Looking so grown up!

A beautiful third grade picture but school is not exactly Vito's strong suit. He's very intelligent and does well on tests but has no use for homework. It's no surprise early in the school year that his father and I are called in for a conference. The teacher is rumored to be very good so what comes out of her mouth is shocking to me. She tells us that Vito (our loving, honest and admittedly energetic 8 year old son) has the look of someone who can't be trusted. I ask if he's done anything wrong and she says no but leans in to tell me that even the gym teacher has told her he doesn't trust our son. She goes on to say that Vito isn't doing his assigned homework and is falling behind. She proposes that the problem is our custody arrangement which is joint, 2 days at his fathers house then 2 days at mine. She suggests that 2 weeks at his father's house and then 2 weeks at my house would be better. I'm instantly in tears at the very thought of not seeing my son for two weeks and wonder how any reasonable person could think this is better. I give a definite no to her custody suggestion but we agree to try a communication notebook between homes and school so every homework assignment is accounted for and completed. On the way out I feel so relieved to be leaving. Vito grudgingly completes his assignments on time and soon we are informed that our son "shows promise". On his last report card of the year she writes "Believe it or not I will miss you, Vito!!"

Alex Bay

Here we are on Heart Island visiting Boldt Castle. On the left it's me, Mike, Vito and Mom posing politely for a stranger who offered to take our picture. On the right it's Vito being goofy and Mike who looks like he's probably had enough of goofy. The boys loved the boat ride and the Castle was a great place for them to run around in without too many things they could break. As Vito grows so does his fondness for taking things apart to see how they work . Problem is he can never really get them back together. Most of his toys are in pieces beyond repair. I find some great toys that are clear plastic so you can see the insides and they last a little longer. It's the consensus that he will probably be a mechanical engineer or something related.

Hear no evil?

Vito and I are both enjoying life in the country. We plant some tomato plants and a rosebush in a sunny spot in the yard. There's a bird feeder in our tree that has squirrels, chipmunks, chickadees and blue jays visiting it. Vito is very sweet at this age. He tells me he's going to marry me when he grows up. Sometimes when I go to brush my teeth I find he's placed our toothbrushes together simulating a kiss. Not so hygenic but very endearing.

The ivories are in

Second grade, February, 1991. Vito is seven years old. He does okay in school but doesn't like writing. He loves to help me make pies. I give him the left over pie crust pieces and he fashions his own little tart and fills it. He puts his little pie next to mine in the oven and checks it often. He is very proud of his lopsided masterpiece and can't wait to eat it.

New home

Happy posing in our new Mobile home in 1990. I put it in a park with a good sized lot and plenty of trees. There's a pond across the road in the woods and it has paths all around it. Vito and I enjoy taking nature walks there and checking out plants and polliwogs. Sometimes we make a campfire and roast marshmallows. Vito is begging me for another cat but I refuse. I get him a stuffed one instead that has it's own brush so you can comb its fur. It's not much of a substitute but satisfies him for awhile.

Missing teeth? Not me.

Here's Vito's first grade picture and some of his early art work. He gets in his first fight (that we know of) in this grade and it requires a conference with the teacher. We lose our cat Smokie and I'm struck by how hard he takes it. My Great-Grandfather passes away and Vito is very upset by that also. He seems to know instinctively that they are gone forever without any explanation from me. We must fire a babysitter and Vito's Aunt agrees to watch him instead. We are so lucky to have family available to care for him.

Presents!

This gift in the picture certainly changed our lives. Vito wasn't very good at first but he kept at it. I tried playing too and found it quite addicting. It's 1988 and I got my first Christmas gift from Vito this year. It was a huge box of chocolates. At first I thought his father had picked them out. I was so touched when Vito told me he picked them out himself. I love candy. Vito seems to be enjoying school and brings home adorable hand made cards and ornaments.

First school picture

His Kindergarten picture and Vito looks so adorable. He has become Mommy's little helper and doesn't need to be constantly monitored anymore. I don't let my guard down too much though as he is always thinking and full of surprises. Once, while I was in the kitchen and he was out on the balcony, I heard a blood curdling scream. Fearing the worst I ran out to the balcony to see what was wrong. There was my little angel with his head stuck between the balusters and a captive audience of neighborhood kids. It was wedged in there good and no variation of turning, pushing or pulling could get him out. As a last resort I poured some dish washing soap on his head and out he popped. Never a dull moment when Vito's around.

