December Days (And Nights)

Happy 2015 to all. My days of commemorating Christmas in a timely manner and writing an eloquent new year send off are apparently on hold for the time being. But I hope you won't lose patience with me and forget about us. Someday I will be eloquent and timely, but now is not that time.

The kids are back to school after a lovely, noisy, messy, hilarious never-a-dull-moment winter break (what's that you say? You can hear me shrieking with glee all the way from New Jersey?).

Of course I joke. As my dad is fond of saying, "All good things must come to an end." There is only so much familytogetherness and staying up late to watch "Grease" and eating as many M&Ms a little person (and her parents) can take before we all run screaming for 8:00 p.m. bedtimes and wheat grass (probably no wheat grass for the kids).

But before that, there was December. Blissful, hopeful, sparkly, glittery, twinkly, all-wrapped-up in teachers' gifts and homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies and holiday school luncheons and Santa visits and staying in our pajamas all day long. Because we could, December.


This visit to Santa was hard-won. I thought I was so clever to wait until late in the season to take them (less crowds) but we still managed to arrive while the Big Guy was on break. Which meant tacking on an extra fifteen minutes to our wait. Which was totally fine of course since three year olds LOVE to wait in line (said no one never). Also? Super grouchy Santa. Notice how no one is sitting on his lap? Luckily I don't think the kids noticed, but what I noticed is, it's no longer about parking for a spell on Santa's knee and casually chatting with him and telling him what you want. It's about, what size photo package would you like, ma'am? Click. Next. Oh well. We'll still be back next year. I finally got organized and framed all the Santa pics from over the years and it's fun to see the progression (and a little terrifying to see how much bigger everyone is from year to year). I'm big on tradition, even if it does sometimes come with a dose of crabby.


Hanukkah came close to Christmas this year, which is always a treat (although it still snuck up on me as it always does and I was the crazy woman shopping at Target on Hanukkah morning, hysterically throwing "Frozen" socks and Transformers and coloring books and Spiderman tooth brushes in  my cart). Speaking of gifts, the twins also now think that the custom is to get Hanukkah gifts in the morning--due to a combination of their early bedtime and the fact that since they would surely would surely want to play with whatever gift they got, I saved their presents for the morning. Let's just say they caught on to this right quick and it took a full week after Hanukkah was over for Harry to stop greeting me with "I want to go downstairs and get my Hanukkah present" every morning.



This was the first year that big kids lit candles "by their own" (as Lucy would say), and the first year that the twins allowed the candles to stay lit (you may recall last year, when Lucy insisted on singing "Happy Birthday" and was furious when I wouldn't allow her to blow them out). This year Ellie and Leo also came close to memorizing the Hanukkah blessing.


Once upon a time, Leo's school hosted an annual "holiday lunch" for students and parents. It's been a few years since they held one but I was happy to learn it was back on for this year. Harry was already home from school by lunch time so Dudes in Holiday Sweaters, it was.


There were also preschool holiday concerts (with the requisite Santa visit with the suddenly "shy" Lucy).

There were painted Christmas cookies (edible egg wash).

And more cookies.


There were cards sent home from school that made my heart swell and my eyes tear (see above, from Leo): "I love our family." SOB.

Right before Christmas (two days before winter break) Ellie was felled by an atrocious stomach bug (is there such a thing as a non-atrocious stomach bug?) that she was kind enough to give me as an early Christmas gift. This made the last minute Christmas crunch (teacher gifts, wrapping of and delivering of said teacher gifts), shopping, meal prepping quite, um, challenging?


Fortunately, I was much better by Christmas Eve and able to mostly participate in one of my favorite activities, which is staying up late, watching the beloved "It's a Wonderful Life" and wrapping ALL the Christmas presents with Erin. Usually this is accompanied by Bailey's, but with my body still not being at 100 percent, I skipped it this year. I KNOW.


We were busy, busy elves.


