Happy New Year (Goodbye 2009)

Daddy and I have never spent New Year's Eve with our kids. Nana and Papa have kept them every year and the girls always have fun. This year the girls went with Nana and Papa to a hotel with a pool to stay the night. Sofie had her tube suit and Sam got to show everyone her swimming skills before dinner. They had a ball and loved it! We'll see if it becomes a tradition or not. Who knows, maybe next year we'll actually spend it with our kids!

Family times

Sunday was a day with both sides of our family. We enjoyed lunch with my brother and his wife Leana, her parents and Grammy. The girls loved running around the party room and the halls of Grammy's building! Then we headed to Nana and Papa's for dinner with Irving, Todd and Shelly. It was not planned that way and it was busy, but we were blessed to see everyone on the same day!

Maybe Sofia is ready?

After a wonderful dinner made by Daddy, Sofia grabbed my hand and said, "C'mon Mom, let's go. I have to poop." Eventually I went and put her on the toilet again. This time, after farting 4 times (yes, I counted) Sofia pooped. She smiled as if to say, "See Mom, I told you!" I don't know that we're ready for potty training, but maybe Sofia is.

As I write this, it's well after 9pm and the monster is still not sleeping. I'm not complaining because she's in her crib though!

Sofia ready for a world without diapers?

I don't think we're there yet, but I like that Sofia is showing interest in using the potty, at least more serious than our experience at Emma Krumbees earlier this year. She told me she had to poop so I took her diaper off and put her on the toilet. What does she do? Sofia promptly farted and proudly said, "There's poop in there!". I told her there was no poop in the toilet and that she had just farted. She thought for a moment and said, "The poop is not coming out of my butt! It is still in there!". So far Sofia has not achieved anything but gas in the toilet. There is no rush, at least not a bad one!


This is one of the cutest picture to date of Miss Sofia.

Just one kid

I took the afternoon off today. Samantha and Daddy came to pick me up for some parenting time with just one kid. We went out to lunch at Friday's (Sam's choice) and then headed to Pump It Up for some jumping and sliding. It was fun and I think Sam enjoyed being the only kid. We are so proud of her and the young lady she is!

Good girls

My girls are incredibly fun to hang out with. Today we got out of the house to give Daddy some downtime. We were fortunate enough to meet some friends to play with at Edinborough and go out for lunch. Tonight the girls and I donned our snow gear for a sled ride and making snow angels before dinner.

The next day Sam was very excited when it worked out that Nicki, Naamah and Kian joined us. She screamed, "Yay!" when I told her they were able to meet us. At the playground she accidentally ran over another girl's toe so I told her that she had to apologize to the girl, who was now screaming in pain and crying in her dad's arms. Sam asked me to come with when I offered, so off we went. Sam said that she was sorry to the girl. The dad said thank you, the girl stopped crying and about 10 minutes later both girls were running around playing happily together.

Sofia loved playing with everyone and on her own for a time. Her climbing skills are advanced, but she is a little tentative about slides. I will cherish the memory of her grabbing my hand and saying, "C'mon Mom... C'mon", is hilarious. It's crazy how fast she's growing up and her vocabulary is increasing daily. Sofia definitely has her opinions and will express them with mixed results. As trying as "being 2" can be, it's also incredible to witness.

Pulling two kids in a sled is much harder than just one so I got a good workout! Sam created her own sled track, tried to pull Sofie and had fun just jumping in the snow. Sofie loved being on the sled tracks especially on her belly. She said, "Do that again!", to my faster turns which I took as a good sign.

I've missed my girls lately so today was a fantastic day for me! I love them and feel eternally grateful to be their mom.

Samantha's Winter Program

Samantha wowed us with another wonderful performance in her preschool winter program. She approached her teacher weeks ago and asked if she would have a solo since she is such a good singer. Sam had multiple solos. She spoke and sang beautifully. Our eldest was completely comfortable on stage and showed no signs of shyness. Sam even helped keep the program going by helping kids with their lines and places! It was an entertaining evening!