First day of school

This is fall, 1988 and it's Vito's first day of kindergarten. He catches the bus at his Aunts house to go. He's not a huge fan of school but he does very well without even trying. He's adjusting to our apartment life but there's really no lawn we can call our own. There's a play area with a sandbox but an older boy who likes to bully keeps Vito from playing there much. Occasionally we have a nice view of the sunset. One night we enjoyed a clear view of a lunar eclipse above the tall, beautiful pines behind our building.

Flashback, love the acid washed jeans

It's May, 1988 and Vito is posing in our new apartment. It's a tough time for us because his father and I have just separated. Vito is confused and somewhat angry with me. I try to make the transition as smooth as possible. We both agree that joint custody is best for Vito but my days without him are sad and lonely. The apartment is nice and affordable and Vito adjusts well. He is such a trooper and eventually forgives me.

Let's party

Here Vito is in January 1988 sharing in the New Year celebration. He's four years old and the "terrible twos" are finally starting to wear off. He loves to be tickled and laugh and be silly. Once he gets going it's hard to calm him down. If I lay down on the couch he likes to walk on me. I don't mind because my back is sore from work and he makes it feel better. He's curious about everything. There is literally no stone left unturned in the yard. Every other sentence he speaks is punctuated with a "Why?". It's so much fun to teach him things but it makes me realize how little I know.

Monkey see, monkey do

Now that there's some extra money I'm desperate to go on a trip and show Vito some of the world. Virginia Beach is my choice and Mom agrees to come and pay half of the expenses. Vito's dad doesn't want to go. We drive down in the Firebird with Michael and Vito in the back seat. There's only room for luggage in the trunk so the spare tire is out. It's a little cramped but the boys are reasonably behaved and sleep a lot.

It's late when we arrive and by the time we find a motel Mom and I are very tired. We lay down to sleep but the boys are wide awake because they've slept most of the trip. They begin jumping from my bed to hers, back and forth. Despite our protests they refuse to stop. This seems to go on for hours but we are too exhausted to care. Finally they tire themselves out and go to sleep. In the morning the motel management calls and says we've been kicked out because of the noise. The room is already paid for and I decide we just won't leave. The boys are better the next night and nothing more is said.

The weather is a little cool but we all have fun enjoying the ocean waves and sandy beach. On the day we have to go back it's in the high 80s. We don't want to leave but sadly we must. We get to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and in the middle of nowhere my car gets a flat (remember we have no spare). It's dark and no one is around. After sitting awhile I think it might be a good idea to drive slowly to the next exit in hopes of finding a garage. The boys start laughing hysterically at the fhwap fhwop sound of the flat tire slapping the road as we creep along. Mom and I start laughing too. Suddenly I see a flash of light in my side view mirror. The friction has heated up the rubber and the tire is on fire! I grab Mom's Pepsi, jump out of the car and douse the flames with it. Thankfully the fire goes out. We resign ourselves to waiting on the side of the road. Eventually a turnpike patrol car sees us and sends someone to help. The tire gets replaced and soon we're on our way home. Thank goodness.

No clowning around

I loved this shirt. It made Vito look so grown up. His energy is boundless and he loves to play. Trucks and cars are favorites. Anything that makes noise is a plus. We get a hand-me-down swing set with heavy wooden seats. While playing with a neighbor boy a seat hits Vito and he ends up with a permanent scar over his right eye. Because he has curly red hair I get the idea to dress him up as a clown for Halloween. He cries the whole time and trick or treating is cut short. He develops a strong dislike of clowns. Slowly I learn that there is no point in pushing Vito to do what he doesn't want to do. I get a job at a local factory that pays well. My husband and I work opposite shifts so we don't need a sitter.

Scary Bunny

Vito and the Easter Bunny. I was amazed that this went so well, he's actually smiling. Past attempts at pictures with Santa meant tears and possibly screams. The terrible twos are stretching into the threes. There are daily power struggles between Vito and I. I'm terribly frustrated at my inability to control my young son. I try time outs, sending him to his room, spanking but nothing seems to work. I get Bell's Palsy and feel very ill. The doctor recommends reducing stress. I stop babysitting my friends daughter and try to relax but money is so tight. I take the exam for a postal job and put in an application at a local factory.  In six weeks I've recovered from the Bell's Palsy but my husband loses his job. My Dad and Stepmom help by paying me to clean their house. My husband gets another job but all the financial stress is tough on our marriage.

