall is on the horizon, we’re grateful for the memories and excited for what comes next.

Although the calendar tells us there are still a few weeks of summer left, for our family, the season has already come to a close. Jessica and the kids have been back in school for three weeks, and the cooler mornings are starting to hint at Fall. We still have one last quick trip to San Diego planned, but looking back, it is clear this was a summer to remember. If you asked our kids, they would probably all say it was the best summer of their lives. It began with a flight to Mexico on the very first day of break, followed by a two-week RV adventure with Grandma and Grandpa Martin. We celebrated a lively 4th of July, then welcomed the Palmers for their annual visit. Jessica and the kids made their way to Iowa for family time, returning home on Elise’s 12th birthday, and soon after, they reconnected with Avery, their close friend from Washington, who joined us for the third summer in a row. Along the way, there were countless afternoons at the pool, water park outings, batting cage swings, and plenty of meals at new restaurants. It truly was a season filled with joy, adventure, and memories that will stay with us for years to come.

Tomorrow afternoon we’ll be heading to San Diego for a quick visit with Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad. Over the past few years it has become a tradition to spend time at their beautiful home in Fallbrook, and the kids always look forward to a beach day. I wanted to give them one more chance to enjoy the ocean before summer is officially behind us. Originally we had planned to leave Friday morning and turn it into a long weekend, since everyone has Monday off for Labor Day. That plan changed when softball tryouts were scheduled for Saturday at 2:00 pm. As Ava’s head coach I have to be there, so instead of three days we’ll only have a day and a half in San Diego. I told the league I thought holding tryouts over a holiday weekend was poor planning, but they insisted it was the only time that worked. It’s a little frustrating, but we’ll make the most of it. Sunday is set aside for the beach, the forecast looks great, and the kids can’t wait to get back on their boogie boards.

On top of all our summer adventures, Jessica has been working incredibly hard, both as a teacher and as a student. She continues to earn straight A’s in her Master’s program at UNLV, and she is already three weeks into her first year of teaching. The time and effort she poured into preparing her classroom over the summer was inspiring, and a reminder of how much teachers do behind the scenes for their students. Her dedication has not gone unnoticed either, as she was recently named a LifeChanger of the Year nominee. Here is what they wrote about Jessica:

Ms. Pellegrini believes that a positive classroom environment starts with belonging. She teaches in a third through fifth-grade self-contained SLD classroom, and many of her students come in already feeling like they are on the outside of the school community. They notice that they are not in the general education setting. They notice when their class is treated differently.

Her goal is to change that narrative from the moment students step into her room. She wants each student to feel safe, seen, valued, and proud of who they are. This begins with relationships. She works hard to build trust and a connection with every student.

Ms. Pellegrini greets them warmly, learns what matters to them, and creates routines that give them structure while still honoring their individual needs. She also teaches with patience, humor, and high expectations. Ms. Pellegrini believes that students rise when they feel respected and when they know someone believes in their potential.

Her classroom environment is intentionally designed to reflect the students in it. That includes the books on their shelves, the visuals on the walls, and the language they use when they talk about learning. She includes multicultural materials, diverse authors, and visuals that affirm different cultures, languages, and family structures.

Many of her students are neurodivergent and come from families that do not match the dominant culture of the school. They need to see themselves represented in what they read, write, and talk about. That representation builds identity, confidence, and connection.

Ms. Pellegrini also celebrates progress every chance she gets. For some students, that may mean reading a new word without support. For others, it might be asking for help instead of shutting down. Every success matters. She wants her students to understand that growth looks different for everyone, and that their path is just as important as anyone else’s.

Most of all, Ms. Pellegrini works to create a space where differences are not just accepted but embraced. She and her students talk openly about how everyone learns in different ways and find joy in discovering how to support one another. In her classroom, every student has a voice, and every student belongs.

Her education journey began because of her daughter Ava, who has a learning disability. After witnessing the challenges she faced in receiving an appropriate and supportive education, Ms. Pellegrini knew she wanted to be part of the solution, not just for her daughter, but for students like her.

In her time as a school employee, she has received only exemplary evaluations and has been recognized by both colleagues and administrators for her work. She was honored to be named a 2024 Starlight Award Honoree, which acknowledges outstanding support professionals in special education. At the time, the award was in only its second year of existence, and she was proud to be part of a growing recognition of the vital work they do.

As a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Ms. Pellegrini was nominated and accepted into the Advanced Studies Pilot Program in Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education. After speaking with the director of special education, she decided to defer her participation until after completing her master’s degree in spring 2026. These experiences reflect her commitment to the field and her ongoing efforts to grow as an educator.

Ms. Pellegrini is dedicated to building inclusive, student-centered classrooms that meet the needs of all learners and to becoming a leader in the special education community.

In just another week I’ll hit the three month mark in my new role as Principal Engineer on the Experience Platform Team at HealthEdge. The time has flown by, and I’m really enjoying it. I feel fortunate to have joined such a strong company and an even stronger team. Before this year I hadn’t heard of HealthEdge, but their growth over the past five years has been remarkable and shows no signs of slowing down. The opportunities here are exciting, the culture is a great fit, and I get to work alongside talented and supportive colleagues. My scope continues to expand, and I find the work both challenging and rewarding. Even in a time when AI tools are changing the landscape of the tech industry, I feel confident in the role I’m filling and the contributions I’m making. I’m grateful to be here and see this as the start of a long-term chapter with plenty of professional growth ahead.

That’s the latest from us. Everyone has settled back into their routines and is doing well. With school back in session, extracurriculars are in full swing again; another softball season is here, and Elise has returned to figure skating. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, and I’m looking forward to cooler mornings, crisp evenings, and everything the season brings. This summer wasn’t the hottest we’ve had in Las Vegas, but I’m still ready for the heat to ease up so we can enjoy the kind of weather that feels like summer in other places. While the kids weren’t exactly thrilled to see vacation end, being back in school has been good for them. It’s hard to believe Ava is already in her last year of middle school and Enzo in his last year of elementary. Clearly, time slows down for no one.

Enzo Pellegrini on the first day of school, August 11 2025 — Enzo, ready for his first day of 5th grade

Elise Pellegrini on the first day of school, August 11 2025 — Elise on her first morning of 7th grade

Ava Pellegrini on the first day of school, August 11 2025 — Ava on her first morning of 8th grade

Happy Birthday Nana and Happy Halloween!

Halloween is always a special day for our family. Not only is it my Mom’s birthday, but it’s all three of our kids’ favorite holiday. If it wasn’t their favorite holiday before moving to Henderson it certainly was after, as our neighborhood goes big on the decorations and trick-or-treating every year. This is an especially big birthday for my Mom, as she begins a new decade, and I can’t even begin to thank her enough for everything she does. Jessica, the kids, and I all feel very lucky to have her as a regular part of our lives and we wish her the happiest of birthdays!

While we won’t get a chance to see her today, we will get to spend the next few days with her at our house, which everyone is looking forward to. She will be coming over to our house tomorrow afternoon and staying until Sunday. I’ve got a nice birthday meal planned for Friday night, consisting of plant-based tenderloins and ribs from Juicy Marbles, baked potatoes, vegetables, and pumpkin pie (Mom’s favorite) for dessert. We don’t have specific plans during the day on Saturday but that evening Ava has another softball game and she is very excited that Nana will be there to watch her play. I know Mom always talks about what a difference it made in her life when we moved from Washington to Nevada, but it definitely goes both ways. Having her nearby has changed our lives for the better and I’m so thankful for all the memories the kids are making with her.

Tonight we’re looking forward to trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends. Tiko and Tina are bringing their girls over, and I’m sure we’ll gang up with a bunch of the neighbors. This is arguably the biggest night of the year for the kids and it’s always a blast watching them live their best lives as they run from door to door, then come home to sort through the night’s treasure. As far as costumes go, Elise was a cheetah today at school, but tonight she is dressing up as Gru from the Minions movies. Ava, who is a huge fan of the Japanese anime series Demon Slayer, dressed up as Mitsuri Kanroji, and Enzo has a hilarious blow up costume of a sumo wrestler. Jessica decided to honor her childhood by dressing up as one of her all-time favorite characters, Mary Poppins. I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I don’t have a costume this year. It’s just me and the cats at home all day so there wasn’t much of a reason for me to put together a costume. However, my Los Angeles Dodgers did win the World Series last night, so maybe I’ll replicate last year’s costume by wearing my Dodgers uniform.

