Happy Purim!

Today Tali had a Purim parade at school. Each child in her class was instructed to dress up like a character from the story. Of course, all of the girls (except one) chose to dress as a princess. Depending on when you asked her, Tali was either Vashti or Esther. She couldn't make up her mind.

 

When Eli saw her putting on her crown before we left for school, he insisted on wearing one too. He picked out the ONE crown with writing - it says "Princess." He refused to take it off until the parade was over. It was very funny to see a little boy in a flannel-style shirt and bomber jacket wearing a princess crown.

The parade at school is simply a short walk from one building to another. All of the moms line up with their iPhones to take pictures or video. It's a ridiculous parade but the kids love it. Tali was so excited for it that she talked about it for a week. When she was marching, Tali was so happy to see Eli that she just had to greet him. Eli took that as his cue to join her class on their march into the other building. I'm sure some parents ended up with a picture or two of the back of my head as I chased after Eli. (Sorry!)

Hope your Purim was as eventful as ours!

Hurricane Sandy, Day 4

Good news! We received word from NYSEG that we should have power back sometime between Sunday and Wednesday. Today was Thursday so it's not too far off. And even though we have power, we're really stuck at home. The roads are bad and we don't want to get in dangerous situations until we know the power lines and trees are cleared off the ground.

Today was a much easier day. In the morning, I took Tali down the street to the neighbor's house. They have two girls and the older one is our favorite babysitter (but she wasn't home) and three large Standard Poodles. Tali stayed over there to play while Eli had his PT. I took Eli over after and he had a great time with the dogs when they weren't cornering him to lick his face.

The rest of the day went by quickly and Tali actually walked Jackson in the evening instead of sitting in the stroller. As long as the weather is decent, these days will go by quickly.

In addition to Day 4 of being stuck at home with the kids, H has also been home. He's worked from home every day. I've always said that I'd go crazy if H worked from home, but now I have to take it back. It's actually been great. Really great. H spends the day working in his office and we mostly stay out of his way (the kids really want to go in to see him and every once in a while, I let them). When it's time for lunch, he eats with us. When it's time for dinner, he eats with us. If he wants a break, he spends a bit of time with the kids. There's no 3-hour commute for him and the kids get to see him a bit more. We're not in each others space all day but if we need to talk about something, it's easy to do so. For me, it actually works very well. I'll be a bit sad when it's over.

H playing with the kids in the kitchen while taking a break from work.

Trick-or-Treat - The Video

H uploaded a short video last night of the kids at the mall. This was closer to the end of our 45-minute Trick-or-Treat experience. I have to admit, they had great costumes and looked adorable.

Hurrican Sandy, Day 3

Happy Halloween! We've been holed up in the house for quite a few days now but we finally made it out today. Thankfully.

This morning, I took Jackson and the kids (in the double stroller!) out on a walk. We ended up running in to two different neighbors (who live two houses away from each other and barely even know each other - my street is so not friendly). So our little walk turned into a 45-minute walk.

We got home, played in the playroom, had lunch and then naps. Eli barely napped and Tali didn't. When they woke up, it was time to Trick or Treat! Since our town was still without power, we decided to take the kids to a mall in Connecticut about 40 minutes away. Since Tali doesn't really remember Halloween from last year, it was fine. They had a great time and Tali got a ton of compliments on her costume. Some even stopped her to take her picture because they thought she was so cute.

We got home, the took a bath, we ate dinner and then they went to bed. All in all, a much more manageable day.

Unfortunately, the damage is so bad out there that I'm not really planning to drive anywhere else anytime soon. The main road off of our street is full of downed trees and power lines. Some lines are touching the ground. Scary and dangerous. I'd rather go crazy at home. I can't believe I just said that.

Hurricane Sandy, Day 2

We were lucky. Very lucky. We woke up this morning to some minor damage - a few fallen trees, a few broken parts of barn fencing, minor damage to the barn, and the trampoline flew across our property. There was no damage to our house. And our generator is working beautifully. But even though the majority of the storm was over, it still rained most of the day. So, we stayed inside.

I gave the kids another pajama day. And I wore sweatpants (yes, I wore sweatpants) all day. This morning, we played in the playroom while H cleared a tree blocking the road and then got his work done. The kids had fun playing by themselves for a bit and then we had a ball party. We took out all the balls (we have a lot) and played various games for an hour.

Eli in his new favorite spot - on top of the bench to look out the window. He has to climb into his wagon and then onto the rail to get up on the bench. He's quite good at it now.

