Long Distance Comforting February 26, 2009

When you social network on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites, you build relationships. Through these relationships you make friends. These are people you talk to every day. You share your accomplishments, your daily activities, your family life, and your woes. We give encouraging words and we celebrate with each other.

What do we do for a “friend” who lives in another state who has a tragedy in their life. We can’t stop by with dinner, or to give a hug. So here we are miles away, typing our condolences. To me it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

Yesterday a friend of mine on Twitter @Sophiessoaps lost her 3 year old son, James in a fire. Both he and his brother Joshua, who is 4, were in the fire. Sophie also has three other children 21, 16, and 13.

Photo Left: James and Joshua









I often joked with Sophie about how she was able to do it all and raise 5 children. Her response…..She loved it! There were nights when we would chat about dancing, after the kids totally exhausted her by making her dance with them. I know she also talks to lots of other people on Twitter and I thought it would be nice if we all got together and sent her our thoughts, prayers, and wishes!

Sophie- Words can not express the sorrow in my heart. I wish I could be there for you physically. Know that I will keep you and your family in my prayers and I will be here for you if you need to talk, cry, scream, and even laugh. – Rachel Ferrucci @RachelFerrucci


Sophie & Family,
Sending my thoughts, love, and condolences. You have many online friends that really care for you and are here for you when you are ready or need them. -Renee Simmons


Oh sweetie. As a mama, my heart is breaking for you. I know you are getting comfort knowing he is in the arms of JESUS! I am praying for you and your family.

May God’s grace carrying you through this trying time. – Kay Green


Sophie: I have no words. I do have hugs though, lots and lots of them. And many many prayers that the God of all comfort would keep you and your family through this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to call on me for anything. – Donna Maria @ Indie Business


While we may not know each other, two mothers are never strangers. My heart cries for you and your precious family. Your Twitter fans send hugs and prayer your way. -Rachael Keilin


Sophie, honey, I also have no words. It is beyond words. We cannot try and understand this. So I just hold you and your husband in a place of love and compassion. May peace surround you. May His grace give you strength. May love heal your heart. -Iyabo Asani


Sophie,
Sophie,
May knowing that so many people care give you some comfort during this extremely difficult time. -Sue @youscentme


Sophie,
My heart goes out to you as one mother to another. Take solace in that you have many friends who have you and your son in our thoughts. Cindi ~ Moomettesgram’s Musings


Dear Sophie,

My thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time. May peace and love surround you. Shari @ A Psych Mommy


Sophie, my son is also named James and my heart is grieving for you. You and your sweet angel and the rest of your family are in my thoughts. bonggamom



Sincerely,
Your Friends from Twitter




READERS- As comments are left, I will be including them in the post if they are to Sophie. I’m also planning on sending something for Joshua and for the family. If you want to join, please email me at Touchd@sbcglobal.net

Catching the Leprechaun February 21, 2009

When holidays came, We loved creating different traditions to do with the kids. We thought gifts are great but it’s the memories that they’ll remember forever. We probably made a tradition for everything: first snow fall, first leaf we find, Birthday Eve’s, Birthday week, Thanksgiving Eve, first cook-out, beach days, you name it and I’m sure I have a tradition that we do. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner and my kids being grown, I thought I’d share our St. Patty’s day tradition.

On St. Patrick’s Day (and you don’t need to be Irish for this) we go to a park, our yard, or some place that will be a good hunting ground. The children will need to find the leprechaun. Once they find him, they get to make a wish for something they’d like. The wish will come true and they can only tell one person (mom or dad) what they wished for.

Leprechauns are magical but they still need time to make the wish come true, so the child/children will need to go back to the same exact spot in 2 days (our leprechaun needed 2 days but yours may need a different number of days).

When searching for a leprechaun, if the leprechaun see’s the children and thinks he may be caught, he leaves something else there for the child to catch (a fake leprechaun, candy, etc) and we always knew he left it because there was  Magic Green Dust.

As parents we always saw the leprechaun first so we would help the children, depending on their ages to find him.

The Magic Green Dust looked like the green grass ground covering that you buy where you can get Christmas Village accessories (Department 56, etc). It seemed to be sprinkled in a small area with the item they caught sitting on top of it. Boy, that leprechaun had some imagination not to get caught!

I’m not sure where the leprechaun got the wishes, one year the wish was a goldfish and another year a barbie doll. My husband or I would always go to the spot, right before we were going to check with the children and see if the wish was there (we usually did it in the park). I would then meet him there. He sat waiting in the car making sure nobody came and mistakenly took our wishes.

This is a tradition that the kids loved and the best part was the look on their faces when they spotted the Magic Green Dust! If you’re not clear on how to exactly find the leprechaun, please contact me for more details.

Happy Hunting

Steelers in the House February 19, 2009

We, the Ferrucci’s are Huge Steeler fans! We ordered the NFL Sunday ticket just so we can make sure we can watch every game they play. Being in New England, we’re subject to Giants and Patriots. Football is a big event at our house. The same “crew” comes each week- Giants, Redskin, San Fran, Cinn, and others- (everyone can’t be perfect!).

Superbowl Go Steelers!

Just like players, we have our traditions too. The jersey gets put on right before the game and hung back up after the game. We have lots of food to eat through out the day, I usually make some kind of macaroni (we’re Italian) and we always have buffalo wings! Steve the Steeler Snowman sits in his “childs” rockin chair (this was our daughter’s when she was two). Steve stays there the entire season. Nobody, not even children, are allowed to touch Steve! (or else they will deal with TT ..that’s me)

During halftime we got outside and play a little, supposedly, touch football, but someone usually gets slammed into one of the many cars parked on the street. Once I start yelling that someone is going to get hurt, we then just pass the football (this is when I get involved. I can throw a pretty good spiral but I need to work on my distance. My daughter can pass it about 30 yards with a bullet spiral.

We yell, jump, high five, and commentate. We scream the player’s names and what they should be doing. Our Terrible Towels whip through the air and if you sit too close to one of us you will feel the wrath of the towel- so be careful! We do this every week in hopes that we will (yes we are a part of the team) go to the Superbowl!

This year all our work paid off! We went to the Superbowl and won our 6th Superbowl ring! I think we just got our voices back.

Well now it’s down time……next month we’ll start to get our gear ready for opening day in April of The Yankees……stay tuned!

The Real Me February 18, 2009

When entering the online world, I entered as a professional business woman. I needed a place to talk (that’s tawk) as me, Rachel the mom, wife, aunt, daughter, shopper, citizen, friend, and any other person I want to be!

So why Mama Rucci? My daughter’s friends call me that. I also was called that when I went to Blissdom09 by PlusSizeMommy, CraftyMamaof4, Twincident, MommaDJane, and SugarJones. Sometimes these things stick.

I am also called Lucy, GiGi, and Fletch by my husband. Oh yeah, I’m married to the man of my dreams (some days I say that sarcastically). Today he is the man of my dreams. I have two wonderful daughters, 23 and 18. They are the most caring, intelligent, and beautiful children in the world. Did you expect me to say something else, they are MY children.

I guess the only way to really get to know me is to read my posts. You won’t want to miss any- kinda like a soap- anything could happen at any time. You just don’t know.

I also started my own business called Touch’d. I create and handmake organic sugar scrubs, Bath butters, moisturizers, salt soaks, and tub tea bags. This is my passion, my dream. To know more on that you can go to Touch’d.

Me with the balloon guy in Hawaii