Elise dressed up as a cheetah for Halloween, 2024

Ava dressed up as Mitsuro Kanroji for Haloween, 2024

Enzo dressed up as a sumo wrestler for Halloween, 2024

Jessica dressed up as Mary Poppins for Hallowee, 2024

Outside of the Halloween and birthday festivities, things are going well. Jessica is continuing to crush it in her masters program at UNLV. She is getting excellent scores on all of her tests, assignments, and group projects, so she’s feeling good about how the year is shaping up. The first quarter of school recently wrapped up for the kids and each one of them had all A’s and B’s, which we were very proud of. Enzo just finished his rock climbing class and is looking forward to signing up again as soon as possible. Elise continues to enjoy her Saturday morning boxing classes and Ava is doing better than ever in softball. She was asked to play third base in one of our recent games because our normal third baseman was going to be away, and ended up getting our team’s defensive player of the game award! I was so proud of her commitment and preparation for the opportunity. We were showing up early to practice and staying late after practice so we could drill grounders at third and the throw across the diamond to first base.

On my end of things, I’m still in the middle of a job search, as the opportunity I mentioned in last month’s post didn’t work out. That was a tough pill to swallow, mainly because I made it all the way to the final interview before they decided to go with someone else. I was feeling a bit down about it for a couple of days but eventually shook it off and started focusing on new opportunities. I was thinking about something we tell the girls all the time in softball, which is to focus on the two things that are in your control: attitude and effort.

On the attitude side, I had to remind myself that I have a skillset and resume that plenty of companies are looking for. It’s just difficult timing because we’re nearing the end of the year, and we’re in the late stages of a presidential election cycle, both of which have an effect on hiring and spending for many businesses. On the effort side, every day is a “work” day for me. I’m constantly applying for jobs, sending out my resume, talking with recruiters, and scheduling interviews. Based on all of this market research, I have a good idea of exactly what skills employers are looking for, so I purchased three different web development / computer science courses on Udemy and spend hours each day going through them.

In addition to all this job search stuff, I’m also staying busy by working on a freelance project, and doing daily work on the Cappers web application. October is a busy sports month because the NHL and NBA seasons get started, then you have college basketball starting in the first week of November. Devin is doing his best to find investors for Cappers, and if that comes through, it will be a dream come true, but in the meantime, I will continue with this headstrong job hunt approach. I’ve got plenty of irons in the fire at this point and I’m hopeful that it won’t be very long before something comes through. I had an interview yesterday and another one today, both of which went very well, so hopefully I’ll be invited for the next round of interviews in the next few days. I honestly feel like the busiest unemployed person in the world.

Earlier this month we were paid a visit by Grandma and Grandpa Martin, who spent a long weekend with us. They took the kids to a show on the strip, came to one of Ava’s softball games, and the 7 of us attended the NASCAR race that was in town that weekend. They also took us out to an outstanding sushi meal at one of our new favorite restaurants. It was a great visit and we hope to see them again soon.

November will be a big month for us, mostly because Ava will be turning 13 years old on the 25th. Jessica and I can’t believe we’re about to be parents of a teenager, but Ava is a great kid and tends to make things pretty easy on us. Additionally, Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad are coming to stay with us for Thanksgiving, so we’re looking forward to spending that long weekend with them. Another holiday season is upon us, which is crazy, but things are good and we all love this time of year.

That’s about it for now. Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday Nana!!!

An Unexpected September

I never begin a family blog post with an update about myself, but I just need to get my news out of the way this month. Three weeks ago I was laid off from my job in the sports betting industry. This came as a big surprise, especially considering there was no indication leading up to it that something like this might happen. I thought everything was going well, and as much as I would like to explain things in detail, part of my severance agreement was that I keep my mouth shut, so I intend to keep my word. All I can say is that I’m sorry things didn’t work out, I wish them the best, and I have plenty else to focus on.

The good news is that I have already passed two interviews for a role as a senior software engineer with a major company. The third and final interview is this Tuesday, so hopefully, it goes well and things get back to normal for me very soon. In the meantime, I have been working a lot on Cappers, and in all honesty, my daily routine hasn’t changed at all. I still get up at the same time and head downstairs to my office, but I’m getting to spend my days working on something I love. Our subscriber base has been growing consistently since football season began and we’re starting to look for opportunities to raise investments in the company. Devin and I are more bullish than ever about our business and I hope to have more positive news to share about Cappers in the coming months.

One positive life lesson I want to share about getting laid off is related to how I began my search for a new job. A few years ago when we were still living in the Seattle area, I used to receive constant messages from recruiters on LinkedIn about various job opportunities. Most software engineers don’t even bother to respond to these messages but I always made it a point to spend a few seconds sending a polite response. Many of these recruiters would reply back thanking me for at least acknowledging their message and telling me to reach out if I was ever looking for new opportunities. Well, that’s exactly what I did after getting laid off. I started messaging these recruiters letting them know that I was available, and within minutes I started receiving job descriptions. Perhaps they still would have responded to me even if I hadn’t replied to their original message, but the fact that I was polite to them when I didn’t need to be certainly didn’t hurt.

So, that’s all for now on that front. Hopefully, I will have some positive job-related news to share in next month’s post. In the meantime, I’m staying focused on job preparation and adding more features to the Cappers application.

In other family news, Jessica is crushing it at UNLV for her master’s program. She got an A in her first class and passed another exam with flying colors. Her dedication to the work is beyond impressive and it’s clearly leaving a positive impression on our kids. They’re seeing first-hand what hard work and dedication, in the context of school specifically, will result in. No one appreciates what she’s doing more than me, and considering my current situation, I’m doing my best to make it easier on her in any way I can.

School is also going well for each of the kids. Elise is thriving in her first year of middle school and her teachers all love her. She is playing the violin in the school’s orchestra and seems to mention new musical things she is learning each day. Ava’s grades have never been better and she continues to love playing the trumpet in the school’s band. Obviously, their engagement in music brings me a lot of joy and I hope they both stick with it long-term. Enzo has all A’s and B’s in his 4th grade class and recently received advanced level scores in a national math exam. Jessica and I are so proud of each of them in terms of their scholastic progress and extra-curricular involvement.

On the activities side of things, each of the kids has something to keep them busy. Elise is back in a boxing class, which she attends every Saturday morning. There’s no doubt that she is the strongest one of our children, and she always enjoys the classes, so this seems to be a good fit for her. So far, it’s all about physical conditioning and technique, meaning the kids aren’t actually punching each other. I can’t help but wonder if the love of boxing will live on once she starts sparring with other kids, but only time will tell. For now, I’m just glad she is enjoying herself while building strength and self-confidence.

Enzo recently got back into a rock climbing class, which he attends on Monday evenings at the local rec center. He did the same class last year and is loving it so far this year. I hope he sticks with it because it’s building not just strength but problem-solving skills as well. It was a bit more difficult to get him to commit to something because he’s not interested in team sports, but this seems to be a good fit.

Ava has been staying busy with softball, which means I too am busy with softball. She has practices two days per week, plus batting cage sessions on Sunday mornings. The weather is still surprisingly hot here so our Saturday afternoon practices have not been easy, but we’re making progress. Being out there in 105-degree heat while doing drills is not easy for anyone but I frequently tell the girls how proud I am of their dedication and resiliency. Our first game is next weekend and this is our first season in the 14U age division, so it will be a new challenge for us.

This weekend Grandpa Rick and his fiance Debbie are visiting us from Iowa. Rick has a work conference in Las Vegas this week so they came out a couple of days early to visit. Last night we all attended the Triple-A baseball championship at the Las Vegas ballpark. Later today they will be checking into their hotel on the strip but it was nice to get some time with them.

I think it’s fair to say we’re all looking forward to October for our own reasons. The kids love Halloween, especially in this neighborhood, and my Mom has a major birthday coming up that we’re excited to celebrate. We made it through the hottest Summer in Las Vegas history and are now ready for the lovely Fall weather. As a sports fan, this is my favorite time of year, and it’s also the beginning of my “cooking season.” That’s all for now; I’m looking forward to sharing some good news in the next post. Here are a few recent family photos.

Jessica and Enzo during sports day at school — Jessica and Enzo on Sports Day at school

Elise decorating the house for Halloween

One More Summer 2024 Getaway

August has been another great month for our family. Jessica and the kids got back to school a couple of weeks ago, meaning it’s just me and the cats at home on the weekdays. It didn’t take long before everyone was settled back into their schedules, and so far, they’re all doing great. Jessica is now officially a student at UNLV, meaning she works during the day, then comes home and focuses on her schoolwork. She’s very busy but has been taking everything on like a champ. It’s hard to believe that we’re less than a year away from her taking the lead role in the classroom.