Tali playing dress-up.

Inside the toy cabinet.

Tali playing dress-up.

The rest of the day was more of the same. The kids had fun playing around the house. We tried to entertain them when we could. They each got a new toy today from our secret toy stash (various birthday/Hanukkah gifts that we've put aside and give them throughout the year when we need to). They took naps. We ate a hot lunch (grilled cheese with apples) and dinner (cauliflower macaroni and cheese) and I regularly, quietly thanked H and everyone involved for the generator. It really makes such a difference. I can't imagine how we'd be doing without it.

Now if only someone would come and entertain the kids for a bit. I have no idea when Tali will actually go back to school (it's estimated that it'll be 10 days - 2 weeks, at least, until we get power back and right now only emergency personnel are allowed to drive on the roads) and I need a bit of a break. We're all going to go stir crazy before this is over. I can see it now.

Fallen trees and a bit of the barn.

Some broken fence in the lower paddock.

Some of the damage to the barn. The door is off it's track due to the winds from the storm.

This is ONE tree that fell. It was all the way in the street but H spent a lot of time this morning clearing it from the road.

Another view of the fallen trees in the back near the barn. Cool to see the whole tree, roots and all, simply knocked over.

Tali's trampoline. All the way down at the bottom of our property. She was a little upset when she saw this.

Hurricane Sandy, Day One

Today was the first day of Hurricane Sandy. It went pretty much as I expected.

I let Tali stay in her pajamas all day, as a special treat. I also bought some Tootsie Rolls at the grocery store yesterday since they both love them. It's a special Hurricane Sandy treat and they got two today. Tali was very good most of the day. She played quietly by herself, mostly with her dolls and blocks.

Taking after her Aunt Cara.

Another view of Tali's dolls in their little town.

Eli was actually the difficult one today. He wanted to get into everything that he shouldn't: the fireplace tools, Jackson's crate, the artwork, my laptop, etc. The best was to keep him in the family so that's where we played for most of the day. 

The storm didn't really hit us until the afternoon and we lost power around 6:00 p.m.  There were a few blackouts before the power went out for good. I think I was more worried about the kids being scared than they were actually scared. But I'm not sure that they'll actually sleep through the night tonight.

The biggest news is that we have a generator. So, we are really fine. I feel lucky that we have one. It's honestly some of the best money we've ever spent.

The winds have picked up as the night has gone on. But here is a sample of what it looked like around 8:30 p.m.

Why I Have To Plan An Extra 10 Minutes in My Morning

Without fail, this happens when we are leaving for school every morning. And since I don't want Tali to be late, I now have to give ourselves extra time so that I can pry them from the toys. At least they are having fun!

First Trip to the Zoo

On our way into the zoo.

Last Monday (it was a holiday), we took the kids to the Bronx Zoo. Tali had been before with H, but this was my and Eli's first trip there. Tali had the whole day planned out before we even left the car. Her biggest request was that we go on the monorail (or the "train" as she called it) first. So, that's what we did. Big mistake. Poor Eli had been sitting in the car then the stroller for a while so all he wanted to do was move around. He spent the majority of the ride playing on the floor (gross!).

Waiting in line for the monorail.

On the monorail.

After that, we went to look at some lions and get lunch. Mistake number two. The food was pretty bad and the service was terrible. Next time, we'll bring our own.

Then, off to the merry go round where both kids had a blast. After the ride was over, we stopped and purchased some Dippin' Dots ice cream for everyone. Mistake number three. Kids and dot ice cream is a recipe for disaster. Not sure why that didn't occur to either of us. The ice cream got everywhere! At least the kids had fun.

On the merry go round - all the seats were bugs!

On to a quick trip to the seals and then the kiddie zoo. Tali and Eli had a blast! But it was getting late and the kids were getting tired. So we zipped through the kiddie zoo in about half the time we would have otherwise spent there and headed back to the car.

In the kiddie zoo.

Climbing the spider web at the kiddie zoo.

As we were leaving the zoo, we decided to check about a membership. It was cheaper to purchase a membership now (which would include the cost of this day's trip) then to pay for one more trip to the zoo. So, we got one.

Both fell asleep in the stroller while H bought a zoo membership.

And now that we've made all the rookie mistakes, we'll have a much different plan next time. 

Oh, and I must add that this zoo is amazing! It's absolutely huge and beautiful. I grew up with a pretty good zoo and am usually disappointed in other zoos, but I can truly say that I am impressed.

Shanah Tovah!

 Wishing everyone and sweet and happy New Year.

