ALL ABOARD!!!

I ADORE The Polar Express ever since my second grade teacher read it to my class I was head over heals. It's a beautiful story. When I was fresh out of college and living in New York I got to see the movie in 3D Imax, it was a huge deal back then. The snow, the train careening across the ice, it was all breath taking. I worked for Santa at Macy's 34th street that holiday season and they played The Polar Express soundtrack pretty often. I loved that music and it became forever tied to those wonderful weeks working for Santa, in my memory.

Needless to say, when my father-in-law acquired the Polar Express train and invited us over to play with it and watch the movie I was super excited. My kiddos grow up into between each visit to the rails.

2009

It was more for Isaac's benefit back then, but Riley liked the light and movement.

2010

By this year Riley was 18 months old and had the most adorable indignation about the train. She chased it and yelling and gesturing. I think this was the year Grandpa let Isaac drive the train too. So much growing up that year.

2011

We took a year off from the trains for a trip to Ice & Snow! My amazing father-in-law invited us to an amazing adventure with snow, ice sculptures and ice slides! We had a blast. Isn't Roo's tiny (s)no(w)man adorable?

2012

By 2012 it was my turn to grow up or at least that's how it felt. This was the year they brought the polar express to our house. I put out appetizers in my Christmas apron, Mike made the grown ups chicken bryan and the kids wore jammies. It felt so grown up to host my in-laws. This was the first year Riley remembered the previous train night. We enjoyed Polar Express in 3D, talk about warm fuzzy memories! Isaac was a much...more careful engineer too.

2013

This was the year Isaac got his own train! Here's the story of Isaac's train, it's a good one. It was the second year in a row Roo informed me which pajamas she was saving for train night because by now it was an important event in her life. The train was beautiful all set up around our tree. I love the idea of all the happy childhood memories a passed down toy has already been a part of before we start making our own. Can you tell I cry after all the Toy Story movies?

2014

This year we were back at Grandpa's for train night. He remarked how Isaac has matured and is a lot more trustworthy on the train controls. I think Riley will be ready to try her hand by next year. On the flip side Isaac was far to cool to observe the traditional Hot Chocolate song dance break. What can you do? They just keep growing.

Happy Hanukkah!

Things we learned:

1. The first day of Hanukkah and the first night of Hanukkah are not the same thing. This year the first night was 12/16, but we celebrated the first day 12/17.
2. Proper dreidel spinning technique
3. That Mommy likes latkes, but Riley is not a fan
4. That there are several different verses in the dreidel song
5. One of the acceptable spellings of Hanukkah
6. The candle used to light the other candles is called the shamash
7. You light the candle at night then blow it out and relight it the next night
8. Hanukkah being way less commercialized than Christmas is part of what makes it fun!
9. The first female rabbi was ordained in East Berlin in 1935, but female rabbis have only been ordained since 1972 in the US

Chag Urim Sameach!

Thanksgiving

I am so grateful I was well enough to participate (and grateful I went to the doctor soon after). Grateful we didn't have to travel to see our loved ones. Grateful that at least I got to listen to the parade while I cleaned. Grateful there was laughter! Grateful the food was done on time. Grateful for everyone who came. Grateful everything was delicious! Grateful for left overs. Grateful for some quiet moments snuggling with the kids while we digested. Grateful no one had to leave the house the next day. Grateful for traditions. Grateful for family.

Pumpkins!!

We'd never missed our annual pumpkin patch picnic until last year when schedules were just too crazy so we were super excited to have the gang together this year. It's such a nice thing to eat and play among the pumpkins. We had ghost shaped nutella sandwiches, fruit, cheese, chips and juice. We even had fancy Halloween cookies for desert! They kid ran in the hay maze, made silly faces for pictures and even pulled each other in the wagon. I love these kids so much! Happy Fall! Happy 5-years-olds! Hurray!!

Speaking of growing up and fun traditions, the kids each carved a pumpkin this year. I thought they did an awesome job! Riley insisted on a scary skull and Isaac wanted to do a ship wreck, but ended up with a zombie face.

Return to the Haunted Hike

This year (2014) & Last Year (2013)

The funny thing about traditions is that they're never the same as the year before (kind of like kids). The earth rotates, things change, and traditions become benchmarks to measure growth. Last year, we discovered this cute neighborhood event, it's a tour through a decked out neighborhood to hear festive (but family appropriate) tales. We had an extended family event arise and my first impulse was to check the date of the event. Unfortunately, same day and approximately same time. I fretted quite bit about the conflict. Then in a surprising move Mike explained the situation in detail to his family. It's always a delicate balance balance between our little family's traditions and extended family events. I am always under tremendous (internal) pressure to do it all. I was totally surprised when Mike broached the subject in a timely manner and ever more surprised that us arriving late was acceptable. Just like that we were golden to hit the hike. Yay, for doing it all!

Last year I was about a month post-op from major back surgery, the kids were younger and the whole thing was new to us so clearly we had some things in our favor this time. This year had bestowed a whole new set of physical issues to overcome. With some unfortunate timing, I had blown a tire, not gotten a hole or found a slow leak, but blown it. KaBam! Like a gunshot. It exploded, totally split apart. In all my years of using a wheelchair I have never seen or heard anything like that. Unfortunately, the size tire I need is hard to find these days, no two day shipping. We hadn't calculated our one mile hike into the equation, sigh.