Elise has probably had the biggest transition this month, as she is now a middle schooler, but so far it’s been a smooth one. She is making new friends, as expected, and is loving her classes. She joined the orchestra and is now learning to play violin, which makes me proud because we now have another stringed instrumentalist in the house!

Ava is off to a great start in 7th grade. The transition to middle school a year ago was hard for her but this year has been such a positive change. She is sticking with the trumpet in the school band and is excited for another softball season to get started in the coming weeks. Enzo is now our only child left in elementary school but he is enjoying 4th grade, mostly because he landed in a class with all of his best friends. It’s also nice that he gets to ride to and from school with Mom each day.

Work has been busier than ever for me lately, mostly because football season is just getting started. The two biggest sports betting markets in the United States are the NFL and college football, so I have been working for months to prepare Cappers for this season. We only supported NFL betting last year but this year we’re also supporting college football, so there was a lot of preparation required. Business has already started picking up and we’re about to raise our prices for the first time. We’re continuing to get more traffic with our daily videos across social networks, and yesterday was actually our best day ever. Devin and I are optimistic about the future of our company so it will be interesting to see how things go over the next few months.

A Long Weekend In San Diego

Although our Summer break was officially over, we still had one more trip to do before Labor Day, which was to pay Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad a visit in San Diego. It’s been nearly 2.5 years since we were down there, which is far too long, so we were all excited to see them and get some quality time at the beach. While San Diego is lovely all the time, this is the absolute best time of year to go there, especially if going to the beach is on your agenda.

We drove to Dana and Brad’s house on Thursday evening after I finished work. It’s only about 4.5 hours door-to-door, which is nothing for us, so it wasn’t even very late when we arrived. Friday was all about the beach, so after hanging out around their house that morning, we all hopped in the van and headed over to Carlsbad for a day of boogie boarding, body surfing, and walks on the beach. It wasn’t that crowded because of it being a weekday after school had resumed, so we spent the entire afternoon there.

It was the warmest water I’ve ever experienced in San Diego, but I guess that shouldn’t come as a big surprise considering it’s been the hottest Summer ever recorded. The waves were also much bigger than expected so it took a bit for the kids to feel comfortable. Everyone got thrashed a bit in the shore break, myself included, but by the end of the day, Ava was catching waves on the boogie board without assistance! Uncle Brad did a great job teaching each of the kids and a day later Elise and Enzo were also catching their own waves.

Each day was basically the same in the sense that we would have lunch somewhere in San Diego, hang out at the beach, hit the grocery store on the way home, and then relax at the house while I made dinner for everyone. Several epic games of Uno were also played. Jessica and I loved watching the kids in the water. Seeing them fly by on the boogie board with the biggest smile on their faces brought me so much joy, mostly because it reminded me a lot of my own childhood. I always loved playing in the waves on the coast of Washington, and there’s no doubt that this was the trip where our kids solidified their love for the ocean. It certainly wasn’t their first time playing in the ocean but I feel like this was the trip where they really ‘got’ the whole SoCal vibe.

We left San Diego on Sunday already talking about when to return. Our general plan is to try and make it to Colorado and Southern California at least once (but hopefully twice each) per year. I love the fact that we can make that happen without having to put everyone on an airplane. It was a quick trip but we’re so thankful to Dana and Brad for hosting us. I’m also excited that we made plans for them to come and stay with us this year for Thanksgiving!

We don’t have any other trips scheduled for this year, but in another few weeks, the weather will cool down enough that we’ll be in that sweet spot of perfect Las Vegas weather. Combine that with all the sports and new TV shows for the Fall and we’ll be living our best lives at home. We’re looking forward to a nice Labor Day weekend, and with all of our Summer trips behind us, we can now officially settle into our Fall schedules.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and here are some recent family photos.

Elise Pellegrini on her first day of 6th grade — Elise on her first day of Middle School

Ava Pellegrini on her first day of 7th grad — Ava on her first day of 7th grade

Enzo Pellegrini on his first day of 4th grade — Enzo on his first day of 4th grade

Jessica Pellegrini on her first day of the 2024/2025 school year — Jessica’s first day of the school year

Ava and Elise Pellegrini before school - August 2024 — The girls before school one morning

Enzo Pellegrini juicing oranges in Fallbrook, CA — Dana and Brad have lots of orange trees on their property and Enzo LOVES making fresh juice with them

Enzo Pellegrini at the beach in San Diego - August 2024 — Enzo playing on the beach in Carlsbad. Notice Ava riding a wave in on the boogie board.

Ava Pellegrini at the beach in San Diego - August 2024 — Ava strikes a pose on the beach

Elise and Jessica Pellegrini at the beach in San Diego - August 2024 — Elise and Mom after a walk on the beach

Ava Pellegrini boogie boarding in San Diego - August 2024 — Ava rides a wave all the way to the shore

Elise Pellegrini in San Diego - August 2024 — Elise at the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Garden – one of Auntie Dana’s favorite spots

Elise, Ava, Enzo, and Dana Pellegrini in San Diego - August 2024 — Auntie Dana with the kids at the meditation garden

The Pellegrini family in San Diego - August 2024 — Obligatory family photo

Falling Into Autumn, 2023

An update on our family as we enter Fall 2023. We’re as busy as ever with school, activities, work, and more!

Fall is my favorite season, especially earlier on, and this year is no exception. Living here in Southern Nevada, the weather this time of year is absolutely perfect; it reminds me of Summers in Seattle. The brutal heat of the Summer is gone, and so are the monsoons of August. It’s sunny and about 90 degrees every day with no wind, so we’re outside enjoying the weather a lot more than we normally would be during the Summer, swimming excluded.

One way that we’ve been out enjoying the weather lately is by going to the softball field. Ava recently joined a new team through a private softball league and is playing in their Fall Ball season. She last played in the Spring of 2022 for a team through the city of Henderson, and we tried to do the same thing again this year, but there weren’t enough girls signed up so the season was canceled.

This new league she’s playing for is a lot more serious and the quality of play is much higher. She was a bit intimidated at first because most of these girls are more experienced than her and have been playing together for years, but she’s been getting so much better after the past few weeks. I’ve been practicing with her at home, plus she has never missed a team practice, and we meet with the team every Sunday morning at the batting cage.

In addition to getting better as a player, she’s also learning a lot about being a good teammate. At first, she would sit quietly on the bench but now she’s up there cheering for her teammates and participating in all their funny team chants. We’re really glad to see her involved in a team sport again and it’s fun going to the ballpark to watch her play.

Another cool thing that Ava has recently taken on is that she has become a member of her Middle School band. She is playing the cornet trumpet and is really enjoying it! It’s not uncommon for her to stay after school to get extra music practice in. Obviously, I’m thrilled to see any of the kids taking on an instrument and I can already see the joy it’s giving her. Just like softball, we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in just a few short weeks.

To cap it off, this week she brought home her first progress report and it was mostly all A’s and B’s. The transition from elementary school to middle school is tough for a lot of kids, so Jessica and I are very proud of how she’s been doing.

Elise Having A Great Final Year of Elementary School

Speaking of progress reports, Elise just brought hers home and it was all A’s with one B. Once again, Jessica and I were so proud. It hasn’t been the easiest start of the year for her but she’s been putting in the work and it shows. Regarding activities, we took a break from boxing for the Summer but Elise has been asking to get back into it, so this weekend will be her first class. We’re glad to see her doing something that she enjoys so much, and that gives her confidence. I’ll tell you what – Elise is not to be messed with. She’s fast, strong, and can throw a solid punch. I pity the fool that crosses her someday.

Elise has made some great friends at school over the past couple of years and now she frequently finds herself getting invited to do all kinds of cool things. A few weeks ago her friend invited her to come to the Ed Sheeran concert at Allegiant Stadium. They made it all the way to the front door before finding out that the show had to be postponed due to an accident while setting things up. They were bummed but took it well; the show will now take place on October 28th so they will be going then. She still got to go out to a nice dinner that night with her friend’s family.

Elise and her teacher at Pali — Elise with her 5th grade teacher at the Pali Institute

More recently, this past weekend Elise was invited by another friend to go to the iHeart Radio festival at Mandalay Bay. Her friend’s dad is a marketing executive for MGM so they brought a group of girls to the show. She got all kinds of cool swag, including an M&M bucket hat, and then saw artists like The Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds to Mars, and others.

Jessica and I didn’t want Ava and Enzo to be jealous so we took them out for an epic night while Elise was away, which included an hour at an arcade, dinner at a conveyor sushi restaurant, and a viewing of Sphere Las Vegas the weekend before it’s grand opening with U2. It was an awesome night but Enzo was clearly partied out by the time we got home.