Happy boy!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Vito. It was taken on Christmas day at his Great Aunt's house.  Look at that big, beautiful smile. He is such a bundle of energy. He climbed up a set of shelves that tipped over and gave him a huge goose egg on his forehead. I absolutely can not let him out of my sight for a second. I painted his room a light yellow and he has a big boy bed now. I love to read him bed time stories and tuck him in at night. My friend's daughter that I'm babysitting is very good but she brings out Vito's green eyed monster.

Beautiful blue eyes

Vito's hair is growing and gorgeous. At the grocery store the little old ladies run their hands through it and say "Oh, what I would pay to have that hair color". He's become a real handful and potty training is a challenge. He filled the toilet with toilet tissue and flooded the bathroom. The ceiling below in the kitchen of our house we just moved into was ruined. His babysitter quit and we found another one. After much thought I decide that hairdressing isn't working out for me. My pay barely covered the babysitter and I missed being with Vito. I babysit for a friends daughter to cushion the financial blow.

Little man and me

Vito is almost 2 here and his hair is starting to grow. It's curly in the back and so adorable. I'm working as a hair dresser now and Vito has another new babysitter. A couple times she's not up when I try to drop Vito off. The door is locked and she doesn't answer my knock. I have to drive to the nearest pay phone and call to wake her up. Cutting hair is okay but it doesn't pay well. Tips are few and far between because the shop isn't that busy. I don't fit in well with the other girls working there. I spend most of my working day wondering if Vito is okay.

Handsome little man

Vito is almost 18 months here and these pictures came out really nice. In the larger prints you can see the cat scratch on his cheek. He got that from Smokie for pulling his tail. We had to work hard at squashing that habit and keep the cat's nails clipped. We've put an offer in on a house and close in a couple months. Our current landlord has informed us her son needs to move in to where we're living so we must find another apartment for just 2 months. Vito's new babysitter has found another job and luckily a relative comes to the rescue. She's very nice and he amazingly adjusts well to all the changes.

Pedals... what pedals?

Vito gets his first bike from his grandparents. Eventually he masters the pedals. At 15 months he is very determined and stubborn. When he wants to get out of his crib he just dives out. It hurts and he cries but he continues to do it. We start leaving the side down so he doesn't get badly injured (need to buy a bed). I love to cuddle with him but it doesn't last long because he's always on the go. When he finally falls asleep he looks like such an angel. Vito's babysitter gets another job so now her friend who we know is watching him while I'm in school. The Corvette has finally sold, bills are paid and there's some money left over. The plan is to buy a house. Shopping is fun.

Nice light

Christmas 1984 and Vito is old enough to realize something exciting is going on. He only opens a few of his presents and mostly plays with the paper but it's still fun for his father and I. We've moved for cheaper rent and between that, school, studying and taking care of Vito I'm totally wiped out. Sometimes dishes don't get done for a few days. Vito has a new babysitter and seems to handle that okay. We got some snow and I took Vito for his first sled ride down the slope near our driveway. Unfortunately the "sled" is a cardboard box that tips over halfway down and he gets a face full of snow. Not happy. Need to buy a sled.

Who is that guy?

Me, Mom, Vito and Mike getting together for some Christmas photos. Not a smile from either of the boys in any of these pictures that I have. The photographer only managed to alarm them. I'm going to hairdressing school at this point and Vito seems to be adjusting well. A nice lady that lives down the road babysits him. She has three young children and a very nice, clean house. School is interesting and the people there are nice. Our house isn't as clean as it use to be but Vito doesn't seem to notice.

Happy Birthday!

Here Vito is opening presents on his first birthday. To further mark the day he walked across the room for the first time. I made a cake decorated with Big Bird, his favorite Sesame Street character, and invited all the family over. His grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all came. Luckily our apartment is huge and there was no problem accommodating everyone. We gave him a piece of cake and he promptly covered his face with it. He got lots of nice clothes and toys and really seemed to enjoy all the attention. I can't believe he is a year old already.