Gnocci

 This meal is a memory for me.  I was already having an emotional day for some reason when I started this dish.  Italian comfort food.  Little potato pasta dumplings.  

The last time I went to my Grandma’s house she taught me how to make it at my request. I had driven myself there with my brother and a friend.  It was over my Christmas break sophomore year of college.  It was my last visit because she passed away that spring.  We made a small batch together, and her instructions were not like a typical recipe, more of a tactile guideline “Just add in flour till it feels like this…”A little hard to remember 20+ years later.  She didn’t teach me how to roll it down a fork to make the little ridges.  She didn’t fuss with those. I had to pick that up from the internet.  Time consuming and unnecessary maybe.  Her food wasn’t trying to be fancy or impress you.  Gnocci was just a humble dumpling she made for her picky eater granddaughter who wouldn’t eat the eggplant parm or ravioli she was serving.

I imagined her with me as I cooked today.  Maybe she would have thought I was doing it wrong or taking some silly unnecessary steps.  But I’m sure she wouldn’t have criticized.  I could almost hear her say, “Isn’t that nice!?!” As she always did.

Letting one leave

This new phase of parenting has not been my favorite.  I prefer having all my people under the same roof every night.  This kid has grown into such an amazing person who I love to hang out with and now he's leaving me.  Spring was a whirlwind of graduation festivities.  Here are a couple pictures from his graduation party.

Many of his cousins made the trip.

The tradition is to decorate your cap to indicate where you will be attending college.

This picture illustrates what Luca is like as a big brother.  Here we are packing up to leave from a summer swim meet.

College orientation visit.

He let me take his picture for a book we made together.

High school did a signing day for all kids who plan to play a sport in college.

This was the last ride together in our family minivan.  It was actually hard for me to let go of the van and downsize.  We were coming back from a trip to Shenandoah.  Often times all our personalities in one confined space for hours would lead to conflict, but this moment was silly and peaceful and I realized how much I would miss this.

18th and 9th birthdays.  Combined party at sky zone.  I figured the older kids didn't get invited to sky zone parties much anymore.

I have said this before, but swimming is the best family sport.  This was their last summer practice all 4 together.  I don't know any other sport where a 9 year old and his 18 year old brother can have equal importance and opportunity in scoring points for their team.  One of our goals since we started summer swim was to have all 4 kids double trophy at champs meet.  Last year we came close, but Tommy got too scared to swim one of his events.  This year we did.  8 top 10 finishes at champs.

Our last Sunday together at church before Luca left for college.