Christmas Wrap Up

So Christmas has come and gone. The presents are all unwrapped and the dolls all unleashed from their jail like imprisonment in their packages. Man those things are impossible and I must have unpackaged at least a dozen dolls, littlest pet shop animals and one racetrack set. We had a wonderful time all getting ready on Thursday night wrapping the last of the presents and Dad and I building Lola's three-story doll house with elevator at 1 in the morning. We all smiled and laughed and enjoyed each other. Lola had a hard time falling asleep so for most of the night we crept around like mice. I worked that night at the CB East 2000 reunion and we were really slow so I got home relatively early. Anyway, we woke up at 7:15 on Friday morning and Lola was so excited and adorable. We acted like we didn't know if Santa came and surprised her with the presents under the tree. She wore her Santa hat that I got for her and she was so cute posing for pictures in front of the tree before we even started opening presents. She dug right in and was gracious and kind and thankful the whole time and made a big deal out of every present she received. I took pictures and smiled a lot. Kira of course slept through the whole thing and didn't wake up until 6 at night. But we only had Lola until 12pm that day so after we finished opening everything but Kiki'a gifts to Lola, she methodically went through each present and played with each thing for at least 20 minutes. It was amazing to watch. I sat with her a played(cut Barbies free of their jail boxes) with her and we had a wonderful time. Unfortunately she left at 12 and I took a depressed nap. Then I got up and helped Mom get ready for dinner with the Guarini's. This now being Christmas Eve which makes it my parent's 31st Wedding Anniversary and I wanted her to have as little to do as possible, which is hard when you invite people over for an elaborate meal. So the Guarini's come over and Kira woke up just in time for dinner and we have a really nice time together. Kathy got Reina and Justin little blue baby sneakers and everyone cried a little because they are so cute. And of course momentously Justin said we could FINALLY tell people about Reina's pregnancy! YAY! Reina is due on April 21st and is expecting a little boy. So thats that! I am so excited! SO we had a great dinner which I must say was the best Italian food I've had in a while and Mom and Dad opened their card and we gave them a gift certificate to Francisco's on the Water in Washington's Crossing and they are very excited to eat there soon. The Guarini's left to attend mass and the sisters exchanged gifts. I got Reina Victoria's Secret PJs and Kira rain boot. I got nothing from either of them. I never do. Then Kira left to go to Drew's (her boyfriend) and Reina and I got our presents from Mom and Dad (money) and marshmallow snowman.Then Reina, Justin and I headed home to the apartment to watch "Much To Do About Nothing" and I feel asleep before it even started. Reina and Justin cried I hear and really enjoyed it.

Christmas morning Justin left to go back to New York with his parents and Reina and I headed back to our parents house for Christmas morning breakfast which couldn't happen without me because I make the best hash browns this side of the Mississippi. (DORK!) We laughed and smiled and had a wonderful time together listening to Christmas music and smelling the scents of home cooked food. We had only a little time before Lola came home and right after she got home Melissa showed up with cupcakes and another present for Lola. We had nice time talking and then the playing began all over again and went on until it was time fore Lola to go to sleep. She loves everything she got for Christmas and has now played hard with each and every one of her toys and worn all of her clothes she received. She is smiling from ear to ear and so kind to all of us. Reina and Lola spent the night here on Christmas night and I came back on Sunday morning and the playing began again. We had a rough day yesterday with Kira, but the snow made up for some of that. Lola and Dad and I went out and shoveled the driveway and played in the snow and even went sledding a little bit before Lola got too cold. We drank Hot coco when we came inside and built a fire and sat around it and in front of the big front windows and read while we watched the snow fall. It was lovely.


Today Lola doesn't feel well and we haven't been able to go play in the snow because she has a fever. But there is always tomorrow and I look forward to pushing her down one of the many hills around our house. So all in all Christmas was a success and Lola is one spoiled but very gracious child. Her Birthday is in two weeks and she has a list of what she wants already. And you know me, I'll get everything I can on that list. I hope you CHristmas was a happy and fun as mine and I hope it was much less drama filled also. You have good days and you have bad days. The good days always make up for the bad ones. It just sucks when you stuck in the bad one and can't remember the good ones. To many more good days ahead!

