It's me again...about parenting commercials...again...

Why do I love these commercials so much?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A2Ap3DyvLg

Are these on your PBS stations as well? (Vegas, Utah)

Look what I found!

Mona or Melissa or Susie...please remind me of what Family Reunion this was and what song we sang together. We were dressed up as four sisters that we're related to...I remember Grandma Barbara doing our hair. Fill in the gaps!! Was it 1995? Plus, I just HAD to post this picture! Love to all of you girl cousins.

Le Nozze di Figaro- The Marriage of Figaro

We had a once in a lifetime opportunity last Saturday to go to an Opera at the Met! One of our neighbors, who I'm pretty sure has been coming to the Opera since he was a child, said that we were the "beneficiaries of our own open mindedness and this is why we got this opportunity!" He told us that he just loves to expose people to it when he can, because it's something that he's really passionate about and wants others to enjoy as well. I told him that he'll know how much I love it when he sees me bawling over how beautiful it is! Don't worry, I was totally under control. Larry gave us a tour of the Opera House, including all kinds of tips for the next time we come when we are sitting in the nosebleed section, unless he gets the best $20 seats first! ;)Never knew how much I was missing until I sat through and l.o.v.e.d. absolutely, every second of it. Especially the translation screens on the backs of the chairs.
Thanks for the date night Scotty and extra thanks to the Grahams for watching the girls so late! They love you guys so much!This is a view from behind the stage, quite amazing
how it all works.

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/production.aspx?id=10374

Paisley's Accent...

In December 2008, during Christmas Vacation-

While driving back to Vegas from Utah, seeing cows along the way and watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas just days before, Paisley comes up with this little number...

"Mommy, CARS eat GAS, right?

And COWS, they eat GWAS ! (Grass)

And the GWINCH...he eats GAWAS!" (Glass)

It took me a minute to figure out what she was saying, but this is definitely one of my favorite, barely-3 -year-old Paisley quotes.

We are sad to announce that we may be in the last days of Paisley's darling Boston accent. She has been correcting her "L" and "R" sounds, which sound equally appealing to the ear as her accent, although it means she's growing up too fast! "La- la-la- luna" is how Scott taught her the "L" sound. Seriously cute, to watch her little mouth try SO hard.

I watched her sleeping today and she looked 5 feet long. So, so long.

Feel Free...

We got to enjoy an evening with a picnic at Central Park last night, in the East Meadow. There was a free event going on called FEEL FREE. Ken Burns, a filmmaker known for his documentaries, has finished a 10 year long project about National Parks in the US. The title is...

National Parks: Americas Best Idea.
The series starts next week on PBS
www.pbs.org

This was one of my favorite free events that we've been to thus far! There were several musical artists that participated and performed in front of a huge screen on stage that played pictures and video of parts of the documentary. (With a lot of promoting and speakers in between, of course.) Entertainment and education, we couldn't go wrong. The weather was absolutely perfect and it wasn't overcrowded at all. (very unusual for free NYC events)
Growing up, us Fabbi kids had the joy of visiting many of the National Parks, while camping in a tent trailer! At the time I remember not be particularly excited about going...you know, Disneyland and Knotts and Magic Mountain, just seemed so much funner for a 5 year old. (We did all those trips too!) But, I just have to thank my parents for taking us on those trips! I totally cried while listening, watching and reminiscing.
On with the show already...Counting Crows with cool geyser pic. in background.
Allison Krauss is an all time favorite of mine.
I remember singing to my parent's Carol King record as a little girl! She was simply amazing!!

Gavin DeGraw performed as well. We left before Eric Benet performed, it was a school night!

The Kent and Sue Fabbi Family Children.
Here are some random memories that have been wandering through my mind today...

1 of 4
Meet Jen. She is the oldest child and my only sister. She's very smart, very beautiful and started my addiction of collecting children's books, signed ones especially. She just wrote her dissertation, which I know absolutely nothing about. But she will have her PHD soon. She was valedictorian of her high school, the same high school that my mom was valedictorian, exactly 20 years before. Isn't that amazing? She has an almost 16 year old son, Caden and a daughter, Jensyn, who is almost 7. I used to be the coolest Aunt, until she became one, when Ella was born!
One morning as I was driving to UNLV, I think it was during my student teaching in 2007. Anyway, I was putting on my make-up in the car, like I did every morning and as I stopped at a STOP sign, I noticed someone in a car right next to me putting on her make-up as well...it was my sister. We looked at each other and just laughed. We have these defining moments like that, when there is no doubt that we are sisters! I love it, because we are very different at the same time.