What I wish all of my pictures looked like.

What the majority of my pictures look like.

First Day of School And An Impromptu Picnic

Today was Tali's first day of school in the 3's. She picked out her favorite dress to wear for the occasion and insisted on a bow instead of her typical plastic barrette. There were no tears this year (a first!) and she would've stayed all day if she could have.

Tali's teachers this year are really into food and healthy eating (hooray!). They encourage parents to bring in "unusual" foods such as kiwi (not sure how that is unusual, but whatever) for the class to try. Their goal is to teach the kids how to try new things and hopefully expand their pallets. Each time a child tries a new food, he/she gets a "super try-er" sticker. These poor teachers are going to run out of stickers in just one month if they give one to Tali every time she "tries" a food. I warned them. Not sure they believe me, though.

So I told Tali about bringing in snacks and she decided that she wanted to bring in some Kabocha squash that I made on Saturday evening. I tried to talk her into carrots, but no such luck. She wanted the squash. So, today we brought some for her classmates. Only two kids tried it, Tali and her friend Lyla, and they both got stickers. No one else even touched it.

When I went to pick Tali up, they handed me back the squash and Eli saw it (it was in a bag before). So he pointed to the squash and then signed "help", indicating he wanted some. As we were walking to the parking lot, Tali and some of her friends stopped to play on the little bridge, around the stream and in the grass. Since Eli kept asking for the squash, I sat him on the ground for an impromptu picnic. While Tali played, he ate two big slices! Then Tali saw us eating the squash and came down to have another piece herself and feed one to Eli. As usual, all the other kids played and my kids ate. Someone should study them, really.  

I Finally Bit the Bullet

For the past 15 months, I have insisted that we did not need a double stroller. In the beginning, Tali wanted to walk. And if she didn't, I could easily put Eli in the baby carrier and her in the stroller. As Eli got older, I would usually carry him and hold Tali's hand. I just couldn't justify spending the money on yet another stroller (we had three) that would fill up almost my entire trunk.

But, then last Wednesday came. Neither kid took an afternoon nap (Eli cried in his crib so Tali, from the next room, sang at the top of her lungs to try and calm him) and I had errands to run. When we got to our first stop, they were both asleep. And since it's against the law to leave your napping kids in the car, I had to take them out. I put Eli in the stroller and held Tali's hand. Both were crying that I woke them up. Once inside the store, Eli calmed down but Tali escalated. She was screaming and insisting that SHE get in the stroller. I told her Eli was in it and she needed to walk. She was not okay with that. She started kicking him and trying to pull him out of the stroller. Of course, he started crying again. At two separate times during my 10 minutes in this store, two adults came up to her to try and distract/calm her. Didn't work. She was so upset that she couldn't sit down in the stroller. So I e-mailed H the following: "I give up. Time for a double stroller."

Today we went to the baby store to buy one. We had pretty much picked out what we wanted but I wanted to see it in person first. As soon as we got to the strollers, Tali pointed to the one we wanted and said "I want that one." She read our minds! We ended up getting it. This afternoon we took them for a spin down the block and all went well. Next time they refuse to nap, I'll be prepared.

Sleep Study Part II - Eli's Turn

This morning after breakfast, Tali decided that it was Eli's turn to go through a sleep study. First she put a barrette in his hair (not sure why) then she got out some mini sticky notes and went to work. Eli wasn't too fond of this idea, but he eventually went along with it.

She told me that she was putting stickers on his head because she wanted to see how he sleeps. She explained that he needed to leave them on for his nap just like she left them on all night. Poor Eli, already being "dressed up" by his big sister. It was giving me flashbacks to my childhood and our friend "Brianna."

The Farmer's Market

We are very lucky to have a farmer's market less than five minutes from our house. It has become a regular Saturday morning activity for me and Tali - something we look forward to. On occasion, we bring Eli or H, but, with the exception of last Saturday, the two of us have been going every week. We've gotten to know some of the vendors and there's always a local band playing that Tali likes to watch.

Tali has become a bit more opinionated about food in the last couple of months and I can't always count on her to be the champion eater she once was. It's not that she doesn't like something, it's simply that now she has an opinion and chooses not to eat it on that day. But when we're at the farmer's market, her true passion and curiosity for food comes shining through. She's impressed so many people with what she wants to sample and likes. For example, here was a conversation she had with the me and the cheese vendor today:

Tali: I want to try some cheese, please.
Cheese vendor: Not this one, it's the yucky part. (She throws it into the garbage.)
Me: Tali, what is that called?
Tali: That's the rind.
Me: Right. And can we eat the rind?
Tali: No, not that one.
Me: Why not?
Tali: It's a hard cheese. You can't eat that one. You can only eat the rind on a soft cheese.
Customer: Wow! I'm impressed.
Me: That's nothing. You should see what she knows.
Tali (as if on que, points to the Camembert): I want some Camembert, please.