Before the show Samantha and Sofia were able to play with some of their friends, Ella and Johanna (a.k.a. JoJo). I managed to get all the girls to hold still for a millisecond and here is the result.

Sofie and Johanna enjoyed some time on stage as well. They both seemed very comfortable up there!

Just keep swimming...

My baby passed another level in swimming this week. Samantha loves taking her lessons and is getting her swim skills down. Papa came to nearly every lesson which made both himself and Samantha very happy!

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight we filled the menorah and enjoyed a meal with our Gorrilla friends. Oh, how we've missed them! It has been too long since we've seen them. Mazel tov to them on their growing family!

Hanukkah this year has been filled with gifts (though we didn't go overboard this year), lots of love and gratitude for all that we have. Daddy got a job which he'll start soon so we're covered in that area. In these times, that alone is a source of relief. We are all healthy, we are loved and we are blessed.

Happy Holidays!

Congratulations to Bill and Leana!

Bill and Leana are married! Congratulations to them and we wish them the best! They have been together for years, but now they are legal! We weren't there to witness it, but we got a picture. Bill even took his hat off for the wedding and Leana looked beautiful in her dress! You deserve all the happiness in the world!

Why do the kids get sick when we have plans?

This past weekend we had plans with friends, plans to go to synagogue and basically planned to not be at home much at all. I was looking forward to it (as we all were). So Saturday morning when I noticed that Sam's eyes were a bit swollen and recalled an email from her preschool about pink eye, I was very disappointed (again, as we all were). We thankfully got to the doctor right away in the morning and got the drops, but ended up quarantined in the house all weekend. It seems a little early in the season to be this stir crazy!

Whatever is unexpected will usually happen and what do you do? You deal with it. The lesson is the only thing that you can control is how you deal with it. Make it fun or make it miserable for yourself. We dealt with it by rearranging the living room to make a gigantic fort, decorating Hanukkah cookies, lots of reading and games. It turned out to be a very silly weekend!

Hmmm... life is messy, but it sure is good!

Fridays

It seems like life is getting crazier, but I'm loving it.

The pictures below illustrate what has become a Friday afternoon tradition of sorts. Since Sofie naps, she is full of energy and is happy cleaning the shower after scaring Grammy. Samantha doesn't nap and rarely makes it home without falling asleep.

By Friday night everyone is ready for Shabbat. We say the blessings, light the candles, eat dinner and relax. The candles are a visual reminder that the week is over and it's time to recharge.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We continued our tradition of hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was great fun to see everyone and meet some new friends too. Papa assisted in cooking and cleanup so he was busy most of the day, but he managed to squeeze in some cuddle time with Sam too.

At the end of the evening when the girls were getting ready for bed I told Sam how proud I was of her for being such a wonderful, sweet, kind and unbelievably fun hostess. I explained that it was awesome how she talked to all the people and how impressed everyone was with her. She lit up at this, gave me a huge hug and told me I was the best mommy in the world for saying that. What else could I ask for in this life?

Indeed, we have much to be thankful for.

Preschool conferences

We are so proud of Sam! Today we had conferences at her preschool and got a glowing (and believable) report! If anything we should worry about her being too perfect, excepting yesterday when she got her name on the board for talking to her friend Stella. In other words, Sam wasn't done socializing. She then spent the afternoon being a model student in an effort to have her name removed from the board and negotiating with teachers to accomplish that. Her reading level is well into first grade, which means that she will probably be bored next year. Daddy and I are researching our options for school.

We're also told that Sam loves to sing and perform! Mrs. W. told us that Sam asked her if she would have another solo in their upcoming program because she's such a good singer. Mrs. W. said yes, she will have a solo. Our Samantha is a happy, creative and brave kid! Daddy and I are fortunate to have her!


Notice the headband in her self-portrait...

Sofia is 2!

My baby is growing up so fast! I sang, "Happy Birthday" to her this morning (she woke up before dawn) and she looked at me and said, "I be 2?". I can't believe she is 2 years old already. Sofia is an amazing kid!