Christmas dawned early (as it does every day). Within seconds the living room was a wrapping paper battlefield (note to self: we need a better Unwrap the Christmas Presents System. Anyone have any recs for "big" families and small, impatient children?). The bouche de Noel (see above) didn't fair much better than the presents.


Later in the day, my trusty assistants and I (eager to test-drive new gifts) fetched Chinese takeout (Nobody felt like cooking and I hardly felt like eating so it was perfect).


As night fell, we did something I'm sure no other family in the world did on Christmas (see above). PS., if you didn't know already? Leo IS Elsa (he doesn't allow anyone in the room to speak when he performs "Let it Go" alongside her).


Ellie stayed up late on Christmas night painting (with a new easel and paint set from Grandma Jerry).


Lucy asked to bring "just a few" of her gifts to bed.


Harry fell asleep with one of his favorite presents (that was of course, actually Leo's).


And it was, the Best Christmas Ever.

The Kickoff to the Lead Up: Or, Hello Candy Corn

It's officially my favorite time of year. Not only because the weather is fantastic, glorious and inspiring (oh, hi there, golden and ruby red leaves dancing against a stunning backdrop of crystal clear, cornflower blue sky,) but because it's the kickoff to the lead up to the Holiday Seasons (HalloweenThanksgivingChristmasHanukkah).

Plus? ALL the children are in school. For at least a few hours a day (more on that in a minute).

***

For some reason this year I got the urge to cook for Rosh Hashana (I can't remember the last time I did this and I've never done it with/for the kids).



I dug out my mom's old kugel recipe (see above) knowing full well I'd be the only one to eat it. Harry and Leo did take a few bites before pronouncing it "Yucky."


Oh well, their loss.

One item I know would be a hit was the challah, which I'd planned to pick up the day before Rosh Hashana at a nearby bakery. Of course, even though this errand was at the top of my to do list, I forgot, thus necessitating I take all four children out in the rain on Rosh Hashana morning to another nearby bakery that was open.


The shlep was worth it for this beautiful baby, which ended up being the main course for most of the diners (along with apples and honey and the dessert):


The "traditional" Rosh Hashana yellow sheet cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and sprinkles. Because even though I attempted to get them to try the kugel I knew full well NO ONE would eat honey cake. Does anyone like honey cake?

Ellie (who appears to have inherited the family holiday celebration gene) dove headfirst into the Rosh Hashana festivities. While she dipped Gala apples into a ramekin of honey, she wanted to know if we could make Rosh Hashana decorations, and announced that she "loved Rosh Hashana." You really do have to love the enthusiasm of a seven year old.


Speaking of enthusiasm, how about this for an outfit? Puppy dog fleece, Eiffel Tower capris and (not seen) a Hello Kitty tunic. Oh, to be three.




The month of September marked Lucy's first month of preschool and last month of part-time preschool. Oh she's still only going half days but she's now going FIVE days a week (up from three). It became pretty clear when, upon asking if she had school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and she burst into tears, wailing Yes I AM! that the girl was ready to be in school every day. I was equally ready.

Here's an example of a recent conversation with the ever-ebullient Lucy. It was Monday morning at the breakfast table and she was talking about the upcoming Halloween party (which she was convinced was taking place that afternoon).

Lucy: And later I have a Halloween party!
Ellie: No you don't. Halloween isn't until the end of the month.
Erin: Oh Ellie, why are you trying to ruin her day?
Lucy: Yeah! I LOVE my day!


We had a few, last "just Mommy and Lucy mornings."



On the weekends she asks what time school is and will often insist on eating her lunch from out of her lunch box. Safe to say, she's enjoying her academic life. And for those wondering about her behavior? She is carrying on the family tradition of being a Completely Different Kid at school (read: well behaved). So there you go.

***

Decorating season is in full swing.


And by Decorating I don't just mean interiors. Why should the festivities be limited to the house? (And yes, those are my knee socks thankyouverymuch).