Enzo and Ava having conveyor sushi for the first time — Enzo and Ava experience conveyor sushi for the first time

Enzo partied out at the end of a long Saturday night out on the town. Those are my Gucci sunglasses that I bought for my 26th birthday in Vegas. Now Enzo rocks them regularly.

Another really fun thing Elise recently took part in was her school’s 5th-grade camping trip to the Pali Institute. Ava had a blast doing the same thing last year and this year was no exception for Elise. Going on a 5th-grade camping trip is like a right of passage and we were so happy to hear about the great time she had. She got to participate in all kinds of cool activities and spent lots of quality time with her friends.

Enzo Crushing 3rd Grade

Like his sisters, Enzo is off to a great year at school. I haven’t seen a progress report for him so far but he’s doing really well in every subject. He’s just like me in the sense that he comes home each day and does his homework immediately. He takes his work seriously and never misses a beat. He’s excited to be getting back into boxing this weekend with Elise, and like Elise, he has made some great friends at school.

Enzo has definitely found himself in the middle of a great group of friends and I think it’s fair to say he is one of the more popular kids in his grade. Jessica recently took him over to his buddy Charlie’s house for a play date, then came home and told me about how beautiful this kid’s neighborhood is. Apparently, he lives on a golf course and one of his newest neighbors is Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. I’ve been telling Jessica that our kids clearly have good taste when it comes to making friends and that it might not be long before we’re riding their coattails.

A Change of Plans for Jessica

Jessica spent the whole Summer training for her upcoming Mt Whitney hike but unfortunately, it’s not going to happen. A few weeks ago she went on a big hike with one of her friends as a training exercise but the weather and conditions turned out unexpectedly bad. Out of respect for her privacy, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but the short story is that she was injured during the hike and the injury is preventing her from going on the Mt Whitney trip.

I don’t want to alarm anyone because she’s going to be totally fine, but a hike like that is no joke and she simply won’t be able to do it at the scheduled time. It was really tough for her to accept and she was gutted by it, but there’s no question she made the right decision to cancel. Although we can’t replace that experience for her, we’re working on setting up some super cool things to do that weekend to help make up for it in some way.

Vegas Showbiz Update

I can’t believe how much Vegas Showbiz has started taking off over the past few weeks. It all started off with me reaching out to various performers to see if I could interview them for the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel. Through one of those requests I got hooked up with Authentic Public Relations and now all kinds of things are popping up. They were impressed by my interview with Adam London, one of their performers, and have since invited Jessica and me to see the show Marriage Can Be Murder and then interview their performers. They have also invited us to the grand opening of Tape Face’s new show at MGM Grand, which includes a meet and greet afterward.

Additionally, another public relations company called KorePR found me online and asked if I’d be interested in interviewing a comedian named Byron Kennedy regarding his upcoming headlining slot at the Laugh After Dark comedy festival and the debut of his first comedy special “NashVegas.” Obviously, I said yes and the whole thing went really well.

I’m having so much fun doing these interviews, mostly because I feel like I can talk to anyone about practically anything. I guess I’m just channeling my inner bartender from a previous life, and I feel confident that it’s going to continue growing from here.

Cappers Update

I feel like Cappers is right behind Vegas Showbiz in terms of starting to take off. One reason for this is that, as Devin and I put it, we’re finally fulfilling our AI promise. The URL for the Cappers website is https://cappers.ai, which implies that we are using artificial intelligence to handicap sporting events, but that wasn’t actually the case until about a week ago. Certainly, we have always been building databases of sports data and using that data in various sports betting formulas and systems to produce betting recommendations, but until now, there was no actual artificial intelligence going on behind the scenes.

That’s all in the past though, as we are now using ChatGPT, the most popular and widely used form of AI in the world, to evaluate games and make betting recommendations. We’re still calculating results from all the systems and providing all the data that we always have, but the ChatGPT results are a huge value add.

At a high level, here’s how it works. You can think of ChatGPT as an invisible robot that you can ask questions to. While you could simply ask the bot something like “Who’s going to win tonight’s game between the Lions and the Packers,” you probably wouldn’t get a very intelligent response because you’re not giving it information to use in its decision-making process. I’m sure it will get there someday, but for now, you have to construct a very detailed question, known as a prompt, in order to get an intelligent response.

A big part of the work I’ve been doing for the past year is writing little computer programs known as Azure Functions that run regularly on timers to get all the latest data from every sport we support and save that data into our database. Once you have all that data, you can use it any way you like. We use it in all those betting system formulas, and we use it to construct the ChatGPT prompts. The prompts we send to the GPT bot are long (about 300 words) and contain all kinds of important information about how each team is performing, point spreads, betting odds, injuries, weather conditions, etc. It takes a lot of code and logic to produce these prompts, but the result that you get back from the bot is really impressive.

I’m not going to lie and say that the recommendations from the bot are always 100% correct because clearly, nothing can ever predict the future with total accuracy, but the responses so far have been looking great. What you get is a response that is very well thought out, takes all the important factors into consideration, and makes an intelligent recommendation. Even if you decide not to make the bets recommended by the bot, it’s still really useful information that you should be aware of and take into account. Plus, more often than not, the bot gets it right. Here’s an example of it’s response about last Sunday’s Steelers vs Raiders game, which was totally accurate across the board.

If that’s too small to read in the image, here’s what it says:

Analysis

The Steelers and Raiders both have a 1-1 record this season, but the Steelers are coming off a win while the Raiders are coming off a loss. The Steelers have been scoring more points on average this season (16.5) compared to the Raiders (13.5). However, the Raiders had a higher average score last season (23.2) compared to the Steelers (18.1). Both teams are averaging 2 turnovers per game this season. The Steelers have 1 offensive injury and the Raiders have 2 defensive injuries, which could potentially impact the Raiders’ ability to stop the Steelers’ offense.

Point Spread Bet

Given the Steelers’ recent win and the Raiders’ defensive injuries, I would bet on the Steelers +2.5 points. This means that even if the Steelers lose by 2 points, the bet would still win.

Money Line Bet

I would be on the Steelers’ money line at +124. This means that for every $100 bet, the payout would be $124 if the Steelers win.

Over-Under Pick

The Over/Under is set at 43 points. Given the average points scored by both teams this season (16.5 for the Steelers and 13.5 for Raiders), I would pick the Under at -110 odds. This means that if the total combined score of both teams is less than 43, the bet would win.

Summary of Picks

Point Spread: Steelers +2.5 Money Line: Steelers +124 Over/Under: Under 43

Final Thoughts

While both teams have had a mixed start to the season, the Steelers seem to have the edge due to their recent win and the Raiders’ defensive injuries. However, as with any sports betting, there are no guarantees and outcomes can be unpredictable. It’s important to bet responsibly.

As you can see, this is an extremely well-thought-out response and had you wagered $100 on each of those three recommendations, you would have gotten your $300 back plus a profit of $282. Considering the fact that we’re offering a two-week free trial of the Cappers Application, then only charging $19 per month (for now), Devin and I feel that it’s an incredible value. People pay hundreds of dollars for tout services to tell them who to bet on. We’re not a tout service but instead believe in giving our customers intelligent recommendations and using them to make more informed betting decisions of their own.

If you’re reading this and know anyone who may be interested in a Cappers free trial, please reach out to me and I will give you a code to extend that free trial to one month. I firmly believe that it’s just a matter of getting the word out there and this thing is going to explode. We’ve put a TON of work into it and I’m so proud of what has been created. While we’re currently only offering AI betting recommendations for NFL games, I’m already working on it for the upcoming NHL season and will do the same thing for NBA games. It won’t be long before every game has an AI recommendation to go along with all the other system results.

That’s about it for now. As I say every month, we’re extremely busy, but busy is good and it beats the alternative. Jessica and I couldn’t be more proud of the kids and everything they have going on. If you’re thinking about making a trip to Vegas, please let us know.

Jessica and the kids at the Las Vegas Museum of Illusions — Having fun at the Las Vegas Museum of Illusions

The Pellegrini kids at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

The Pellegrini Kids at the Vegas Golden Knights 2023 Rookie Game vs the Anaheim Ducks — At the Vegas Golden Knights 2023 Rookie Game versus the Anaheim Ducks

The Pellegrini family at the Neon Trees concert in Las Vegas — At the Neon Trees show on Fremont St. This was our first entire family concert in Vegas.