The Day Before Christmas Eve

So it's the Capodici's "Christmas Eve" tonight and as we build up the fire and finish wrapping the last of Lola's presents a feeling of deep love for my family has crept up on me out of nowhere. Well not out of nowhere, but from the spirit of togetherness we have been enjoying lately as we have prepared for Christmas this year. This year has been extremely hard for all of us in this family and although some awesomeness has occurred, you always focus on the negative before the positive. Its just the way things are.


Kira is back from the brink and we have been having a wonderful time with her these past couple months. She is strong and beautiful and getting through the hand she's been dealt with grace. This new year will bring many positive changes for Aunt Kiki! Reina is changing daily and growing more and more beautiful as the days slowly go by. Although with having Justin in New York full time and Reina being a full time single parent again, she's surprisingly positive and sweet (sometimes at least). Lola is so amazing it still daily blows my mind at least once. She is so gentle and loving that she is a constant teacher for us all. She would make a wonderful big sister someday! Mom and Dad are celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary tomorrow and as always we girls would be nothing without their support and love through all our drama and stress. Thank you to them for everything they do for all of us everyday of our lives.


And me. Oh Alia. Well work is going really well. I am up to doing 200 pictures a day in a five hour shift on photoshop. Steve is very happy with my work even though he wants to automate a lot of my job in the new year. I have been looking at applying to school in the coming months and am excited to see how that goes. Other than the stresses of my family and money stress I've been surprisingly happy and healthy this year. I am feeling strong and have not turned down one event or activity with anyone in months. I can't tell you how amazing that is. I am looking forward to the New Year because I want my family to catch a break from the stresses of 2010. A lot is up in the air for the new year, but I have faith it will all work out for the good. I have to believe that, because sometimes that's all that gets me through the day.


So as we get ready to celebrate Christmas I am feeling every affection for my family and its quirky ways and close ties that may even be abnormal. But without them I wouldn't be half the person I am today. Without them I am no one and with them I am the oldest, the big sister, the Santa Claus. I am the glue and we will stick together through it all. Merry Christmas to you and your crazy family this holiday season. May you find the blessings and joy I find in my family. I hope Santa treats you very well this year and that you don't get any coal. I will be thinking of you and wishing you every happiness this time tomorrow and the next day. Cheers!

It's Almost Here!

Well, four days left until Christmas for the Capodici's and things are getting crazy. Not only are we getting last minute shopping done but we have personal appointments out the wazoo. There are therapists and lawyers and court appointed appointments. There's Broadway shows and visits with the In-Laws. There's my parent's 31st wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve. And we are having Christmas a day early so that pretty much is making us all a little nuts. Tempers are short and stress is high. But Santa Alia is staying positive and helping out anyone who needs it with either Christmas shopping or cleaning house. I even helped Reina clean the apartment for the first time yesterday. I know, crazy! But because our family is so close we will get through this time together and will be stronger for having gone through it. I'd like to think God is just waiting for all of these impossible tests to finish and give us a break we most defiantly deserve. Sometimes things have to go right in people's lives. It just the probability of the odds. Not everything can go wrong all at the same time. Some things HAVE to go RIGHT! Right now we're struggling, but eventually the struggles will lessen and the path will get straighter and the road smoother. Its all I ask for Christmas this year. Please God, let my family's load lighten and their mood lift and the struggles end. If you have it in you to add another prayer to your list, throw that one on at the end if you could. We need it. Thanks!

So now I'm sitting here pouring my worries out while I wait to see Melissa on her day off. We are going shopping today for the children in her life. I still have no money, but have enough to buy Anthony (Stephanie's son) a nice book from Border's. Something with trucks in it. He'll love it. Last night was the magazine I work with, Bucks and Montgomery Living's Christmas Party at La Stalla in Newtown. It was a blast and I meet the people that work at the other office that I've never meet before and they were very nice. We laughed a lot and ate more. It was a blast. I am so lucky to actually be included with the magazine since I haven't officially been in the magazine yet, but I am writing 6 book reviews for February's issue. They included me because I work with them in the office and since I'm Steve's assistant. I am so excited to have my name and work in print. Shannon, the Editor-In-Chief is so awesome to have given me this opportunity! Thank you Shannon! Love you! So things on my end are going pretty well. Its my family I'm super worried about. If I could change it all I would, but most of what's happening is totally out of my hands. I have learned that you can only control yourself and your actions and its pointless to rail against what you can't change. But that doesn't mean you have to like it! So get ready for Christmas because its almost here. Be naughty or nice. Be joyful or sorrowful. Be loving or hateful. But make sure you choose wisely because it effects not just yourself but your family too! Merry Christmas to you.