Ellie took it upon herself to start the fall art/craft projects though I'm pretty sure it was just an excuse to get out the candy corn.


Speaking of candy corn, I finally fulfilled a lifetime dream of completing a candy corn wreath (seen above and of course, at the beginning of this post because really, you just can't have too much candy corn wreath). I have to also say that this was completed with lots of instruction and moral support from the fabulous Amy.

I usually wait until at least October to haul out the Halloween decor but Ms. Holiday (Ellie) begged me to "bring out just a couple things" last weekend, so out came the Rubbermaid containers, along with the rest of the Halloween paraphernalia.



"Is this ALL we have?" asked a non-plussed Ellie, registering her deep dissatisfaction in the volume of Halloween trinkets in our possession (there's plenty more than what you see above, trust me). Seriously this girl's middle name is More Is More. So we might have to make a pit stop at the local Goodwill (my secret weapon for holiday decorating) this weekend. And we may also need to pick up a few more bags of candy corn.

The Epic "Break," Holidays and a New Year

Happy New Year!

The only thing you can do when you are horribly behind is just jump right in, right?

Right.

Winter break was wonderful. See also: Exhausting, dizzying, frustrating and hilarious. Everything that life at our house is, times infinity, full-time.

I look forward to the "break" all year long, even if it hardly lives up to its name.



The excitement on Christmas Eve? Oh. My. Goodness. I felt like I spent the last half of my day/whole evening scraping children off the ceiling. The anticipation was palpable. But eventually they all did fall asleep which meant…Erin and I got to put together toys and wrap seventy-nine presents! Weeeeee!

Photo below snapped at approximately 10:48 p.m. Christmas Eve. By the way, thanks Sweetie, for making me wrap presents a few nights in advance, rather than saving it ALL for Christmas Eve. That was a very, very good call (we wrapped 79 presents, rather than 219). Did I mention I've become a terrible procrastinator in my old age?


Note the tidiness and organization. Short-lived, trust.

Is there anything like that moment where you've finished wrapping everything and you're sitting there in your pjs, watching the final minutes of "It's a Wonderful Life" in front of the twinkling Christmas tree, thinking to yourself, yup, it really is just that. Wonderful.  Note: I'm usually drinking a glass of Bailey's at that moment, but I wasn't this year--it says a lot that I didn't even dip into it this year (sweet Erin even bought me the "big" bottle). Too. Tired. To. Drink. The hard stuff. I know.


Aaaand the next morning. It must have taken them about three minutes to open all 219 packages.


Absolute chaos. Like always.


New art supplies from Santa = momentary calm x 4. Did I mention no one asked to turn on the TV until about 3 p.m. on Christmas Day? I think we set a record.


These new stuffed animals were a favorite gift.




No Christmas breakfast would be complete without bouche de Noel (or, as we dubbed it this year, "Christmas Cake.") And yes, the twins instantaneously both learned to say "More Christmas Cake." Clear as little bells.

And if all that Christmas excitement wasn't enough, the Oregon grandparents came to visit, two days after the sugar/new toy high had begun to wear off.

We filled our days with watercolors, neighborhood walks, trips to the playgrounds (weather permitting), more new toys and books.








They also brought a little piece of Oregon with them, both in spirit and in the form of Ducky slippers from my sister and brother-in-law.


Artist Ellie paints a portrait of Artist Grandpa.


Harry and Grandma.


Playing ball in his room with Grandpa = Leo's Most Favorite Thing Ever.



Our now (so I've proclaimed-we've gone two years in a row so it's official!) annual New Year's Eve trip to our little local zoo was memorable as always. I love it for many reasons, one of which being that it's always freezing and we're always one of approximately two families there. It's like having our own private zoo and the twins can run crazy free to their hearts' content.


Looking for penguins. Right after I took this picture it started snowing, graceful, tiny flakes. Not going to lie. It was magical. 


Twins being penguins. Because, of course!




