Volunteering with Samantha

I regularly discuss volunteer opportunities with the girls.  They have it so good and I want them to be aware of it.  Hopefully they will never be in the situation themselves.  I have experienced homelessness (though I had a car to sleep in if I couldn't crash somewhere) and in my opinion if you are able, it's your duty to give back.

To mark President Obama's inauguration for his 2nd term and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the weekend was focused on a "Day of Service".  Our synagogue organized activities and we chose to make blankets.  I didn't get confirmation whether they were going to a homeless shelter or to hospital patients.  Originally Sofia was going to join us, but she was ill.  We brought enough fabric to make 4 blankets and they were all completed.

Considering it was Samantha's first time, she did very well.  It was distracting, but we got it all done.  I think we'll do it again soon!

Ely's 3rd Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday Ely!

Every day I am reminded how much Ely has brought to our family.  And I'm happy to take him to doggy daycare/camp, or the groomer, or the dog park or on walks.  He gets plenty of love and affection from everyone in the family.  Some quirks have changed.  Ely no longer chews his feet and has learned to tolerate having his ears cleaned.  He still gobbles his food insanely fast and gets towels/or whatever he can find when he wants something.  The humans in the house don't always get the message right away, but we know it's a signal so we try to decipher instead of getting upset.  Ely loves belly rubs and can get insistent if you don't pet him long enough. 

Ely is a beautiful, sweet and exactly the dog our family needed.  We love him so much!

Samantha's 2nd Grade Winter Program

Samantha gave 2 performances today for her school's 2nd grade winter program.  The afternoon performance was attended by me and all her grandparents.  I recorded it and got to see Samantha's extra part.  Sofia and Daddy went to the evening show.  Samantha did a wonderful job and we are so proud of her!

While I don't have any still pictures from the day, I do have this recent shot of her trying on shoes... I respect her taste even though I don't share it.  :)  She walks better in heels than I do!

Sofia and Ely, mortality and a surprise

Last Saturday night was a relaxed night at home.  Daddy was watching football in the basement, I was organizing, Samantha was reading and playing in her room.  Sofia was also playing in her room with Ely sleeping on her bed.  Suddenly Sofia came to me looking very sad and with tears rolling down her face.  She told me that Ely wouldn't open his eyes and bit her lip, unable to say the words, "I think he's dead".  Sofia had tried to open Ely's eyes and since the dog sleeps so hard, he just stayed asleep in spite of her messing with him.

We ended up talking about Fonzie and how everyone eventually dies, but that Ely probably won't pass any time soon.  I shared that it's okay to miss those that have died and that it's good to remember them.  We talk about Great-Grandpa Irving, Fonzie and my dad.  We also talked about being kind while we are alive and that we are lucky to have so many people who love us and the time we get to spend with them.

I've always been honest with my kids, probably due to the effects of losing my dad as a young adult. Life is short and fragile, so I continually choose to make the most of the time I have.  There is no guarantee of tomorrow, but to be honest it made me sad and proud to have Sofia come to me so concerned about our dog.  Sad because it's a hard truth to face and proud because she wasn't fighting it - she was feeling grief.   Hopefully we will be around a long time for more fun and more conversations.  For now, we are just grateful for today.


On another note, I noticed something missing from Sofia as I was helping her brush her teeth.  She lost a tooth without even realizing it and this is the result!

Happy Birthday to Jordan and Dylan!

Happy Birthday to Jordan and Dylan!

We got to see them on their birthday along with most of the family.  Some of Shelly's relatives made the annual trek to town, including her nephews, Craig and James.  Samantha gravitated to James (duh, he's older) while Sofia and Craig competed for the title of "Most Energetic Kid".  After eating, I supervised all the kids in the basement, allowing the adults the opportunity to have full conversations.  "Hide and Seek" was a big hit with all the age groups and there wasn't too much drama.  I enjoyed it and was grateful the kids were having fun!

Hello 2013!

Happy New Year!

The girls got to spend New Years Eve with Nana and Papa in a hotel this year.  Everyone had a blast and they started out the year with a trip to the Mall of America.

Thank you to Nana and Papa for continuing our tradition!

Winter Break 2012

Winter Break is finally here!

We began our break with family games on the Wii.  There was plenty of crafting and laziness.  I got to purge some unneeded items from the house. (The Virgo in me loves that!)  We picked up some gifts and things for ourselves on Saturday which was our only venture outside of the house.

Sunday was comprised mostly of the girls and I making cake pops.  It was about 4 hours to complete them!  Samantha had the idea of making holiday bags for the neighbors, so on Monday we put them together and both girls delivered them to all the houses on our street.  Both Daddy and I are very proud of her to be so giving and thoughtful.

Adam (Daddy's friend from kindergarten) brought his girlfriend and new baby over for dinner on Christmas Eve.  We ate a wonderful dinner with Grammy and all got plenty of turns to hold baby Caleb.  Ely was very good as well!

Tuesday we kept it low-key excepting some craziness trying to fix Nana's printer and sledding down a very large hill near Grammy's house.  The hill was too big to risk putting Ely on the sled so he enjoyed a stroll and was very concerned watching his "people" go down the hill!  The Chinese food we got for dinner was yummy too!

I worked at home the rest of the week while Daddy ran the girls around with errands and shopping, Sofia had a friend over and our summer nanny Lindsay stopped by too!  Both girls were so excited to see her and it was nice for all of us to catch up.

Then Lily came over for some playtime.

 Daddy also took the girls for another sledding adventure.

I'm happy I got to play lots of games with the girls, Daddy got a lot done outside the house and we all played the Wii.  Ely got to go to "camp" twice this week and loves it there.  We relish having a tired and happy dog!

On Friday, Daddy took the girls to a movie.  You can see them in their glasses below.  That night, Samantha went to a friend's sleepover birthday party.  She was so excited to finally have some friend time!  Sofia was indulged with another trip to Chucky Cheese's with both her parents followed by some cuddle time with Daddy during a movie.

Samantha came home from her sleepover Saturday morning and then Uncle Todd and Aunt Shelly brought their kids over.  Jordan and Dylan had a ball playing with the rocket launcher Sofia got for Hanukkah from Samantha.  Dylan did a great job dancing to the Wii too!

Daddy went to the last Vikings game of their season while I took the girls to Grammy's house for dinner.  Uncle Bill and Leana joined us with her mom, Pat and it was a relaxing and good meal.  Sofia stayed with Grammy overnight while I took Samantha to a movie and spent some time on our own.  Samantha is growing up so fast and I see a wonderful young lady in her.

On Monday I worked at home and Daddy took the girls to Papa and Nana's to keep our New Year's tradition.  (We've never spent the new year with either of our kids.)  The girls got to go to a hotel for swimming and loved their room.  I'm grateful that they get to have these experiences with Papa and Nana!