A day to do nothing

I love days where we don't have to do anything or be anywhere. They are rare so we appreciate them. It's true that we actually end up doing things, but this is our time to be a family without any external distractions. It's just us and it's important that we take that time. We have all been struggling with colds and we have been too busy so we took yesterday for some downtime.

We did get out of the house to take Fonz to the dog park though. The girls played with their Dad at the playground while I chased Fonz. He had a ball socializing and getting some exercise!

The house is fixed (finally)!

All the holes from my plumbing adventure are fixed! I can now enjoy the memory and appreciate the adventure without staring at holes in our walls and ceiling. Everything is back into its place and all is right with the world.


Daddy had the great idea of changing the kitchen lighting since workers would be here already. We discussed that particular change when we initially looked at the house, so it only took us 7 1/2 years to complete! It's a wonderful thing to complete a project that wasn't necessarily needed; it was just desired and now we have it. I'm glad it's done!

Sofie's new bed

Sofia got her big bed this weekend and her first night in it is going well so far. All I know is that she isn't sleeping because I'm hearing noises coming out of her room, but at least Sofia is in her room. I'll brave the door soon enough to see what she's up to.

I'm enjoying the thought of living "crib-free" for the first time in over five years. I love that our family is growing up and the different experiences we have now that we're not tied to nap times. More than anything, I'm so proud of the kid that Sofia is. She is friendly, upbeat and persistent. All these qualities will serve her well in her life, no matter what stage she is in. I love my Sofie!

The Tooth Fairy came to our house!

Samantha's tooth finally fell out! It happened President's Day so she was at Leslie's house! She was adamant about keeping her tooth though so I helped her write a note to the tooth fairy politely telling her not to take Sam's tooth. The tooth fairy obliged and left her two dollars without taking her tooth.

Leslie documented the occasion and sent Samantha home with this photo.

Weekend with friends and family

We had an awesome weekend seeing friends and family. We went to our favorite indoor playground with Ella F and her family. She is one of Samantha's best preschool friends and has a sister (JoJo) who is also 2. The girls had a blast and we all went out for dinner. The kids had a table all to themselves, which they enjoyed as much as the parents enjoyed their own table.

For Valentine's day, we went to the Midwest Kids Fest with Ella's family. The kids all played on the inflatable playgrounds and talked to a lot of people at the booths. From there, we headed to Nana and Papa's for a family dinner. Papa made his specialty of ribs which he loves to do. We're always happy to eat them!

This was the first picture with all the grandkids and grandparents together. I think it's sweet and I'm glad I suggested it! Someday they'll thank me for it hopefully!

Time flies

This week flew by and the girls were awesome! Daddy was gone, but we had plenty of visitors and excitement to keep us busy. Monday it started to snow and snow and snow. We spent the night making crafts. Ballet was cancelled. I spent Tuesday trying move the snow using the snowblower and shoveling. Grammy came over to walk Fonz and stayed for dinner. Wednesday was a normal day, but I missed my afternoon caffeine fix so I struggled through the evening. Thursday was swimming, but it was made easier by Papa and Sheila joining us. We all headed to Friday's for dinner and once we got home it was bedtime already. Yesterday Daddy finally got home and it was Chinese food for Shabbat dinner, followed by relaxing as a family.

Extended family blessings

One of the great gifts that our daughters have is local extended family. With the arrival of Todd and Shelly, the existing close relationship the girls have with Nana and Papa and the double blessings of cousins Jordan and Dylan, they are beyond fortunate.

After going to synagogue in the morning and the party yesterday afternoon, the girls headed to Nana and Papa's to enjoy their new beds. The new arrangement of the girls sharing the guest room at Nana and Papa worked out well! Sofia especially loved the big bed. (Soon we will make the transition here, but not yet.) Last night they got to visit their cousins at their house, eat pizza and had a ball. It was a big day for the girls with lots of stuff going on and they were exhausted, but I think it was all good.

Thank you to our family who enrich our lives and support us!

Sam's 3rd (and final) 5th birthday celebration

Party time concluded today with the "friend party".

We headed back to the inflatable playground with a bunch of friends. It was a good day and I got to have fun jumping with everyone too! I like that the kids let me join in the fun and I think that Sam enjoyed me playing with them. Daddy and I raced the obstacle course and I won in spite of his attempts to stop me! Woo-hoo... that's my highlight!

Doesn't Samantha look like she's enjoying her time (as she should be) on her birthday throne?

Sam's nightmare

I have comforted Samantha after bad dreams, but that wasn't anything compared to last night. She was trembling, literally shaking with fear so much I was scared. I did my best to console her and have her tell me what her subconscious conjured for her and the most I could get was a shark eating her. I really couldn't understand her and it seemed to calm her when I said that dreams aren't real and it was her imagination. I hugged my daughter, then looked at her in the eye and said, "You're safe". A few minutes later, she was in her bed asleep.

What I didn't tell her is that I can't guarantee her safety, but I will do my damnedest to protect and guide her. Hopefully she'll realize that on her own if she doesn't know that already.

Firsts and Teeth

I took the girls to the dentist today. They were champs and aced their exams so no cavities to report! We were only told to focus more on brushing the top teeth and flossing. Sam went first while Sofie played in the waiting room. Neither kid had any concerns about being on their own and each happily went about their own business.

Sam is just about to lose her first tooth! Talk about perfect timing for a dentist appointment! You can see the big tooth starting to come in already! Samantha does not want the tooth fairy to come though... she needs time to process the unknown. Sam's instinct is to fear things like this, but she'll come around. For now, the tooth fairy is an unwelcome guest and that is okay for now.

Sofie's first dentist appointment happened too... we've been practicing keeping her mouth open and call it the "dentist face". She listened (even keeping her hands on her belly) and exceeded my expectations! I was (and still am) very proud of her!

Both of the girls are growing up so fast... their smiles are all the motivation I need.