The walk home from the zoo. It was as cold as it looks!

The big kids were overjoyed to be able to take Grandma and Grandpa to the movies on a rainy Sunday morning, sharing their passion for "Frozen" (and I was not so secretly pretty excited about seeing it a second time, myself). We concluded our day in suburbia (a novelty for G&G but nothing but the "usual" for us), with a late lunch at Leo's beloved Five Guys, where Leo and Ellie taught Grandpa about the intricacies of the fairly amazing Five Guys soda machine.


It ended up being the "break" that kept on giving. The kids went back to school last Thursday, only to get a snow day on Friday.


Four (almost) snow angels. Or, someone's always gotta go rogue.

Some like the snow…




…a bit more than others (PS. I know, I know, he needs better boots and gloves. That will help. Lucy inherited all of Ellie's old snow gear and Harry pretty much got the shaft. Placing an order today, Hair-Man. Promise!).


After purging the house of ALL chocolate and bakery items and vowing to eat nothing but brown rice and steamed tofu for the rest of the year, I MAY have run out of things to do to keep the children busy and agreed to help Ellie make cupcakes for her teddy bear's birthday (See: The loooongest winter break ever).



And now, the holidays are over. It's a new year. I won't lie. The next few months have to be my least favorite. It's cold (5-degrees this morning, to be exact).  The tree is horizontal and naked on our curb looking forlorn and dejected. All that build-up and excitement and it's all just over. I mean, of course the holidays can't go on and on (then they wouldn't be special! I find myself trying to explain to the kids). But I'm secretly grateful that many of my neighbors seem to be holding on to the spirit a bit (see above). I always think of my mom though, when I see people with Christmas lights up, far into January and February. She used to grumble about giving people "tickets" for keeping their lights going past the season.

But the best thing about the holidays (if it's possible to pick a "best," which of course, it isn't, but I will anyway) is that they come every year. And every year you get the chance to have the Best Christmas/Holiday Season Ever. This year, the holidays were pretty darn fabulous, full of all the wonder and joy I could have hoped for (yes, in spite of Lucy's wails mid-menorah lighting). Nobody cried at Santa this year (a first!) and I even got to lay on the couch for a few minutes on Christmas Day.

It's a wonderful life. Yup, it really is.

A Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas*

Let your heart be light

Next year all our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the yule-tide gay

Next year all our troubles will be miles away

Once again, as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who were dear to us



Will be near to us once more



Someday soon we all will be together

If the fates allow



Until then we'll have to muddle through, somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now

*(Words by by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin)

"Happiness, not in another place, but this place...not for another hour, but this hour."
---Walt Whitman


Happy Holidays, to you and yours! Peace, Joy and Love in 2014.



Oh and by the way, in case you haven't recently listened to the BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER, The End, hands down, no question, here you go. You're welcome and enjoy.

First Snow Storm and Christmas Cookies: Nailed It!

Saturday was our first "real" snow of the season. Thank goodness it happened on a weekend when we could enjoy it and not worry about trying to get to work or how we'd manage to pick up big kids at school in the snow with two toddlers in tow.



Ellie fulfilled a lifelong dream of finally ice skating.

Sort of.


This is so often how it goes. Ellie, Leo and Lucy plotting something (in this case a rousing snow ball fight) while Harry says "You know what? I'm gonna just go over here and play with my helicopter thankyouverymuch."


A yard full of snow to play with, half a dozen kid vehicles and she has to stand On Top of Him. This really sums it up (don't worry, the second I managed to snap this, I rescued Harry from her clutches).

Regarding the snow: Let's file this one under "Reason 979 why Big Kids Rock." Can I just say how fabulous it is to have older kids who can put on their own snow boots (mostly) and gloves and hats and coats? I really had forgotten how maddening it is to try and put miniature gloves on tiny, uncooperative fingers. And then they look at you all cold and pink and furious when they take their gloves off and they can't figure out why it feels like their fingers are going to snap off.