The poor girl is sick with a cold and fever so she was kept home today. We played, rested and just let her decide what she wanted to do. Daddy and I took turns with her and Sofia even got a special visit from Grammy for a bit. When Sam returned from her swimming lesson, we sang "Happy Birthday" and let her have cake. While we were singing, she looked at all of us like she was confused, then suspicious and finally smiled. It was very cute to watch!

The next day we had the family over for her party. Nana, Papa, Grammy, Grandpa Irving, Wendy, Uncle Todd and Aunt Shelly all came to help us celebrate. It was a very nice and relaxing evening!

A lot of talk about equal parenting

It used to be in American society that mother's were the primary (or sole) caregivers of the kids. Dads worked one or more jobs to support the family. Our kids are supported by both parents. Daddy and I work very hard professionally and personally in our lives. We love our girls and do whatever we can for them while letting them explore the world.

In our house Daddy cooks because he's enjoys it (for the most part) and his food tastes better than mine. I generally handle clean up because I enjoy it (again, for the most part). He handles bills and the yard and I handle laundry. I usually take the kids if there are problems at night, but none of these areas are absolute because Daddy and I are a team. That means I pick up dog poop in the yard and he folds a load of clothes.

I do think it's better that there is "equal parenting". Personally, I don't want to be the only one who does everything and I think the kids benefit from our different styles. No parent has all the right answers or methods of parenting. The world is too diverse for one's point of view to be the only one. Daddy and I work as a team which is good for our marriage and a great example for the girls to see. I'm watching our girls flourish in the world and it's due to all the wonderful people they have in their lives!

Daddy's birthday

Daddy is having a good day! We got a full night's sleep due to the kids being at Nana and Papa's house. (We also got a nice dinner out last night... what an experience!) Daddy is at the football game and there will be a surprise dinner awaiting him when he gets home. Sam and Nana were kind enough to make a brownie cake for our dessert and our gifts are wrapped.

We love you Daddy!

More changes

The roller coaster continues... Daddy was laid off today. He's doing what he needs to do right now and it's the same thing I had to do recently. Job hunting is nerve-wracking though even in the best circumstances! As we experienced with me, it can (and for us fortunately, usually does) work out to be a good thing. I don't know if that feeling comes from the change of attitude or perspective or both. What I do know is that people and families are struggling in this economy and the mood is somber and full of uncertainty. Some people are scared of the unknown. Others are focusing on their inner circle and banding together. Some are just grateful for what they have. In any case, life is a roller coaster and the only thing we can control is how we react to it.

I hope to raise the girls with a sense of harmony in the world and to give them whatever coping skills they need to adjust and flourish! I am proud of them beyond my comprehension and amazed by them every day!

This was a photo taken during a showing of our house. I think Sam is pleased that we are planning to stay in our home for now!

Patience

Patience is a virtue.

One that has been working well with Miss Sofia on correcting some of her violent tendencies. (She's a hitter and is coming up to her 2nd birthday soon!) The hardest thing is how cute she is, but this is the sequence. I state her choices, count to 5, repeat the consequence of each choice and take action. I remind myself that it's our job to model the desired behavior and teach her. We are the parents even though there are times we don't want to act grown-up and be adults.

Deep breath

Say one or all of the following (you can insert your own phrase here):
"This too shall pass."
"It is what it is."
"Life is a journey, not a destination."
"It's up to us to show them the world."

Deep breath

Repeat as necessary.

Ah, patience.

Happy Birthday Bill!

Unfortunately we haven't seen Uncle Bill for some time now. I'm hoping we get to hang with him over the holidays! In the spirit of his birthday, I'll share some of my thoughts on him.

Here are a few things to know about my brother:
1) When I see him he reminds me of good times with my father and I love the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when it happens.
2) He's got a great giggle and laugh! It's hard not to smile when you hear it.
3) Monster trucks, snowmobile races on water, truck and tractor pulls... I would know nothing about these things if it weren't for him!
4) In spite of #3, he loves the quiet of not living in a city.
5) He's my big brother and he's been there as only a big brother could over the years!

Thanks!