2 of 4

Jas comes up next, he's my older brother. He's in college, enjoys hiking and recently earned a certification for Jewelry making, which he is very good at ! He loves to polish stones and make cool pieces out of them. With he and I only being 2 1/2 years a part, we spent lots of time together growing up. One of my earliest memories is of he and I sneaking in our chickens cage, pulling out an egg and breaking it. There was a baby bird inside. We were both so ill and guilty and just felt so terrible. I think that we cried for a good while because we felt so bad. We were at a very young age when that happened! I remember making, or watching him make forts in the front and backyards of our house on Warnock and playing outside all day. Jason lived in NYC for a few years between 2002 and 2005, I think it was.

3 of 4
I am next in the lineup.

4 of 4
Joe is the youngest of us 4. He is currently attending graduate school at UNLV, in English. He likes reading a lot and is taking a Spanish class right now as well. I remember sleeping in Joe's Ninja Turtle bed tent growing up and reading him lots of stories at night. I was always too afraid to sleep by myself. Hey, I never realized this before, but Joe? I may have part in fostering your love of reading!! Wow!! And I am like, the world's laziest reader ever now! Our girls love Uncle Joe-Joe. He chases them around my parent's house and just thrills them!

I'm sitting here...

...waiting for banana streusel muffins to finish baking, in our temperamental oven. It's 11:32 pm and a few minutes ago, a quote popped into my head, probably the quote that most often pops in my head. It's by Randall, from Monster's Inc. he says, "Don't you wish it would all just...disappear?" (carrying laundry to the mat, the dishes, the messes...and so on and so forth.. it never includes my family, of course) But, when I just don't feel like keeping it all together, this is what comes into my head and then I laugh at it. Well, I changed my mind tonight. I don't want anything to disappear, what my prob is, is that I want something to APPEAR! (a dishwasher, an elevator, a washer and dryer)

I am a NYC Mom, in a weak moment, for the moment! I've read many similar posts before and never understood.... but I know now, because I feel a little better. I need to find a new quote....maybe that one by Thomas S. Monson...the one about the dirty fingerprints on the mirror and how we'll miss them so, once our kids are grown. I miss them already right after I wipe them off...the dripping, lip gloss name art on the mirror and all! But, those stressful moments happen and in the moment...I just want to lock my children in the backyard for a little while, smile at them and blow them kisses through the glass, until I can catch up on a few things!

On to happier, random thoughts...

-Mariella and Paisley sang their first song in Sacrament Meeting alone on Sunday. They sang, "Heavenly Father Loves Me". Scott's friend from school, Patrick came to watch. Today he told us that he looked around the whole chapel while they were singing and that there wasn't a single person without a KOOL-AID grin, in the house. And then Ella gave a talk in primary. She skipped to and from the microphone.

-I went to Target all alone today, in record time! I traveled to the Bronx (225th st) and luckily, it wasn't completely picked through. This always makes me feel better. OH! ALERT! ALERT! Target has a sale this week on a cute Circo baby doll. It's only ten dollars and they are really fun and interactive! Get one for your little mama's! I got the girls one each, because their current dolls have been dragged around this city...and unlike my children, I can't just bathe them when we get home. They are in LOVE, LOVE I tell you! Plus, it was a good investment, I came home and organized their toys/cleaned all of the dust from the bins.

-Does anyone else feed their poor husband's Kitchen Ala Fridge, like I do? Thank you Janice for raising your son right, he will eat anything! I took a bunch of rubbery, wilted, veggies last week, steamed them in a pot, mashed them all together, added Italian seasonings and had spaghetti sauce. I even made the girls pizza out of it (my own little deceptively delicious cooking), Ella didn't go for it, Pais liked it alright. I used the rest tonight for a kitchen ala fridge, Minestrone soup base. It was good, right Scotty? Or were you just saying that in front of the girls so they would eat their 2 bites?

Ella has a motto that she made up over 6 months ago. It is, "Love Is Perfect".

Paisley, the proud mama of this new babe.

On our way home from a birthday party, walking down 88th. Poor Ella. One of her balloons popped in that awesome tree!

Paisley asked to take a picture by the Matryoshkas on the sign above her. Our girls love the nesting dolls!

The real quote:
Thomas S. Monson
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

Getting to know you...

...I remember singing that song at My Grandparent's (Howell) 50th Wedding Anniversary! In 1988! This has nothing to do with that (except for the same title), just that Ella's teacher sent this home to fill out and I thought her responses were, just so... her. Especially because she had a good dose of Children's Benedryl in her( these fall allergies are kicking our tooshies), it was 9pm and she was totally slurring her words and writing. So cute to watch and listen.