See? No gloves on this one. Seconds after this shot was taken she would announce that her hands were cold and "Where are my mittens?" (over there in the snow where you pulled them off in a moment of fury, Lou).

At some point in the middle of Saturday's snow storm I found myself saying, Let's make Christmas cookies! Because, clearly I've lost my mind.


Harry gave the unbaked cookies a good poke and promptly sampled some raw dough. Whoops!

I grew up making these cookies for the big Christmas Eve celebration with my step mom's family. This is the first time I was able to pull it off. It's not like it's so hard, it just takes planning, as does pretty much everything in our life. I had a minor freak out in the beginning when the dough was very sticky and none of the cutters were working but then something clicked toward the middle/end, sort of like how the first few pancakes in a batch are always terrible? Maybe it had to do with the dough temperature or something. Regardless, we rallied and they came as close to perfect as something in our house can come.

My stepmom sent me the recipe, which is from The Joy of Cooking (by the way, you can reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup--they are still plenty sweet and if you frost them like we did, they are definitely sweet enough).



These cookies actually taste really good (I know, just what we all need this time of year, more cookies that taste good). But so often Christmas cookies look good but end up tasting...not so much. Anyway, fair warning: Delicious buttery cookies.



At one point, all four were doing the same activity, which always warms my heart. Now that the twins are getting a little older, that's happening more and more and it makes me soooo happy.



OK, so Harry might have also been watching "Star Wars" and eating all of the cookies he was supposed to be decorating.

No matter.

Merry and Bright

The tree is up.

Please ignore the Giant Gaping Hole in the middle of the tree. We had a slight light malfunction. Don't ask. I'm just pretty proud that it's still standing and still holding most of the ornaments that were placed on it Saturday afternoon. Might we be exiting the stage of destruction? I have only once uttered the words "Harrystoptouchingthelights," (though to be fair, I have had to demand that he not stand on the end table and grab ornaments). Yeah, maybe we're not quite finished with the stage of destruction after all.

Shortly after I snapped the above photo, Ellie asked if we could snuggle on the couch and drink hot chocolate and then could I tell her about "Christmases long ago?"

You really can't make this stuff up (This, by the way, I've decided should be our family motto and I want it as my epitaph).

I think it's fair to see we are all feeling the spirit. When we told the kids a few days before the weekend that we'd be getting the Christmas tree, Ellie began her usual countdown of "Today is four days until we get the tree!" and then "Today is three days…" Saturday morning around 6:30 a.m. I found the words "Get it" ominously scrawled on the dry erase board in the kitchen, next to a drawing of a, you guessed it, a Christmas tree.

Saturday morning we took the kids to a gingerbread house making party at Ellie's old preschool.

Candy apparently makes Lucy itchy.


And hungry. Look at her. So sly! She couldn't quite believe her good luck. Unlimited Fruity Pebbles? For real?

Toddlers making gingerbread houses. Oy. Talk about herding cats. I was impressed with Lucy actually. She has quite the attention span for crafts. Or maybe she just likes sweets. Let it be known Saturday was the day she discovered chocolate covered marshmallow snowmen. She's a fan.


And if making gingerbread houses wasn't enough, Saturday afternoon while the babies napped, the big kids and I ventured out in the cold to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum to see the Gingerbread Wonderland.


Everyone was feeling especially lovey-dovey that day. I promise I didn't even have to pay Leo to snap this shot-he voluntarily threw his little arm around Ellie.


"Take my picture Mommy!"


And for the piece de resistance, Grandma Jerry's Christmas dresses arrived on Saturday afternoon. Well. Two little girls could not have been happier. They put the dresses on immediately and twirled all over the house. "I want someone who isn't in my family to see me," Ellie squealed. Lucy demanded to wear hers to Costco the next morning.

Who was I to say no?