Halloween

Today is Halloween and tonight we headed to the Zoo for trick or treating. Nana and Papa joined us on our adventure. I was the wicked stepmother to Samantha's Cinderella.

Sometimes it's fun to play the evil characters!



Sofie pitched a major (kicking, screaming and flailing) fit when we attempted to dress her in both of her choices of dragon or strawberry fairy, so she went as a stubborn toddler.


We walked around, saw the dolphins and went to a special Halloween themed "Bird Show" where all the adults were buzzed by a very large brown owl in flight. The girls got a lot of candy and other goodies that we are slowly but surely consuming!

Pumpkins!

We kept up with our fall tradition of carving pumpkins and munching on the pumpkin seeds. The girls enjoyed watching their parents do all the work and the entire night was fun! Witness Sam's presenting Daddy's hard work.




This picture I had to include because it's beautiful and captures the sweetness and joy in my kids. We are so blessed.

Downtown fun

One of the greatest things about having a best friend is spending time with her. We have known each other since I was 18. She knew my father well enough to have earned a nickname from him and participated in getting me a "Lion King" birthday cake for my 19th birthday. In other words, we know a lot of history on each other!

For some long overdue time together, we headed downtown for a night destined with good food, silliness and wonderful, relaxed conversation. The next day we headed to the spa for a pedicure which is our new birthday gift tradition. (Our last tradition was vases and it got a bit out of hand given the space in our homes.)

She got some boots and found a fabulous ring. I looked at ridiculously expensive purses. We also went to the "Oval Room" of Macy's to try on clothes. I can understand the draw a bit more now, but alas it's not in our budget which is just fine with us!

Orchard trips

Today I chaperoned Sam's first preschool field trip of the year. It was chilly, but not raining thankfully. I got both Ellas and Sam to supervise, but I inherited Thomas and Ahmed along the way. The "Ellas" and Sam especially enjoyed picking the apples and hiding in the maze from me the most!

Last Sunday I grabbed the girls for a "quick trip" to Emma Krumbees. Daddy was at the football game, but Nana and Papa joined us. Sam took Sofie on the train ride, we watched the girls perform in the instrument tent and run around. Then we all rode the wagon to the pumpkin patch and checked out their selection. We headed inside for a treat, ice cream for the girls, cocoa for Nana and caramel apple dippers for me.

The aftermath of Sofie's cone before Sam finished it...


Nana and Papa had to leave and I told the girls we were going to clean up, go potty and head for home. Sofie's eyes twinkled and she ran off, stopped and pulled her pants down to "go potty". I recognized the twinkle and intercepted her. I turned my back and in a second she was gone to the center of the market and pulled her pants down again with the same look in her eyes. I was paralyzed by laughter in my attempts to catch her, so it took awhile to pick her up and get her pants up. Sam and I took a few minutes to calm ourselves down and stop giggling while our spectators had their own laugh too. It's definitely a great memory for us!

When we finally made it to the car, we stopped to look at pumpkins. Sam relished the opportunity to control the wagon.

Sever's Corn Maze tradition

For the second year in a row, we joined our friends for an outing to Sever's corn maze and dinner out. We all enjoyed all the activities! The only one who didn't enjoy the petting zoo was Daddy. I think the best was jumping on the hay stacks!

It was one of the few days in October that wasn't rainy so I think the girls were blinded by the sun!

Namaah and Kian's dad took on the 4 year olds for his impersonation of a horse...

Every kid except Sofie enjoyed a pony ride. She explicitly communicated her resistance to it when I tried to take her by yelling, "No!" and trying to escape from my arms.

Weekend of strange illnesses and fun

We had a busy and fun weekend!

Auntie She came by on Friday for a slumber party. Grammy stayed for dinner and I mentioned to the girls that we were blessed to have loved ones with us to celebrate Shabbat. We munched on pizza and Sam helped to make s'mores for dessert. Then the S girls (including She) changed into our pajamas and set up our beds in the basement to watch "Finding Nemo". I then noticed that Sofie had a fever and about two-thirds through, the girls ended up in their beds. We made a huge breakfast the next morning and Auntie She headed home.