Today the jam guy told me that she's going to culinary school when she's older. She's wowed him each week by picking the most "adult" flavored jams they have. At first, he would warn me that she wouldn't like it. He's stopped doing that. 

Eli is also great there. Although he doesn't like cheese, he eats his way through plenty of samples. Most of the vendors don't mind and usually make some comment about how happy they are to see kids eating vegetables. Today Tali was shoving some tomatoes from a local farm into her mouth and very kindly fed one to Eli who was already eating a peach (given to us by another vendor who we now know).  The guys from the farm thought he was so cute that they took out their phones to snap a picture of him, asking me if it was okay to put his picture on their Web site.

Life is good. Tomato in one hand, peach in the other.

The bread woman only had samples of an olive/roasted pepper bread left by the time we got to her. No problem. Both kids loved it and I bought a loaf. She knows me so well now that I was able to special order a bread for next week (yipee!) that is normally only sold to restaurants.

I could go on and on here, but you get the point. I do want to mention that I do buy from these vendors - we don't just get free samples. Then we go home and my favorite lunch: fresh bread, cheese and vegetables. It's delicious.

Flower from a vendor - given specifically to Tali.

Nice Evening

Nothing beats an early evening picnic with friends. I made pizza, put out some veggies and there was fruit and mini cupcakes for dessert. I'm happy to say that everything but the cupcakes (barely touched!) and two slices of pizza were gone at the end. The kids had a blast, especially Eli who was covered in dirt by the end.

That's the babysitter (not me) with Tali and Eli.

Twins!

Eli at five months.

Tali at three months.

I often tell people that Eli looks just like Tali did, only in boy clothing. I'm not sure who believes me, but I have proof.

A Whole New View at the Grocery Store

Tali and Eli in the cart a day after this post was written.

For Tali, there's been a monumental change in the way we go shopping at the grocery store. Now, instead of riding in the cart, she gets to walk! Lucky girl. This all started because having Eli in the baby carrier is not as easy as it was with Tali. He's just not as happy there. So I decided to keep him in the car seat (which conveniently clicks into the front of the cart) and let Tali walk. We've done it three times now and she loves it.

The first time we did this, Tali was so excited that she did EVERYTHING. I decide that instead of asking her to name the piece of produce I had grabbed, I would ask her to help me find it. She loved this game. She also loved that most of the produce is reachable. So first she reached into the green beans bin and grabbed a green bean. Then she saw the nectarines and happily bit into one before I could stop her (I saved the sticker so we could pay for it). Nearby customers thought it was cute. She did, however, slightly abused her freedom and ran away from me twice.

The second time we went to the grocery store I was prepared. I had wet paper towels to wipe down any fruit she might grab (she ate a nectarine and green apple) and we had a conversation about running away before we got inside. This time, she was very well behaved. She stayed near the cart the entire time! Her reward was a number of customers telling her how cute she was. (I'm not sure if she understands this yet, but she will soon.)

Tuesday was the third trip to the grocery store out of the cart. Since the newness has worn off, Tali only wanted to be out of the cart for a little bit. Then she asked to go in the cart with Eli. So I put her in the large basket, told her she wasn't allowed to stand up and grabbed a small second cart to put all of my produce (grocery items went in with her as I wasn't afraid she'd eat those). Aside from the whole two cart thing, this was actually a great way to shop with both kids. They were contained and happy. Until checkout. Then Tali wanted out of the cart so she could build a tower out of the chocolate boxes at the checkout counter and Eli started crying. At least I made it that far!

I am convinced that one day soon I will leave the grocery store with a smile on my face and just as calm as when I walked in.

Wow!

I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since I've posted anything. I think about it all the time but then get tied up in doing something else. This two kids at home/new house lifestyle has kept me busy! So here are some basic happenings:

ELI
Eli is doing well but has developed acid reflux. Honestly, I used to think that diagnosis was sort of a BS diagnosis for cranky babies. But I see how it sometimes bothers him to eat (arching back, constantly pulling away, screaming, etc.) and how he can get so upset before a big burp/spit up and continues to scream for a minute afterwards because it burned on the way up. Poor little guy. He's on medication and it's helped some but the reflux is still there.