And Just Like That, Two Holidays (Almost) Down: The Epic Thanksgivukah Post

Well, nothing like Thanksgivukah to really rush you right through the year, right? Sheesh! And then I panicked a little when I looked at the calendar this morning and realized we only have three weekends until Christmas.

Wait, WHAT?

But in the spirit of Living in the Moment:

We lit the candles the first night (which fell the night before Thanksgiving, making Thanksgiving technically the first "day" of Hanukkah. Leave it to the Jews to make it confusing, believe me). And this is what happened. It's a little hard to make out Lucy's expression. But I think you get the idea.



I definitely could not have predicted Lucy's reaction to the menorah in all its glory. This year there was a lot less wonder and awe and a lot more screeching, all from Lucy who demanded to "Get down!" so she could "Blow out the candles and sing Happy Birthday!"

Let's contrast the above photo with the one below (from last year). Such sweet darlings, right?



Before I got all Pity Party about how much harder everything is lately in the land of Twin Two Year Olds, I recalled this little gem:


Ellie was the exact age that the twins are right now. I think you get the idea.

Someone is always mad about something.

Ha ha ha. Kidding.

Mostly.

Back to 2013: Everyone eventually (mostly) calmed down and we finished lighting the candles.

Earlier in the day, I attended Ellie's first grade thanksgiving "feast" and then picked her up from school and we did a bit of shopping for our feast.


Along the way, we were excited to see all the Hanukkah displays. You know those giant blow-up holiday decorations you see all over the suburbs? They now make Hanukkah versions (and no this is not necessarily an endorsement, just an observation). And you know, I've lived in the New York/New Jersey area for over thirteen years and this kind of sight still slays me. Growing up, I always felt like the odd man out who celebrated Hanukkah and now it's just the norm (this photo was snapped at Bed Bath & Beyond).

Ellie and I had such a fun afternoon that Thanksgiving Eve/first night of Hanukkah. Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying age six? Oh sure she still has her unreasonable moments but she is just maturing so nicely, has such a clever sense of humor and fun disposition. Being out with her is almost like being with a friend-a young, short friend. Anyway, I think you get the picture. Her thoughtfulness really impresses me too.

To wit: We spent a good amount of time in the Target toy aisles trolling for last minute Hanukkah items for her siblings and she genuinely wanted to get everyone something they would like. She would have stayed there all afternoon shopping for other people if I'd let her. Only once or twice did she point to something she might like, but it was very casual and off-hand and not at all insistent or whiney or Buymethatrightnow!

And thank goodness I did have Ellie with me because I am pathologically indecisive and pretty much a horrific shopper. I over think everything. Ellie however, is no-nonsense and was full of wonderful suggestions about Matchbox cars (Harry) and Spiderman action figures (Leo). Lucy is the real question mark this year, as she doesn't really play with toys as much as she plays with people. And since we all know she's going to steal anything Harry likes, maybe I should just get two of everything I get Harry and call it a day? (Kidding of course.)

Not until we were driving home did Ellie wonder aloud if she was getting a Hanukkah present. Darn it! I KNEW there was something I forgot to do! I teased, smiling at her playfully in the rear view mirror. She played along. She knew better.


Up went the decorations this weekend, and the return of Harrystoptouchingthelights!


Thanksgiving Day dawned early as they always do. It quickly turned loud and crazy (don't be fooled by this relatively calm scene).


I got it in my head to make a Toll House Pie this year (it's basically just a giant chocolate chip cookie inside a pie, how can you go wrong?). Ellie heard the words "chocolate chip" and was immediately on board.


Best Thanksgiving Pie. Ever. The End.




I always look forward to watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and this year did not disappoint (yes, that's a few of us watching the parade, in case you were wondering-you can see they're all riveted, although I also think I managed to catch it during a commercial (of which there were many). But really, each year the kids seem to be more and more interested in the actual parade which is fun. Someday, we will all go.


Ellie set the table.


The Meal. The great Thanksivukah mash-up.