Saturday Nana and Papa came by to watch Sofie since she was quarantined while Sam and I headed off on our own adventure. We picked up her friend from preschool, Ella and her mom for an afternoon at a painting studio. It was something we have never done and it was fun! Afterwards Sam got to play at Ella's house for a bit. They both enjoyed themselves immensely and I got some video of their stage performance at Ella's!

Sunday was a low-key day. Sam enjoyed watching football with Daddy and all the grandparents came for dinner. Sofia came with me and Fonzie for a walk at the dog park. She was very sweet talking to all the dogs. "Hey bud/buddy/dog/doggie" while holding out her hand to them. Sofie then got to play at the park while I tried to scrap the dog poop off my shoe that I had accidentally stepped in.

For reasons unknown at this time, Sam has been throwing up since midnight. She thankfully does not have a fever, but we are staying home. Sam is upset that she doesn't get to go to school, but we're looking at it as a snow day because we've been watching it snow all night! I think it's a little soon for winter!

Sofia caught it later in the week, but thankfully it was quick. Daddy and I both stayed home with her Friday and got through it just fine. Below is a shot of her taking comfort in her pacifiers (which are thankfully gone now). Apparently one is not enough!

Best. Lunch. Ever.

I was scrounging around the fridge for something fun to eat for Samantha's preschool lunch. We ended up packing pizza (to be eaten cold), peaches, green beans and pudding. Sam thought it was so cool that she got to take pizza to school!

Nutrition is an ongoing battle in our house, but overall we're doing just fine!

The effects of yelling

We tend to yell in this family, but that doesn't mean we can't change our tendencies.

Yelling doesn't work for us and definitely not our kids. After some verbal battles that escalated volumes way too quickly, I had a conversation with Samantha. I asked her if she enjoyed yelling and getting angry. She replied no and looked sad. I then asked if she thought this was a good way to start the day. Sam shook her head. I agreed with her and suggested we just stop yelling because I don't like the way it makes me feel. She thought it was a good idea and said she thought it was a good idea. We a few days in and it is working well.


We all do the best we can at the time and the drive for improvement is what drives evolution. Our kids are developing according to their experiences. Daddy and I are evolving as parents. We have never been afraid to admit our mistakes or bad choices because we want our kids to see us right our wrongs and learn from our actions. That is one of the best thing we can do for them.

Family nights

Daddy and I have been trying to start some new traditions to start the weekend outside of lighting the Shabbat candles. We tried doing game night, but Sofie is a little too young and doesn't follow the rules. It's understandable when you remember that she isn't quite 2 yet! We have had success with movie night though. Daddy was finally able to watch the end of Cinderella last week, since we don't watch the whole movie in one sitting.

"Make your own pizza" was last night. Everyone loved it and ate a lot!

A weekend with raptors and a museum

We had a busy weekend, but a fun one. Saturday we went to a nature center to view rehabilitated raptors released into the wild. It was an awesome experience to hear the stories of the birds that were released and there was plenty going on to keep us occupied. Thank you to the Mewes clan for inviting us! We've missed you so much!

I think this is the only picture of us ever and luckily I think it's a good one!


I love this shot of everyone walking down to see the release because it reminds me of what a wonderful moment it was to be with our friends!

Sunday Nana volunteered to accompany the girls and I to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It was their first big museum and their favorite area was the children's area (locked away from the main space, but with a bathroom, great toys and computer games. We only stayed for a bit, but it was still a great experience!

Here's a shot of the dog that both girls were surprised to see!

Ballet

Samantha got her wish and is now taking a ballet class. She finally has her tap shoes and ballet shoes. Soon we'll be off to buy a dancing outfit, but for now her gymnastics uniform works. I am watching her on a TV screen via a camera in her classroom.

From my perspective this is awesome because I love to dance. It is a regular activity at our home and all the S girls have fun! We play our favorite songs and "dance like no one is watching". We are free to be who we are and it is a beautiful thing!

L'Shana Tova!