I really do love that song though.

(click on the picture)

90 Years Old and Going Strong...

...That's Our Amazing Grandma Thelma!!!

(Thanks for the pic. Jen! Wish we could have been there. Olive Garden- September 12th, 2009)

(Jubie and Grandma- December 1981)

(Grandma, Jen and Jube- 1985? In Oklahoma?)

(Mariella rocking with Grandma at her house - 2005)

(Meeting Baby Paisley 2005)

You've always had a special place in Ella's heart...

...Scott's too!

You know, You have a special place in all of our hearts!!

(August 2009)

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma. Wish we could have been there to celebrate!

Love you so much,

Scott, Julianne, Mariella and Paisley
XOXOXO

Welcome Back To School Everyone!

Mariella's in Kindergarten!
What she told me about her first day...

"When we need to be quiet, Mr. Derek says, 'Get out your pretend marshmallow and pop it in your mouth!', then we make a puffy face, it's funny!"

You will ALWAYS be mommy's little "Marsh-Mella"!

Paisley started Pre-K at the same school, right next door, with the same teacher that Ella had last year.

Here's what Peso had to say when she woke up at 6:30 am...

"I'm so excited for the first day of school. can we curl my hair?"

After I picked her up, I saw her pondering and then she said in her Boston accent...

"I wanda if I could make a binky outta paypa!?"

Ella informing Paisley of the Pre-K classroom rules on our way out the door!

It was a very serious conversation.

Other Faves, b/c I can never decide on what pictures to post...

And I can't forget about our other student! He had a great first week at Jacobi Medical Center, in the Bronx! Ahhh...it feels so nice to not be a student....I paid my dues having two children during college! At least I got it done, right?

Back To School Gala...

We started an annual tradition this year in the Parmenter Fam! I got the idea from the genius, nieniedialoges.blogspot.com. I wanted to do something special to celebrate our girl's before they started their new school year...something that they could look forward to every year. There was a theme, a meal, a crown and a Father's Blessing to end the evening. This year was my "trial and error" year, it being the first one, and all. I threw it together in about 3 hours. Next year, you can bet there will be the China dishes, fresh flowers and hopefully better behaved children! Not you Leesy, you're a doll!

The decor: White toilet paper, hung by myself, on my homemade tripod.

Homemade flowers, hanging from the light.

It's the classiest toilet paper display, Scott had EVER seen.

The food: Garden Salad, Pizza Pete's, Brownies

The themes:

Elise: "Learn and Be Wise"

Ella and Paisley: "Listen and Obey"

We got a special surprise delivery the other morning...

One of the many things that we miss about living with Paka and Mimi are the summer's filled with Utah corn, tomatoes and peaches. We had several days at home when Mimi canned, the girl's "helped"...and I usually just watched and picked up after my children's messes! I can also remember last year at Zion's Ponderosa during the Ream Reunion, Ella going outside early one morning with Mimi, to help husk the corn. Precious memories! Paka and Scotty wanted to see how long it would take for the Flat Rate box to get to NYC...it was less than two days! The corn was beautiful and delicious!! We had friends over for dinner and we enjoyed it together! We also had a yummy Labor Day BBQ with the Grahams and finished it all up! Thank You! The girls were super excited!

The One, The Only...Coney Island!

The forecast was to be cloudy, but on a whim (like always) we decided to visit Coney Island for the 1st time before they closed down after Labor Day. We felt honored to take our almost, native New Yorker Niece with us! So, we took the "Q Train" down...not a cloud in sight, just pure sunshine! Even though we didn't bring our suits, we still managed to get drenched, build a sandcastle, eat at at the original Nathan's Hot Dog Stand and ride the world famous "Wonder Wheel"(89 yrs. old) and "Cyclone"(1927). Also, Ella had to check every board on the boardwalk (Built in 1923) and make a mental note of which ones were loose and needed to be replaced. We are all safer because of it, thanks Ellie-Bells.

We can't quite decide if Paisley Anne is a beach babe or a beach bum!?

Our girls went on their first rollercoaster ride!

...Ella wanted to go again, and did...

...Paisley got sick and decided her three tickets would be better spent here...

...I am guilty of stealing this picture...

The Wonder Wheel:
We chose a swinging car!
Don't worry, it said there hasn't been a single accident in all it's years!
A very surprising fact.

Cylcone: It Was A Rough And Tumble Good Time!

This place was very nostalgic for me, very "Moulin Rouge", which I love! I could totally imagine myself being there, 90 years ago. I'm so glad that we went.