Surveying the spread. Harry gave those mashed potatoes a good poke.

Right before the meal, we went around the table and asked everyone to say what they were thankful for. With no prompting whatsoever, Harry said he was thankful for Lucy and then Lucy said she was thankful for Harry. And you know what? It really doesn't get any better than that.


And here is something else to be thankful for. A cheese plate from one of New York City's finest restaurants, eaten in the comfort of my own home. In fact, I think I was in my pajamas when I finally got around to enjoying this little beauty. Talk about grateful.

There are so many things to be grateful for this year: Health, happiness, our extended family, friends, our home and of course a wonderful family of my own that I never in a million years imagined having. They overwhelm me every day, and yet they bring me more joy than I've ever known, to say nothing of all the laughter. Those are fair trade-offs to me.



Here's hoping your Thanksgiving (or Thanksgivakuh) was a great one and that you have plenty to be thankful for too. Wishing you a holiday season full of light and love.

Stop It. And Some Wonderful Things (After Some Not So Wonderful).

An assortment, from years gone by. It doesn't get much better than that feather turkey wreath from Leo's (I think) first grade.


This weekend, down came the Halloween decor and up went theThanksgiving paraphernalia.

Then Amy pointed out to me that if it was time to decorate for Thanksgiving, then it was also time to acknowledge Hanukkah (which, for the first time in our lifetime happens to fall on the same day).

Hannuskiving?

Thanksgivingmacka?

I don't know what to call it or what to say except Stop This Year. Just Stop It. You are going by too fast. And Stop My Favorite Season From Rolling By.

I know that time is one of the most boring subjects but it's all so true, every single word of what "they" say about it. This is all just whizzing right by. This weekend I sat in the backyard with the twins while they burned off some late afternoon/time change crabbiness and we watched the planes fly overhead from the Newark airport. Harry flapped his little arms and ran around the driveway like a miniature 747, because really there is nothing more interesting than watching the planes fly overhead and then pretending to be a plane. These little people. Two years ago they were sitting on the deck strapped in infant seats and buried in little winter suits. And now?

Now I manage to get Harry to sleep a full hour later than Lucy (Hello, 5:15 a.m. on time change Sunday!). Lucy and I have a rare hour to ourselves as the house remains quiet with everyone else still asleep. And when I hear Harry stirring, go upstairs to get him and present him to Lucy, Look who I found! I joke to Lucy, who is drinking her morning milk and grazing on cheerios and pumpkin bread.

Oh thank you! I like Harry! Hi Harry! Lucy says, her face, an explosion of happiness and glee.

Of course, the irony is not lost on me that "Stop It" is also a phrase that has been coming out of my mouth quite a lot these days (and yes, it's pretty much always directed at the twins). Stop It! Stop stealing Harry's toys! Stop it! Stop screaming! Stop it! Stop throwing open the refrigerator doors and stealing apples and packages of string cheese and then running, celebratory through the house (Yes, this is my life).


I found this oldie but goodie this weekend. From last year: "A Turkey, in the Rain," by Leo.

***

A few weeks ago Leo had to get a tooth pulled. It was his first time (thank goodness!) and it was also a baby tooth (another thank goodness!). It was just a rotten little tooth that the dentist said hadn't been worth filling but it was finally in bad enough shape to pull. We all know Leo has finally overcome his dental issues, which is why it was perhaps even more traumatic to have to hold him down while he had that little tooth pulled (a parenting first that I hope to never repeat).

Oh he was medicated and numbed and even nitroused up. But he saw the tools and even without pain, I guess there is no mistaking the "force" of having a tooth extracted. Bless our dear Dr. F who was cool as a cucumber as he had to do some serious acrobatics during the procedure, practically turning himself upside to accomplish the task. But he could not have been more patient with Leo (or me). Did I mention his daughter has Down syndrome? He gets it.