Back to School, 2023 Style

An update on Jessica and the kids getting back to school for 2023 after a great Summer break.

Summer as a season may still have a few weeks to live but Jessica and the kids have already completed three full weeks back at school. It’s always a sharp contrast at our house when school gets back in session because during the Summer we’re usually all at home, then suddenly it’s back to being quiet again, with just myself and the cats being there all day. The biggest change with this new school year is that Ava is now in sixth grade, meaning she has moved on to middle school.

Her school is located one mile from our house, so she usually rides her bike there in the mornings. We recently purchased a pair of electric scooters, so sometimes she rides a scooter instead. I rode with her the morning of her first day but since then my new routine is to be there when school gets out so we can ride home together. My work day starts early because the company I work for is in Tennessee, so my mornings tend to be very busy, but the afternoons are the opposite because most of my coworkers are starting to wrap up their days by the time it reaches 2:00 p.m. for me.

I usually prefer to ride my bike because I like the exercise it provides, but sometimes the triple-digit heat is too much, so having the scooter is a nice option. They’re very quick and fun to ride. Either way, every time Ava comes out of school and sees me wait she comes running up to give me a big hug, then when we get home she always thanks me for riding home with her. Obviously, the pleasure is all mine and it feels great to be so appreciated by your child. I’d better get used to this new schedule too, because based on how our kids’ grades are spread apart, we will have a child in middle school for the next six years. Looks like I’ll be riding to that campus a lot, but that’s fine with me.

Jessica, Elise, and Enzo have had a great start to the new school year. Unlike last year, Jessica doesn’t have one of her own children in her class this year, but she’s so good at what she does and no one in that school (parents included) takes her for granted. They keep offering her a role as a full-blown teacher with a classroom of her own, but she’s quite happy doing what she’s doing and doesn’t want to rock the boat unnecessarily. She loves the woman she works with and feels great about the role she plays in making a difference in these kids’ lives. It’s not uncommon for Jessica to provide clothes to a child in need, and she’s always there with a big hug when they need it.

Jessica is also only a little more than a month away from her bike hikes of Half Dome and Mount Whitney. She’s been taking her training very seriously all Summer, but it’s difficult training for such a grueling hike during the Summer when you live in Southern Nevada. It’s simply too hot to do your training outside, especially considering that we just had the hottest July in Las Vegas history, but she still finds a way. It’s not uncommon for her to put on her pack and walk up and down our staircase for 90 minutes at a time. She has also been doing yoga and weight training. I don’t think she’s been in such good shape since we left Washington and I’m excited for her big adventure.

Elise is now a fifth grader, meaning she is in her last year of elementary school and will be joining Ava in middle school next year. The big right-of-passage for fifth graders at her school is a trip to Pali Institute, which is an outdoor education retreat in Southern California. Ava went last year and had an amazing time, now Elise’s time is quickly approaching. She’s very excited to go and we can’t wait to hear about her experience.

One of the benefits of having Jessica working at their school is that she is able to hand-select which classroom her kids will end up in. Consequently, Elise is already thriving this year and absolutely loves her new teacher. She has a small but great group of friends and is already displaying noticeable academic improvements. This is going to be a big year for her as she gets ready to transition to middle school and we’re so proud of how she has kicked things off.

Enzo is also off to a great start as a third grader. Like Elise, he has found a solid group of friends, and I’m not kidding when I say he is one of the most popular third graders in the school. He’s one of the cool kids that everyone gravitates to, which makes me happy, but none of it has gone to his head. He takes school and homework very seriously and his grades show it. Recently, one of his best friends came over after school, and the first thing they did was their homework from that day. Once their homework was completed they allowed themselves to play and have fun, but not until then. This certainly wasn’t a requirement from Jessica or myself, but that’s just the kind of kid he is.

There was a situation a couple of weeks ago where someone wrote “Enzo Pellegrini was here” on school property. We knew it wasn’t him because it wasn’t his writing, his name was misspelled, and he swore he didn’t do it. We attributed it as a consequence of being so well known and liked, but he still took it upon himself to clean it up because he didn’t want his name out there looking like graffiti.

Restarting Activities

We normally give the kids a break from activities during the Summer but we’re about to get back into everything very soon. Ava has softball tryouts next weekend and we plan on getting Elise and Enzo back into their boxing class very soon. It surprises me how much they like boxing but I love it. I’m expecting all three of them to be back in their rock climbing class at the community center very soon as well. This means that our evenings will be getting busier with practice schedules, but as I always say, busy is good!

Cappers + Vegas Showbiz Update

Speaking of busy, I’ve been keeping quite busy with both of my side hustles. On the Cappers side of things, Devin and I are ready for the NFL season to get started. It took a lot of work to build out all databases and betting systems, but at this point, we’re ready for the season to start. We recently designed cards to start handing out and are hoping that things will start to take off now that football season has arrived.

The Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel has been growing a lot lately, which has been invigorating for Jessica and me. Last Spring we had a bit of a lull and slowed down considerably on video production, but we have kicked things back up big time over the Summer. The channel now has over 700 subscribers and we’re counting down as we approach 1,000. We’re already a part of the YouTube partner program, but once we reach 1,000 subscribers we will reach the next level, and since all other requirements have already been met, at that point we will start getting a monthly paycheck from YouTube.

In addition to our normal content reviewing Las Vegas shows and restaurants, we also recently did our first Las Vegas performer interview. We met up with Farrell Dillon at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club before one of his shows and chatted for about a half hour about his life and career as a magician. It went really well and I’m definitely looking to do more performer interviews soon. Here’s the interview with Farrell.

Today should be fun, as we’re having several friends over for a pool party. Chances are this will be our final pool party of the Summer, although I’m sure we’ll get a least a few more family swimming sessions in before calling it a season. It’s been a great Summer, but Fall is my favorite season of the year and I always love the transition between the two.

We’ll be staying home for Labor Day this year, although Ava has her softball tryouts that weekend. We don’t have any upcoming family plans at the moment, but that’s always likely to change. The kids have recently been spending every other weekend at Nana’s house and she always has fun things to do with them. We’re all getting excited about Jessica’s big hiking trip in October, and we’re starting to plan out this year’s Halloween costumes.

That’s about it for now. Wishing everyone a happy Labor Day weekend! Here are a few recent family photos from our Summer in Vegas!

Ava, Elise, and Jessica getting ready for the Barbie movie

Ava’s first day in middle school

Enzo and I at FlyOver Las Vegas. Check out our video review on YouTube.

Jessica on stage at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. She was the director for our Farrell Dillon interview.

I had an amazing birthday dinner this year at Lakeside, located on Wynn’s Lake of Dreams. Check out our review on YouTube.

Let The Seasons Begin!

An update on everything we have going on as Summer 2022 transitions into Autumn.

Happy Fall Equinox! The beginning of Fall is my favorite time of year, mainly because the weather in September is so nice, football season is back, baseball is getting interesting, and the basketball and hockey seasons are right around the corner. This is “cooking season” for me as well; I frequently begin my Sunday morning in the kitchen, working on something that will slow cook all day and make the house smell so good.

There’s a big rumor going around that the NBA will soon be announcing an expansion to the league by adding two teams, and the lucky cities are Seattle and Las Vegas! I’d love to see Seattle get the Sonics back, and having our own pro basketball team here in Vegas would be awesome. We’re already the fight capital of the world, we have pro football and hockey, and Formula One will start doing a Las Vegas street race, part of which is on the strip, in November 2023. Rumors about the Oakland A’s moving here have also been circulating for years, so I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Family Update

Regarding our family, everyone is doing well, and as the name of this post implies, the lazy days of Summer are behind us, and we’re back to having full schedules. Ava has decided not to return to hockey, and we respected her decision. She is now part of a Volleyball class that meets every Tuesday evening and seems to be enjoying it. She’s tall for her age, so volleyball would be a great sport for her to stick with, but I expect her to join another softball team in the Spring as well.

School has also been going very well for Ava. She is now in Jessica’s class and is thriving for the first time in her academic career. Although she is brand new to the school, she became the most popular kid in her class on day 1. People are naturally attracted to Ava, and seeing her thrive at school is so nice. She just went on the 5th-grade camping trip to Pali Adventures in Southern California; it was a great time for her and a chance to meet more kids from the new school. Obviously, Ava deserves a ton of credit for her newfound success at school, but so does Jessica. She worked very hard to make this happen, and seeing it all start to pay off makes me happy.

