Snow AGAIN!

Yeah, it's winter, I get it. Yeah, it's supposed to snow. Yes, it's cold, but COME ON!!!!!

Storms of 2 feet of snow, temperatures of negative whatever... REALLY? The problem is our girls want to play in the snow still! The wind chill, the ice, the mittens falling off...

Then there are the smiles, the laughs, the snowmen, the sledding, even the wipe-outs... It's all worth it!

The best part is--It's only January!

A typical Friday night...

Typical Friday night... Mommy is eager for Daddy to arrive home a little early and for the weekend to begin! Some additional quality time together as a foursome is always looked forward to by all members of our crew!

Chicken is roasting, rice is cooking, table is adorned with festive tablecloth and Shabbat accessories: wine glasses, tzedakah boxes, challah and challah cover, Shabbat candlesticks and glittery candles made by Jenna.

We still are in awe, nearly a year and a half later, that Jenna has learned and now attempts to chant all of the Shabbat blessings each Friday night. For she is the one who looks forward to the predictable festive meal-don't stray from chicken and rice, she is the one who assists in setting the table and she is the one who leads the prayers and has helped Maya learn to say "AMEN" at the end of each prayer!

Maya's new language!

When we left the girls with my parents this past weekend, I never thought about what a "long time" that was in the growth and development of a child.

Maya's always been the more physical of the two girls, while Jenna the more verbal. Over the past month or two, Maya has SURE found her words! Here are just a few of the priceless new additions, many added over the 4 days we were away:

"Ta-ta"---Sabba

"Emma"---Emmy

"Apple"---self explanatory

"Myna"---Maya

"Ga-Ya"---a throw back to Jenna's youth, JENNA

"Oben"--open

"Wa-wa"--water

"Mac"--macaroni and cheese

"Ba-ba"--baby

"LILAH!"--cousin Lilah

You know those nights...

The ones where you are wide awake for hours on end and know that the more you stay up the less you are sleeping and thinking about that continues the vicious cycle for more time than you'd like? Welcome to one of those nights for me...

It's taken a long while to get here, where I can actually say I am wide awake in the middle of the night-by my own "doing" if you will. For between the girls, over the past near four years if you include being pregnant, I have given up the rights to dictate when I was awake and when I was asleep. Until now, sort of...

Our girls sleep SO well these days. I think about it often, how I'd like to kiss those sleep Gods, whomever they are, and thank them for helping us to raise a near 3 year old who doesn't get out of her bed without us in the room EVER and a 15 month old who asks to take her naps, sleeps wonderfully at night and for finally reaching the point where both girls don't wake up before 6 am-most days.

But here I sit, well lie actually, thinking about and worrying about our girls... Knowing that if I just could close my eyes and "clear my mind" as the woman at the spa and yoga say, I'd just fall back to sleep--case and point the handsome gentleman to my left... :) But I can't, I've tried... Instead I have searched Facebook, read my email, updated myself on the world's comings and goings, counted to 100-forwards and backwards, read a trashy magazine and even tried the good ol' "flower breathing" from my teaching days... Nada!

I now contemplate, when is it too early to start my day? Having been up since 2:15 or so-a good near 2 hours of sleep a wash-I feel the treadmill calling my name, the news is on at 4:30, that has to be a "reasonable hour?!" And then I look over to my right and listen... The faint snoring of my peaceful duo reminds me that they will be expecting 110% today and therefore, I MUST find a way to conk out, if only for a quick cat nap-our cat slept nearly all day btw-what is with that phrase?

So, off I go... To attempt to close my eyes and head to dreamland--thinking of Mexican beaches, snow falling gently outside, my incredible family and hoping for some near perfect simultaneous naps today!

Mexico 2011

Thank you Nikon for an AMAZING first trip away sans kiddies! And a HUGE thank you to Emmy and Sabba for watching the girls so we could go away!

One of those...

Days where I didn't know whether to smile or cry,

For in less than a week, Daddy and I will say goodbye.

A short trip, Buenos Dias Mexico!

You girls are more ready than me, tonight that did show.

I'll worry about your meals, your bedtime, your tears,

You'll spend the time laughing, smiling and full of cheers!

Spending the days with your most special Emmy/Sa,

For our first trip away from you-young Jenna and Maya.

Know that not for one second are you far from our heads,

Missing your cuddles, your snuggles and all that you've said.

So today you showed me how excited you are and how much fun you will have,

So as you sleep tonight, Mommy and Daddy will pack our bags.

We'll be back before we know it and life will be back to the old ways,

And again in some time, we'll take another adult only trip, in the future some day.

Love you!

First MLB female!

Maya Blake Farber! Man, does that kid have an arm?! I'd like to "thank" Miss Amanda at The Little Gym (whom I truly LOVE) for teaching Maya how to throw a beanbag last week. It has now carried over to EVERYTHING!!! And, Maya, being a very quick study, has it down to an exact science!! Forks, empty soda bottles, playdough containers, food, you name it-it's fair game!

Now it's all in good fun-she is obviously doing it for our reactions-utter SHOCK! (Jenna was not a thrower, she was neat, organized and so polite at the table.) This is all new to us and we are still adjusting. You know what they (or at least we) say--busy infant/easier toddler, easy infant/busy toddler. Maya sure is busy!!!! And we LOVE it!

The girls are so much fun and we look forward to seeing what they will develop into as kids and adults.

January Candids!

What a way to start out 2011!

New Year's 2010!

Great people, great food, great times!

Happy New Year!