Christmas Day is Coming

Well, Christmas is almost here and I am nearly ready for it. I've shopped and bought for everyone but Justin and my best friend's son Anthony. I am stumped on what to get the cute two year old. He loves his truck books and he loves firetrucks so something along those lines would be good I think. But money is a problem right now. I mean who doesn't have a problem with money right now? But I have a couple events coming up on Saturday and next Thursday plus I'm working two days next week so I think I'll have just enough to finish my shopping. Today Reina, Kira nd I wrapped all of Lola's presents and tucked them away for Christmas Eve. This year becuase of the trouble with Lola's schedule we only have Lola until twelve on Christmas Eve and then get her back Christmas Day at twelve. So this year we're having Christmas moning on Christmas Eve morning. We are all spending the night at Mom and Dad's Thursday night and opening presents on Friday morning. It should be fun but it will be a little weird. But new traditions are a good thing. Yesterday I finally got back to Target to but Kira's present and they only has one pair left and it was in the right size, thank God! I was stressing all week how I was gonna make it work if they had run out of them. Luckily I got the last of them. So Kiki gets her perfect gift! Stephanie and Jess's presents came in the mail and are wrapped and under the tree. I can't wait to have some extra cash so I can get the same thing as them. I love their gifts! So we're getting as ready as possible before the big day. If things don't work out the way you want them to, just go with it and smile and act like that was your plan all along. Its what I do best! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and are surrounded with love and joy and family. And I hope you get everything you asked Santa for!

Getting Ready for Christmas With the Capodici's

As Christmas fast approaches things get crazier and crazier here at hotel Capodici. Last weekend Lola and Dad got the perfect Christmas tree and together Lola and I decorated it and had a great time doing it. Then Kira came in after being stuck on the phone with her boyfriend and missing the decorating, and was upset and then Lola felt bad and it was a mess. To fix it I went to Target the next day and bought more ornaments for Kira to hang on the tree herself to make up for it. Then Mom didn't like some of the ones I bought but I told her that it was mainly our (ours being the kids) tree and that we did approve of the ornaments. And so we put them up and finished the tree. It looks great! Then I went back to Target on Wed. to switch the present I got my parents on Mon. to the black fireplace set instead of the brown because my mom didn't like that either. I got the black and gave it to my parents when I got home. They've been using it ever since. I gave it to them early because using a stick just wasn't working out so well. I worked Tuesday and Thursday this week and got a lot done. I even finished 230 pictures on Thursday editing on Photoshop for Steve at work. It was awesome, although he still hasn't given me a raise since I started working there over a year ago. Then on Friday I went BACK to Target to meet Carrie to go to West Chester to help take and print Santa pictures for a dealership of Fred Beans; this is the third event I've helped Carrie with this Holiday season. We get along well and I truly enjoy being with her. The pictures turned out great! After we got back to Target, we both went shopping and I got a really cute pair of rain boots to wear to the barn today and I super sweet shirt to wear for Christmas parties and holiday get-togethers. Then today I went with Steve to Camp Curiosity to help with the printing and taking of the equestrian pictures for the kinds who attend there. I helped Steve last year and remembered how totally freezing it was, so today I wore two pairs of pants and four shirts including a lines sweatshirt, my jacket, a scarf and fingerless gloves. I was toasty warm this year at least. We made a some money and made some kids and parents very happy. I was a very busy week with a lot of shopping at Target going on. I am looking forward to a full day off tomorrow and even maybe Monday too. I am waiting to hear some exciting news from my best friend, but my phone as been silent so far. Haven't taken too many pictures this weekend so tomorrow I'll be Whittyratzzy tomorrow. Can't wait till Christmas comes and all this madness ends and I can focus on my photography and applying to schools. Thank God I'm done shopping for Lola so far, although she tells me something new every commercial break and it drives me nuts thinking I got her something she might not want as much as this new thing she has shown me. But what can I do? I know in my heart she'll love everything I get her. Two weeks left. Let the countdown begin.

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