Sam started Sunday school last week, which focused on Rosh Hashana. She came home with a shofar, albeit a plastic one. She was beyond excited to welcome the new year, partly because she was allowed to blow it inside Friday night at home and Saturday night at Nana and Papa's. She was quite the performer, ensuring every one's silence and waiting for everyone to look at her prior to "sounding the horn". Samantha also took it to preschool Friday morning for show and tell. I was told by her teacher that she relished her moment and I'm glad she did!


I'm waiting for pictures from Ben, but I hope to post some soon!

Truffles and a birthday

For my birthday this year, I didn't plan on too much. Daddy got me an iPhone, which the entire family is enjoying. I'm usually at the tail end of a trend, but I'm loving it because it's practical too! On my birthday, Auntie She came by to color my hair and it was a typical workday. At work I received a box of chocolates which was yummy, but nothing compared to what I came home to. Sam and Daddy went to a chocolate shoppe and got me a dozen truffles - scrumptious truffles that Sam and Sofie were generous enough to help me eat over the next week. They got me flowers which were beautiful. Daddy and I also headed to the restaurant where we had our first date 7(!) years ago the following weekend.

The pictures are from a while back, but they are still relevant!

I am blessed beyond my comprehension and so grateful to have another birthday with my family!

1st day of preschool (kindergarten) and makeup

Sam is going to preschool (with the kindergarten curriculum) 5 full days a week now. She just completed her first week and loves it. Her friends were just as happy to see her and missed her over the summer! It was quite the reunion to see. Daddy and I could not be more proud of our eldest! The first day she informed her teachers repeatedly that she did not want to be called "Sammy" any longer, that they should address her as "Samantha" (please). Hilarious! Then, when it was her turn for show and tell, she told her class to be quiet and listen to her. Her teacher said that Samantha was not mean or whiny, but very assertive and gave a wonderful presentation of her Care Bear, the drawer from her dollhouse that she uses as a Care Bear holder and the family photos I sent along with her. I told Sam that I was very proud of her that she spoke up for herself and mentioned to her teacher that we try to teach assertiveness as often as possible.

Since my daughter is maturing so fast and has been asking to try makeup (which is scary on a different level), I thought it would be fun to play makeup. Life is better when you get to have free expression!

Sam decided that painting her entire face with red lipstick would be fun (and it really was)!

The results of our efforts.

Everything returned to normal when we finally got it off and no one was harmed in the removal of red lipstick!

I tell her every day that I'm very proud to be Samantha's mom and it is so true. She is amazing!

I am a little frightened by how fast she's growing up though... yikes!

Keeping up with friends

I admit to being a bit imbalanced lately. Yes, you can insert your own comment there. I haven't been keeping up with my friends enough or at all. Close friends that I haven't seen in months and that I miss terribly. It's been over 4 months since I began working full-time and I still don't feel like I am managing my time well. My life is family and work as of late which means that I haven't been giving the necessary attention to my friends and I can feel that things are not as they should be with me.

A piece of advice for my girls... Life is a journey, not a destination. Aim for progress and not perfection. Balance is the key to happiness. You can name all the cliches you want, but the bottom line is this: You alone are responsible for how you feel and you alone are responsible to take care of meeting your own needs. That means only you can give yourself what you need. For example, I need to carve some time out with my friends. I will arrange my schedule to accommodate my need(s), help my family with their needs and be successful at my job. It is what I need to do to feel better because I am happier when I am a (relatively) balanced person!

State Fair 2009

Yesterday we headed for our annual trip to the State Fair. Sam was developing a cold, so we didn't stay long or complete all of our usual traditions. We also didn't eat that much and I resisted the urge for a deep-fried banana split. We did visit the Kidway, so the girls enjoyed a few rides. We went through the Eco-experience building, pet animals at the Miracle of Birth center and got to know a demanding horse named Magic at the horse barn. Both

Lessons Daddy and I learned for next year: Go in the morning, plan on a map a general route and we're going stroller-free!

Foods we ate this year: Cheese curds, unlimited chocolate milk, French fries, corn dogs on a stick, smores and Italian sausage.