And when it was all over, I felt teary, for Leo and for the fact that we are so fortunate to have some wonderful people in our little village, including our dentist.

As he always does, Leo recovered very quickly. There were no hard feelings toward Dr. F, only fist bumps and high fives. A hug may have been attempted too.


After the trauma (for both of us), I did what any guilt-ridden mother would do. I took Leo out for the biggest donut I could find.* And I bought myself the largest pumpkin flavored coffee available (I also may or may not have quickly eaten ten pumpkin Munchkins in the car).

I ran into Dr. F at Ellie's school Halloween parade (his kids go to the same school). There he was, in his Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume. It was two weeks after the tooth pulling ordeal but all he could ask me was "How's Leo?"

It doesn't get much better than that.

*Don't worry. Leo brushed his teeth when we got home. :)

Fearless Babies and Frigid Temperatures

It was so cold here this morning (11 degrees) that I spilled coffee on my coat and it literally froze. The good news is, this frigid cold air appears to be excellent hair weather (it's a dry cold!), so, yay?

This was last week. Before it became January with a capital J.

We had a nice, long weekend. I firmly believe all weekends should be three days long, especially when one baby decides to rise at 9:30 on a Friday night screaming, feverish and pukey. Yes, poor Lucy was awake and miserable most of Friday night and into Saturday.

Of course by 5 a.m. Saturday  morning, she was snoring. Albeit, briefly and on my lap.

By Monday, Lucy had recovered. Strangely enough, no one would let me watch the inauguration (I snuck peeks as I switched the channels during some after breakfast "My Little Pony" most annoying show ever viewing). Leo did take great pleasure in marching around the house and saying "Obama! Not Mitt Romney!" (in case there was any question where his politics lie).

Leo is a Democrat, meanwhile Harry? Is just a really messy eater.

After lunch I had to get everyone out of the house (mostly me). Thankfully it was in the balmy 30s, the frigid temperatures hadn't hit yet so we headed to the park. My phone was being cranky so I don't have any good pictures of that outing. I know I sound like a broken record on this topic but it's just incredible to me how much the twins are changing from week to week. We went to this same playground three weeks ago with the grandparents and the babies were more tentative, fell down more, needed more hand-holding and steadying. On Monday? Harry somehow got his little meatball thighs up and over the "Recommended for age 2 and Up" steps and scaled the spiral slide, headfirst. Lucy followed close behind.

Taking all four of them to the park by myself is...exhilarating. I don't worry about Ellie and Leo is fairly trustworthy, but the babies? They literally toddle off in opposite directions. There's a constant need to weigh who's in more danger? Who's closer to falling off the side of the play structure or getting a little too close to the open gate. Letting them "go rogue" at the park is exhausting, more mentally but physically. But I liken it to going on a good, long run or writing something I'm especially proud of. I feel compelled to do it, kind of dread it, but once I've done it? I'm so glad I did. And seeing their little faces when they're "set free?" The best. And worth all the stress and mental anguish (ha ha).

The back yard (fully fenced) is admittedly, much more relaxing and toddler-friendly then the wide expanse of the park. While Lucy recuperated on Saturday and Sunday, Leo, Ellie, Harry and I had some fun out there (One baby? Easy peasy! Where's the challenge in That?). 

I probably hover more than I should (as much as I can, with two), always certain am I that when someone falls it will be on their head, in the worst possible way. Maybe in some ways, the good thing (one of the many!) about having two babies is you simply can't always be in two places at once, forcing the babies to be a little more independent, self-confident and self-reliant than they might be if there was just one of them. Also it forces mommy to not be such a helicopter.

Even Ellie noticed the twins' progress in beginning to master the intricacies of the dreaded  deck stairs (big! steep!). Ellie observed: "Harry can go up and down the stairs! He's like a teenager!"

Inside, it's warm and cozy. I won't even go into Lucy's new flirtation with "High chair? Who needs a high chair?"


That grin. Clearly, she is not to be trusted.