Ava Pellegrini on her way to Pali Adventures in Southern California. — Ava on the bus for her school camping trip

Elise is also doing well at her new school. She makes friends so quickly and easily that it seems like every week, we’re taking her to another birthday party. One of the areas she has improved in the most is spelling. This was a subject that she struggled with in previous years, but now she is regularly getting A’s on her spelling tests and has set a goal of winning the class spelling bee.

As far as activities for Elise go, she is very excited to be joining an all-girls running club, which is put on by the school. There are several runners on Jessica’s Mom’s side of the family, so it appears Elise (and Enzo, I think) has gotten those genes. She is surprisingly fast and can run longer distances than any of her friends. I recently took her out to get a nice pair of running shoes, which is no easy task because Elise has wide feet and is very particular about how they fit. Luckily, she can wear a women’s size now, so I was able to find a pair of Asics that worked perfectly for her. I’m really excited for her to get started and can’t wait to come to watch her run!

Elise Pellegrini baking desert at home — Elise sharpening her baking skills at home

Elise Pellegrini climbing a rope ladder — And here’s Elise having fun at a jumping place

Enzo is also doing very well at his new school. He’s our little math wiz and regularly scores around the 90th percentile nationally for his age group in math. He takes after Grandpa Elmer and myself in that sense. He’s doing well in other subjects too, but it’s clear that math is his strongest subject, so we want to cultivate that as much as possible. He says he wants to be a software engineer when he grows up so he can “work a lot and make a lot of money.” I wonder where he gets that from…

A few weeks ago, Enzo joined a new swimming program through the city of Henderson. We were lucky enough to get a spot at the Green Valley community center, which is less than 10 minutes from our house. At this point, he has already surpassed me in formal swimming instruction. Although he has expressed an interest in running when he gets older, for now, it seems to be all about swimming. I always assumed it would be BMX racing for Enzo, but I love that he’s so into swimming.

Enzo Pellegrini at the Green Valley Ranch arcade. — Fun at the arcade with Enzo

Enzo Pellegrini chilling at home — Enzo chilling at home with his tablet

At this point, all three of the kids are strong swimmers. Between all the lessons they have taken, and all the time we spend swimming at home, I have little to worry about them in the water. We still take water safety very seriously, though; the kids know about my good friend Spencer who drowned in Lake Washington many years ago. Swimming was a life skill that Jessica and I insisted on, and I love the fact that it has become the activity that the kids and I do together the most.

Things have also been going well for Jessica. Summer flew by, but she loves her job, especially now that the kids are with her all day. Her dedication to her job has impressed me; it’s not uncommon for her to work on school-related things at home during her free time. The school is extremely lucky to have her in this position, and they know it too. They keep asking her if she wants to move up into another role, but at least for now, she is quite happy where she is.

Our days are extremely busy, but we have a nice routine going. Every morning I help prepare the kids for school, then I start my workday once they head out the door. I usually wrap up my workday an hour or two after they get home from school, then Jessica and I team up to help the kids with homework and make dinner. The school they went to last year assigned literally zero homework, but now at this new school, homework is a daily thing. It seems strange considering that both schools are part of the same district and teach the same grades, but it’s clear that the kids are doing better in school because of the homework.

By the time homework and dinner are finished, we’re all pretty spent. We tend to hang out and watch a little TV at night, then we’re off to bed early and ready to do it all over again the next day.

Vegas Showbiz Update

If you follow the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel, you may have noticed that our video production volume has recently slowed down. This is by design, but it’s only a temporary thing. Allow me to explain.

When I started Vegas Showbiz last October, my original plan was based on a website allowing you to search for Las Vegas events and shows. I worked extremely hard on it for three months and still consider it my crowning achievement as a software engineer, but the problem was that I quickly realized a couple of things:

Running a site like that is expensive due to all the background operations running to gather event data.
It was too much work for one person to handle as a side hustle, and I wasn’t in a position to hire employees.
It’s nearly impossible to compete with Google when it comes to any kind of web search business.

Based on this, I switched gears and started focusing on content production. I built a new website for VegasShow.biz that would be much more focused on blog articles and search engine optimization and created the YouTube channel.

At first, I was pulling double duty by writing blog articles and making videos, but it soon became too much work to keep up with, especially considering how busy I already am with work and family commitments. I was enjoying the process of making YouTube videos more than writing blog articles, so I made a conscious decision to take a break from the blog and focus entirely on YouTube videos.

About four months went by, and I was so focused on video production that I basically forgot all about the website. Then, one day in August, I randomly decided to log in to the back end of the website and was surprised to see that even though I had done zero work on the site for four months, the site had made a little money due to the Google advertisements that run all over it. It was less than $10, so we’re not talking about anything significant here, but it was enough for me to realize how profitable a blog can be.

The site was (and still is) getting very few hits, but this article I wrote about the Rio Hotel was getting most of the traffic. Soon enough, I realized that if you search for something similar to “is Rio Las Vegas closing,” my article is the number one search result on Google! This was exciting to see and somewhat reinvigorated me to start writing more Las Vegas blog posts. I have since written three new blog posts for VegasShow.biz and will soon be starting another one.

On the YouTube side of things, we have now produced 65 videos, 15 of which have over 1,000 views. Not bad for a channel that’s only six or seven months old. When you look at those 15 most-watched videos, it becomes clear that our most successful videos fall into one of the following categories:

Las Vegas Shows
Las Vegas Concerts
Las Vegas Hotels
Las Vegas Restaurants

Everything else we do seems to get minimal views, so it’s clear to me that I’m wasting my time producing a video unrelated to those four categories. There’s one small problem, though; to make a video about any of those things means you have to spend money to do the thing first. It was getting a little expensive going to all these shows, concerts, hotels, and restaurants. Luckily, however, I think I have found the perfect solution. Enter HouseSeats.com.

My Mom and friend Devin had both told me about HouseSeats a while ago, but I didn’t get serious about it until recently. The idea is that HouseSeats runs in a handful of cities throughout the country; you pay a relatively small fee to sign up for a membership, then you monitor their site to see what tickets are available. As Devin put it, the Vegas B-rate shows always offer free tickets on HouseSeats, and at least once a year, you will score free tickets to a show or concert that you would have gladly paid to see anyway.

It seems to me that Las Vegas would be the best city to have a HouseSeats membership in due to all the ticketed shows that are constantly happening. I really want to see those b-rate shows, too, because people search for things like that when planning their vacation. I haven’t yet signed up for a HouseSeats membership, only because it’s good for one year, and I already have things planned for Vegas Showbiz videos during the next two weekends. After that, however, I’m definitely going to sign up and can’t wait to start attending more shows!

I expect the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel to be back in high gear very soon. My goal is to qualify for the YouTube partner program by the middle of 2023. In the meantime, another goal of mine is to write a VegasShow.biz blog article for every successful video we have produced so far. It’s clear to me that I need more balance between Vegas Showbiz videos and blog articles going forward, so that’s how I plan to operate from now on.

Pellegrini Guitar

Since I thrive on being busy and love the content creation process, I recently decided to start another blog and YouTube channel. This time, it’s all dedicated to my love of the guitar. Since then, I have been writing blog articles on PellegriniGuitar.com and adding videos to the Pellegrini Guitar YouTube channel. If you could help me out by subscribing to the YouTube channel, I would greatly appreciate it!

My love of the guitar is much older than my love for content creation, and I still practice daily, but over the past few years, I have found myself trying to figure out what’s next for me musically. Playing in a band doesn’t suit my lifestyle these days, so I had mainly been focusing on recording my own songs and posting them to my SoundCloud account. The problem is that practically no one was hearing my songs, so I frequently questioned why I still practice every day. I’ve always loved playing, but that alone wasn’t enough.

I needed a new sense of musical purpose, which is exactly what this blog and channel provided. Now I know what I’m practicing for; the next video! Playing on camera can be a little bit nerve-wracking, and I still don’t think I’ve played my best on any of the videos, but I’m getting better. Most importantly, though, I’m enjoying it so much! I have a passion for the instrument, which I hope shines through in my videos and articles, even when my playing isn’t quite up to par.

Based on all the guitar gear I’ve been collecting over the years, my main video focus for Pellegrini Guitar so far has been doing demos of different guitars. Once those are out of the way, I will probably demo some of my amplifiers and effects pedals, but I also want to start creating my own guitar lesson series. I’m still working out the details, but I plan to provide free lessons on YouTube as my little way of giving back to the guitar community.

While there is certainly no shortage of free guitar lessons on YouTube, I still think I have something to offer. I’m trying to develop a unique approach to teaching the instrument to beginners and look forward to actually creating the lessons. For now, it’s all conceptual, but I’m getting more comfortable playing on video, plus learning how to create the best possible sound quality in my videos.

