Sofia's First Birthday!

Me and the munchkins- Matt, Sofia the birthday girl, Becky, and GianCarlo

Yanet's sister-in-law with her new pup, Lola. Seriously folks, Lola was decked out in a rhinestone collar, a tank, top and a denim skirt. Too. Funny.

Sofia and her Tia Marcelita

Sofia was the first to go...

...Matt passed out on the way home. Note the melted chocolate around his mouth from his M & M's. What's a party without sweets?

Thanksgiving Day

Can this kid look any more like his daddy?!?

Dinner with the Mardars and Boris

Matt's a big boy, hanging with his Aunt Martha!

Our Trip to the Metro Zoo

Last weekend, the four of us spent the day at the Metro Zoo. It was Yia Yia's first trip to the zoo and Matt's second. It was a beautiful day but we were there early and many of the animals were snoozing. We still had a great time. Check out my little monkeys...


Foti, Matt, and Yia Yia in the Bird Sanctuary.

He loved the elephants, especially since they were one of the few who were awake!

Aaaawww...

These 2 chimps were clearly enamored with one another. We thought we may have gotten a science lesson, but no such luck.

The cutest little animal in the whole place! He was so tired when we left, he was asleep before we left the parking lot.

Grandma Elsie's 'S' Cookies

Every Christmas, my Grandma Elsie made 'S' cookies for the family. Actually they were originally named 'Oil Cookies' from her friend Del, but the way Grandma shaped them looked like a backwards 'S' so the grandkids renamed them. They aren't very sweet, just soft and moist with a touch of icing. Some of my family has been asking if I knew the recipe and in fact I do! Here ya go...

Cookies
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp. lemon extract (or more to taste)
6 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

Beat eggs together, mix in sugar, oil, and salt. Work in baking powder and add flour slowly. Use a little more flour if needed to make a soft dough. Take a small ball of dough and roll it into a rope, about the thickness of your thumb. Shape into a gentle backwards 'S' shape. Space apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes until light in color. Do not overbake.

Icing
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1-2 TBSP. water
Food coloring, a few drops

Mix together to form a smooth glaze. Brush on cooled cookies with a pastry brush.


Even though my Grandma passed away several years ago, she still lives on in our memories and in her recipes!

Happy 40th Birthday Rob!!

A hundred Saturday nights ago (because I am so behind with my blogging), we celebrated our friend Rob's 40th Birthday at a hotel in South Beach.

Javier, Tina, Rob, and his friend Michelle

Rob and his wife Liz- awwww- they are so cute!!

Rob and all his ER gals!

Guess Who I Met?!

I think I have died and gone to heaven!! This morning I met my favorite Hollywood star! I can't give you the details but all I can say is I said a few words to him and he said a few back and gave me that big gorgeous smile of his. Sigh... :)

FINALLY!!

Here are my two monkeys with Yia Yia on Halloween. Somebody had a fit when I put his monkey costume on, but these days he has a fit with any clothes you put on him. He got used to it and actually kept the hood up all night.

Matt and his Uncle Serdar. He met us at the mall to Trick -or -Treat. It was raining so we figured that we should stay indoors. 2 million other South Floridians had the same idea. Fun times.

Here we are -the Monkey-Opoulos Family

"Mom - I am tired from being so cute- I think I'll have a seat."

This is the three of us last weekend when we Foti and I celebrated 6 incredible years together! He and I spent the whole day together (without the munchkin) and had such a great time. We had a wonderful dinner and got to focus soley on each other! It was just like old times- just the two of us- and it reminded me of the million reasons I fell in love with him over 10 years ago.

Party gals!! My friend Marisol (the smoocher on the right) had a party at her house 2 weekends ago for 3 of our friends and colleagues who were leaving our ER family.

I was the official Cosmopolitan mixer of the night. Yum- O!