Mike offered to bring the wheelchair flat tire and all, but I declined. I'd figure something out (sprout wings, build robot appendages, etc?!?). I of course and no idea how I'd manage when we arrived. I used my cane and kept up the best I could, but it was super hard. Every time the group got to far ahead Mike would grab me under the arms, run forward, and set me down (go team!). Where there's a will, I suppose. Looking at the pictures side by side I can't believe how much they've grown (or how much better my camera is)! I feel blessed for the years they both want to be part of things like these because I know with a seven year age difference it won't be long before big brother is to cool or busy with other things. I'm glad we made to both events as tiring as that can be. It's worth what is costs me physically to make these memories. Who know where we'll be in a year...bigger and better things.

Conversations With Cute: Endearing Epigrams

During our Disney trip:
Me: Riley do you know the names of Ursula's pets?
Roo: Yeah! Flap Some and Get Some!!
(Flotsam and Jetsam are their names, as in what floats up from a shipwreck)

Roo: Mom, when I grow up I want to be a Disney bus driver!
Me: That sounds like fun, driving people to Disney all day!
Roo: Yeah, I'll be a ballerina, a paleontologist and a Disney bus driver!

Roo: (Washing her hands in the bathroom) Oh...it doesn't come on by itself here...No Disney Magic, huh?
Me: Nope we left that at Disney
Roo: Next time let's catch some (Disney Magic)!

Roo: (Sigh) Mom?
Me: What, Riley?
Roo: I just want to know why my Ariel doesn't come alive and flop around here. (referring to their toys coming alive and moving by Disney magic (aka housekeeping) when we left the hotel)

Me: What did you do at school today?
Roo: Made a letter S snake! With black pola dots.
Me: That sounds awesome
Roo: Yeah. Mom? What does awkward mean?
Me: Not quite right, doesn't fit in.
Roo: Mine is awesome, but my friends were...awkward, but I didn't tell them

Miss Roo recently regained possession of her Barbie Shoes.
Roo: I'll hang on to these shoes!
Me: Good idea, you don't want to loose them now that you have them back
Roo: Yeah! That would be unpleasant.

Me: I need you to clear your place, Riley
Roo: Ugh, stop criticizing!

Riley goes out to visit her dad while he's working in the yard. She runs back into the house and gets a quarter.
Roo:(gives the quarter to her dad) You're working hard, here's a tip

Half pjs half play clothes after nap.
Me: What's going on with your outfit?
Roo: The top half is adorable, the bottom is completely awkward

At her cousin's birthday Riley's aunt opens a new dress
Roo: That's exquisite!
(Various adult react, surprised)
(leaning in closer to her aunt) It's divine.

Playing Barbies in her room
Roo: Ok, concert time! (singing) Let it Go! Let it Go!
(A few minutes go by)
Roo: (singing) I got a bucket! Got a bucket full of sunshine! I got a bucket! Got a bucket! Bucket full of sunshine.

(Last Year's Haunted Hike)

Me: You're going to be good this year, right? You had a fit in the car last year and we almost missed it.
Roo: Yeah (thinks), if you're not good at the Haunted Hike Jack will tell Santa!
Me: You're right they totally know each other.
Roo: Yeah, they totally know each other because Jack needed a hat.

Easter

Our Easter party was a big success, as always. You can't go wrong with a house full of excited kids. The pancakes were yellow (bananas foster), blue (blueberry) and my favorite, pink (chocolate raspberry). This year we didn't have a single pancake left by the time we were ready to find those eggs. Lot's of happy full bellies after Mike's pancakes and all the yummy breakfast foods family brought. The Easter bunny had four dozen hard boiled and 173 plastic eggs to hide so it's a good thing Roo left him a snack. I let the kids out into the yard in 3 waves: babies/toddlers, preschoolers and then big kids. In years past I had big kids wait on the patio, but this time I kept them inside the house until Mike signaled me to send the next group. We get a little bit better at this party every year.

Happy Easter!!

Merry & Bright Looking at Lights

I'm not exaggerating when I say we have been super busy since Halloween. I don't think we've had a weekend without plans since then. It's all good stuff and I'm very grateful to have friends and family who want to see us. I love school, library and city Christmas events. I'm beyond ecstatic to be able to pet and babysit all my awesome little buddies. We've had so much fun! It's really been great! In fact, loving all these events and opportunities is the problem. I'm finally "up to it" and I want to do them ALL! There aren't enough days in the month for it.

I just didn't realize how fast the pace had been or for how long. This week we finally had a day that was just us. It was nice. There was still lots to do and Riley was still on the mend from her cold, but it was nice to slow down. I had been bummed Riley missed her cookie party, but everyone got to decorate cookies anyway. I was also disappointed we didn't get to go to the Grinch event at the library. I've been trying to get us there for 3 years, but something always comes up. So really we have no idea what we're missing. I was so worried about missing something I even wrote "light looking" on our jammed December calender.

Something came up on the day I picked so we decided to do it tonight. I'm glad we waited because everything was up and wonderful. Even random neighborhoods we cut through to get to our favorite displays had great stuff. Interesting stuff like the house with several different kinds of birds or the large inflatable Christmas monkey! It was a nice "chill pill" for me. There was no need to keep pushing myself or fret about "missing" things, Christmas is here. Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, it'll all be over in a jingle or two. I'm so grateful for the memories and to start slowing down! Merry Almost Christmas!