Other than that one issue, he's a pretty good baby. Yes, he cries and has his witching hour, but on the whole he is much happier than Tali was. I find myself constantly saying "Tali never did this" about Eli's smiles and cooing.  This baby has to be good natured and flexible because I'm carting him everywhere. In two months, he's been breast fed in the car more times than I think Tali was for the entire first year. He's pretty good about it, luckily.

TALI
We're done with camp now so I have both kids home for a few weeks until Tali starts school. For the most part, she's been great. I try to do something fun for her everyday. On the days I can't, I make sure we get in a good game of hide and seek (she LOVES this and never tires of it, even though there are only about five "hiding" spaces in our apartment) or something else equally fun. She has become an excellent dog walker and now holds Jackson's leash 90% of the time we take him on a walk. When he has to pee or poop, she patiently sits on the curb and waits for him to go.

We go to the new house 2-3 times a week and she loves it because there is a (very old) swing set there. She's perfectly happy as long as she gets to play on the swings/go down the slide for a bit. She's also gotten comfortable napping in her Peapod in her new room. Last weekend we hired the 16-year-old down the street to babysit her while we met with our landscaper. Tali had no problem warming up to her and I'm glad we'll have a babysitter so close by.

ME
I have my hands full these days and am constantly reminded of this by strangers who hold doors open for me. I think I hear "you've got your hands full, don't you" at least 2-3 times a day. Luckily, my MIL and cleaning woman come to babysit every so often so I am able to run out and get some errands done without both children in tow. But, there are still daily outings for the little things. I am thankful that Tali has really handled the transition well. It makes it a bit easier.

Eli's still not sleeping through the night so I'm still not getting that much sleep. Between the lack of sleep and everything going on, I truly think I've lost my mind. H will agree. I say/do things that I just wouldn't have done in the past. It's strange and a bit embarrassing. Hopefully my brain will find it's way back to me soon.

H
H has been very busy at the house. He spends the majority of each weekend there either meeting with contractors or working out the details of the renovation. He's hardly had a real break in the past month. I don't think he's had a full day at home since we've closed. He's also up late at night working on house-related things. I feel for bad for him. We knew it would be like this but knowing about it and living it are two different things. For me, as long as I can keep the end goal in mind (a nice house that is ours, no more house hunting/renovations on weekends, etc.), then I know we'll get through it. When this is all over, we won't know what to do with all of our free time!

Jackson
Jackson has been on a diet for the past few months and the results are finally starting to show. He's lost about two pounds (which is something like 20 pounds for a human) and looks much better. He has more energy as well. Jackson has gotten very used to being walked by Tali or her 2-year-old friends and simply follows whoever is holding the leash. Oh, and he loves the new house also. When I take him with us, he spends the first few minutes just running around. He's never had such a large open space to himself before and it's great to watch him enjoy himself. Luckily, he's very well behaved and never strays too far from me. He comes when he's called and isn't interested in trying to escape.  

So that's the basic update over here. More to come soon. Promise.

Tali and Eli

Tali at 2 1/2 years old. Eli at 3 weeks old.

The first question people ask me these days is how is Tali with Eli. When Eli was born, she acted exactly as I expected: not paying much attention to him and focusing on Jackson. However, as the days have gone on, Tali's reaction to Eli has changed.

Last week, she began to get a little jealous of him. She would often say "give Mommy a hug, no baby" if I was holding Eli. She would also try to sit on my lap and push him out of the way. On Friday afternoon I had a babysitter watch Eli for two hours while Tali and I went to run errands. It really helped things. Tali was so happy to be with just me and repeatedly said "it's just Tali and Mommy" while we were out.

Over the weekend her behavior actually surprised me - she asked to hold Eli! When I first put Eli on her lap, she lifted her dress as if to feed him like I do (Tali - I am posting this picture at your dad's request)! I explained to her that only Mommy feeds Eli like that and Tali and Daddy hold Eli with their shirts down. So, she put her shirt down and held him for a minute or so. On Sunday, she asked to hold him again. And today (Monday) she actually asked to feed him! Again, I explained that only Mommy can feed Eli. She wasn't happy with that explanation but she didn't force the issue too much. In addition to wanting to hold him, she is asking to kiss him, is much more aware of him and is accepting of when he is with us.

So, she's getting into the groove of being a big sister. I'm surprised by how quickly she's come around. And I'm very proud of her.

Tali trying to breast feed Eli.