My new Gibson SG. This was my first guitar purchase since the Japan trip, which was almost exactly three years ago.

It’s become clear to me that content creation can be a very lucrative business model if you’re willing to put in the work. Assuming you’re not already famous or well-known for a particular thing, it’s going to take a lot of time to build up the kind of traffic you need to be profitable. It’s not the kind of thing I would recommend to someone trying to figure out how they’re going to pay the bills next month, but if you’re patient and you have a passion for the content you’re creating, success can happen.

I’m in it for the long haul and am not particularly worried about how much traffic I’m getting in this first year. My goal is to do another 10-15 years in the tech industry while building up Vegas Showbiz and Pellegrini Guitar. Hopefully, I can retire from tech in my early to mid-50s and then focus on my content platforms.

It’s possible that one platform will take off and require all of my attention, but we’ll see. I could see either (or both) of them doing really well; E-Learning is one of the hottest industries in the world now, raking in billions of dollars annually. Based on this, I could see Pellegrini Guitar taking off, but on the other hand, Las Vegas is quickly transforming into Hollywood 2.0. Tons of people from Hollywood are moving here regularly. Even A-List stars like Mark Whalberg are relocating here. As more and more people flock to Las Vegas and the entertainment scene here jumps up to the next level, it seems very possible that Vegas Showbiz could ride that wave to success.

I have no concerns at all because I know that as long as I keep putting in the work with these platforms and my day job, everything will be fine. Probably more than fine. I think there’s going to be even more exciting news coming up over the next few months, but we’ll have to wait and see how things play out. For now, we couldn’t be better. Everyone is thriving and happy, which is all I care about.

That’s about it for now. Thanks for sticking with me on this long post. Here are a few recent photos.

The Pellegrini family at a Las Vegas Aviators baseball game. — Family fun at the Las Vegas Aviators baseball game

Ava and Elise Pellegrini at a park in Henderson, Nevada — Ava and Elise playing at the park

Michael, Ava, and Jessica Pellegrini — Sending Ava off to camp at Pali

Elise and Enzo Pellegrini being silly in the car. — Elise and Enzo playing with Mom’s phone on the way to school

Back to School – 22/23 Style

An update on the end of our Summer break, including a road trip to Los Angeles, plus our first week of the new school year.

Tomorrow the kids and Jessica will already be beginning their second week of the 2022 / 2023 school year. It still feels too early to me for school to be starting, but that’s how they do it here, so we just have to adjust. They did a full 5-day week last week to kick off the new year, which I think is a bit much for the first week, but they were troopers and got things off to a great start! Not surprisingly, each of them is already making new friends at school, and overall they are loving it.

Ava is in Jessica’s class and, as a 5th grader, has instantly taken on a leadership role. She was selected to represent the class in the student council, and she has already made remarks to Jessica about her increased sense of self-confidence since starting there. Obviously, we couldn’t be happier about this and just hope the positive momentum continues. This is going to be a very important year for Ava because it’s her last year of elementary school. Jessica is doing everything she can to prepare her for middle school, and having Ava in her class each day is the best way to do that.

Ava Pellegrini on her first day of 5th grade — Ava’s first day of 5th grade

Elise is off to a great start in 4th grade, although she’s so hard on herself with the way she compares herself to her peers that she would tell you she’s behind. I can heavily relate to that type of sentiment and feeling; I just hope she uses it as fuel and motivation. Jessica basically hand selected each of the kids’ teachers this year and has already spoken to Elise’s new teacher to see how the first week went. Not surprisingly, Elise did great in her first week and doesn’t appear behind in anything. Her teacher seems awesome, and Elise loved her instantly, so things look really good for Elise this year.

Elise Pellegrini on her first day of 4th grade — Elise on her first day of 4th grade

Enzo is off to a great start in second grade. Like Elise, he tends to be hard on himself when comparing himself to his peers. I think the annual change in schools has a lot to do with that for both of them, but again, he’s doing totally fine in school and just needs to get more comfortable in his new surroundings. He’s actually doing excellent in math, so we’re very encouraging of him to keep pushing in that area. There’s a little boy sitting next to him that he quickly built a friendship with, plus he and Elise both get to see Mom and Ava at different points each day (recess, lunch, special classes).

Enzo Pellegrini on his first day of 2nd grade — Enzo on his first day of 2nd grade

I think they were all exhausted after the first week, but the first week is always the hardest. Each week will get easier and more routine from here on out. It’s been strange having the house so quiet all day long again, but considering that I’m working, that part is kinda nice. One thing I love about working from home is that my kids get to have the same vision of me working at home that I had of my own Dad. Obviously, our jobs are a bit different, but that part doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re there to say goodbye when they leave in the morning, and you’re there to greet them when they return in the afternoon. I don’t take that for granted at all either, because it wasn’t that long ago that I was commuting an hour plus each way and then feeling bad when the kids tell me I’m barely around. Knowing that working from home is a permanent thing for me gives me a lot of peace of mind in that sense.

Wrapping up Summer break

Jessica and I wanted to make one more fun little trip to finish off our Summer break, so we planned a visit to Los Angeles for 2 nights. It actually almost didn’t happen, so let me expand on that part first. The plan was to leave at 6:00 am on Sunday, July 31st, and drive straight to Santa Monica so we could have a day at the beach. The day before that was my birthday, and since it fell on a Saturday, we decided to have a little pool + pizza party at the house with our friends.

I haven’t had a birthday party in many years, but it made sense this year, so Tiko brought both of his daughters over, plus Devin and Bridgette came. We swam for a couple of hours, then took a break to eat pizza. After finishing our pizza, people were slowly migrating back toward the pool. Most of us were just sitting around with our legs in the water, but Enzo was getting up on the ledge above the pool, jumping in, then climbing out and repeating. This is nothing new – all 3 of the kids do this regularly, but as he was running around the back side of the pool to get back up on the ledge, he tripped on the pole holding up the basketball hoop and slammed his forehead into the concrete ledge above the pool.

I didn’t even see it happen, but I heard him scream, so I ran over to him. By the time I reached him, there was a big gash on his forehead, and his entire face was covered in blood. He was screaming, and it felt like we were living in the scene of a horror movie. I picked him up and started running back to where everyone was. I think I yelled out something about having a serious problem, and I remember all the girls (ours plus Tiko’s) were in the pool; when they saw Enzo’s bloody face, they all started screaming in terror.

Luckily all of the adults jumped into action. Bridgette immediately got a towel on Enzo’s face and started cleaning him up, while Devin and Tiko took care of the girls so they wouldn’t see anymore. Jessica ran in to get her keys, and within a minute, we were on our way to the emergency room.

I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my friends, but I can’t tell them how much I appreciate them stepping up. They stayed at home with Ava and Elise while Jessica and I went to the ER with Enzo. Unfortunately, things were pretty busy that night at the ER, which is probably common for a Saturday night. Even though I had a child with a head wound in my arms, it still took nearly 30 minutes for us to get checked him checked in. I have to give Enzo a ton of credit because he did remarkably well staying calm. I guess to a certain extent, he’s used to this, having been through multiple similar situations, but he still deserves credit. It was a nasty deep gash on his forehead, but he was such a little trooper.

After getting Enzo into a hospital bed and figuring out the plan with the doctor, I sent Jessica home. I didn’t want our friends to have to stay there all night, and a lot needed to be picked up at the house. It was a very slow process, but he ended up getting 6 stitches in his forehead. I thought our trip would have to be canceled at this point, but I asked the doctor about it and received permission to go. We just had to keep the stitches dry, so no swimming or showering for a few days. I was a little bit surprised they gave him permission to go on rollercoasters at Six Flags, but they did, so the trip was back on! This wasn’t exactly how I envisioned the night playing out, but there’s no question we will always remember my 42nd birthday.

Enzo and Michael Pellegrini waiting in the emergency room — Waiting for stitches at the ER

Enzo Pellegrini forehead stitches 2022-07-30 — Six stitches! He’s a tough little guy.

A quick trip to Los Angeles

We got off to an early start as planned, and even with stopping for gas and food, we still arrived at Santa Monica beach by 11:00 am. We still have our beach tent from the San Diego days, so we found a good spot to set that up and then just hung out for a few hours. Enzo could only get his feet wet, and Elise isn’t that into cold ocean water, so they mostly played on the beach, building sand castles.

Ava, on the other hand, is a California girl at heart. She loves getting out there in the water, and I love watching her. It reminds me of my childhood, out there thrashing around in the Pacific ocean waves. The water is cold, and we’re especially spoiled now that we’re used to swimming in our heated pool, but she doesn’t care. She jumps into and over those waves with so much energy; I just love it.

Ava Pellegrini playing at the beach in Santa Monica, CA — Ava playing at the beach in Santa Monica

Elise Pellegrini playing at the beach in Santa Monica, CA — Elise was quite the little builder at the beach

Enzo Pellegrini playing at the beach in Santa Monica, CA — Enzo had fun in Santa Monica

Jessica Pellegrini at the beach in Santa Monica, CA — Jessica always loves a beach day

After a few hours down on the beach, we took the kids up to the Santa Monica pier to walk around. There were all kinds of little shops, people fishing everywhere, there were acrobats and even a magician! It was a trip walking around there, but they loved it.

Pellegrini Kids at the Santa Monica Pier

Pellegrini family selfie on the Santa Monica pier — Family selfie near the end of the pier

After leaving the pier, we walked along the boardwalk towards Muscle Beach and Venice Beach. A bunch of people were working on different types of tightropes and practicing balancing acts. It was fun to watch, and there was a playground for kids, so we posted up there for a bit just to take it all in. There was a fruit stand on the boardwalk, so we got a big bowl of fresh fruit and sat there eating all these delicious fruits (mango, pineapple, watermelon) while we watched all the interesting things going on around us. It was a really fun afternoon. When you combine this with their experiences in San Diego during Spring Break, I think it’s safe to say that the kids get the whole California beach thing by now. I actually made a video about our day at the beach for the Pellegrini Kids YouTube channel – you can check it out below.

Pellegrini family selfie on the Santa Monica boardwalk

From the Pellegrini Kids YouTube channel

A scenic tour of Los Angeles

We took the long way getting to our hotel, which was up in Santa Clarita near Six Flags. I wanted to show the kids a bit of Los Angeles, so we ended up cruising through the UCLA campus, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and all the way down the Sunset strip. They’re used to Vegas glitz and glamour, but Los Angeles has a different vibe to it, and they were eating it up. As a kid, I always had a strange love for Los Angeles, so it was cool taking them on this little sightseeing tour.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Monday, we spent basically the entire day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Enzo isn’t tall enough for some of the rollercoasters (the 54” ones), but he could do everything else, so that’s what we did. Honestly, plenty of the rollercoasters he was big enough to do were still able to scare me to death. I think we were all pretty frazzled after going on X2. Except Elise, of course, because she was the only one smart enough not to go. Poor Ava started crying when it was over. Enzo and I were looking at each other all wild-eyed, like what just happened? Here’s a POV video somebody made on it a long time ago.

This was probably the scariest rollercoaster I’ve been on

By the time we left Six Flags that evening, everyone was exhausted. It was a full 8-hour day of rides, lines, and walking. We found an awesome little SoCal Mexican restaurant for dinner, crashed hard, then made our way home in the morning. As usual, we stopped at the Lenwood exit in Barstow for gas and food. As we were exiting the parking lot to head back to the freeway, we ran into our neighbors (including Elise’s best friend), who were on their way to San Diego. Such a small world.

The Pellegrini family at the end of a fun day at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Back to Business

I’m so glad that the trip worked out because it ended up being a big highlight of our Summer. The kids have been getting asked a lot in school about what they did over Summer break, and the L.A. trip has been one of their top things to call out. With that behind us, we’re back to our routine but still enjoying the warm weather. After last Summer’s record-breaking heat wave, this Summer has been very mild for Las Vegas standards. It’s still very warm out, but the difference between 95 and 115 is huge.

Enzo got his stitches out a few days after the trip, and he was immediately allowed to get back in the water, so we’ve been swimming a lot. I’m trying to stress to him the importance of not running too much and paying attention to where he’s going. He’s not a clumsy kid, he just gets ahead of himself because he’s running or wants to be in the lead. I’m hoping we don’t have any more injuries soon because each of the kids will soon start their new activities. Ava is going to check out volleyball, Elise is joining a girls running group at school, and Enzo is getting into more advanced swimming lessons.

The downtime for Summer was great, but I’m excited for everyone to start getting busy again. Fall, which is my favorite season, is just around the corner. I’m ready for some football and some beautiful Las Vegas Fall weather. See you in September!

Our first school year in Nevada

A quick update on the kids finishing their school year, Summer plans, and a recent epic night in Las Vegas.

It’s hard to believe our first school year in Nevada has come and gone. It’s been a busy and exciting year for our kids, and we’re so proud of how well they have adjusted to their new lives in Henderson. Whether it be taking Ava to early morning archery, working with Elise on projects, or Enzo splitting his face open during recess, there has been no shortage of activity or excitement during our first whole school year here.

Since our last update, Ava has been particularly busy; she was part of the school’s archery club, which met twice a week before school began. None of us had ever been exposed to archery before, but when given the opportunity, she jumped at it. She said she enjoyed it but isn’t dying to continue with it long-term.

Ava also recently finished her first season of softball. She joined a team through the city of Henderson, and they ended up taking first place in their league. There were only three teams in her age group, but more importantly, she had fun, made new friends, and really started to enjoy the game. I felt bad about Ava’s experience on the hockey team last Fall, so it was great to see her out there having fun again. Softball this year was a much less serious type of environment, which is exactly what she needed right now.

Elise and Enzo stayed busy with swimming lessons earlier in the year but have been away from them for the past couple of months. So we’re looking into stepping it up by enrolling them in a private swimming school rather than going through the city. Enzo especially has expressed a desire to compete in swimming, so hopefully we can continue taking steps in that direction. Elise definitely enjoys swimming, but baking is still her favorite activity. This is something we all benefit from 😉

As usual, the kids have a fun Summer road trip coming up with Grandma and Grandpa Martin. They will be heading to Utah for a week of camping in mid-June, and since the kids won’t be home, Jessica and I have decided to visit family and friends in Seattle at the same time. It will be exactly a year since our move, and we’re excited to see everyone.

We recently had a nice Mother’s Day celebration with both of our Moms. Amy came to town to go with Jessica to the final night of Michael Buble’s Las Vegas residency at Resorts World. They had a great time at the show, then the following day, Amy, my Mom, and all of our family went out to brunch at a restaurant in Boulder City. There was a little street fair going on that day, which we browsed for a bit, but the wind was so extreme that we eventually decided to call it a day before one of us blew away for good.

The weather has been heating up here lately, and we’ve already had several days of triple-digit heat. So it’s great to be able to start enjoying the swimming pool again. I learned a lot about maintaining it over the past year, and now I’ve got it running quite smoothly. 2022 will be our first whole Summer with a pool, so I had to be ready. Last Summer was an introduction, but we only got half the season. Now it’s on for real!

Overall, things have been going great; we’re just keeping busy and documenting as much of it as possible. We’ve been having fun creating videos for the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel, and I have to give Jessica a lot of credit because she has taken on the role of creative director. Most of the videos we do these days are based on her ideas. It’s been fun collaborating on these projects together, and we love watching the channel continue to grow.

Jessica and Michael Pellegrini making videos for Vegas Showbiz — Having fun making Vegas Showbiz videos

Jessica and I recently got to hang out with friends from Seattle who were visiting Las Vegas for a few days. The husband in that group is a high roller at the casinos here, and we were fortunate enough to experience the VIP side of Vegas like never before. Luckily I had my camera with me and captured enough content to make 5 or 6 videos for Vegas Showbiz.

We visited comped VIP suites in Cosmopolitan (up on the 51st floor overlooking the Bellagio fountains), Wynn, and Palazzo. They even let Jessica and I have their suite on the top floor of the Mirage for a night! This was probably the nicest hotel room either of us had ever stayed in. The only one that would even compare would be our wedding night room at Hotel Andra in Seattle, but that was our wedding night, and this was a random Thursday in Vegas.

As I was driving everyone in Jessica’s van from Cosmopolitan to Mirage, our friends received an invitation to head over to Wayne Newton’s house for cocktails. I’m not kidding. This happened literally while they were in our car, so I’m like, “Do you need a ride?” Fortunately for us, they declined the invitation, and our epic night continued.

Everything that night was comped. There were multiple dinners, drinks, tickets to see The Beatles LOVE show, and rooms at four different hotels. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it, but it shows how much each casino is willing to do when they want someone’s business. We’ve had plenty of experiences in Vegas over the years, but this type of VIP treatment was a first.

That’s it for now. Please keep an eye on the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel because we’ve got so many new videos to produce. We’ll be reviewing all the hotels, shows, and concerts as quickly as possible. Here are a few more recent pics. See you next month!