Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, How are you?

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Ours was crazy! E had a good time and did well in the gift department. Peanut and Squeakers were a little overwhelmed and cried when they saw Santa. The poor dears-so many people, all the presents, two different houses. They just really wanted to walk around.
We took E to NYC on Dec 26 for the day. The city is so magical all dressed up for the holidays. We packed a lot in one day: Rockefeller Center, American Girl store, FAO Shwartz, Central Park, handsome cab ride, Tiffany's to just name a few. We probably walked over 5 miles! E was mesmorized by the city. I did tell her about homeless people to give her a heads up. She kept asking me where they were--we really didn't see any. There was a guy sleeping on the steps at Port Authority but I don't think he was homeless.
The kids were sick over Christmas vacation. E had a cold and the babies had RSV. We had to get a nebulizer for the babies. They didn't like it at first but then after a few treatments they were alright.
E started ice skating lessons. Her first lesson was this past Monday. She fell and got a nice cut on her leg. But she got right back out there after I cleaned her up. I was very proud of her for doing that :-) Next lesson is bring a friend for free--I'm going!
I am going to start doing something for myself--working out. I ordered Brazil Butt Lift and I now have a beachbody coach. It's time to get back into shape. I believe working out first thing in the morning is the best time. However, I am not a morning person. I'll have to see how it works out. I'm also debating on whether or not to take before and after pictures. I have looked at myself in the mirror holding a little hand mirror and I don't like what I see.
We took down the gates in the living room. After baby proofing the downstairs the babies can walk around the kitchen and hallway now. I think I may have to order the magnets for the kitchen doors/drawers. I did give them a cabinet with plastic lids and containers. It's nice to open it and tell them they can play with the things inside.
M and E with Balto-the dog that saved Nome, Alaska

E read about him in one of her stories.

E, Me and M going for our handsome cab ride


Peanut and Squeakers with E's grocery cart. They loved pushing this around!




Peanut, Logan and Squeakers. I can't tell you how hard it is to take their picture! They are little whirlwinds! I couldn't even get one with all three kids for our holiday card. Hopefully next year!


That's me!


I'm not going to make any resolutions. I would like to lose weight, eat better, do more things with just E, see my friends more, organize the house and go to sleep a little earlier. That's not to much, is it?

Happy Halloween

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!! E was flapper. Peanut is a koala bear and Squeakers is a polar bear. Hopefully they will stay still long enough to get a picture.

E's lunches

Almost everyday this school year E takes her lunch. We got her a nifty new lunch bag with separate compartments that will keep her soup hot and sandwiches cold. I asked her why she is taking her lunch this year and she told me that it takes too long to get the school lunch. Plus I feel a homemade lunch is healthier and yummier (because it's made with lunch--oops love!). I used to bring my lunch to school everyday. Either a baloney sandwich (2 pieces of baloney--nothing else) or pb & j. E likes chicken noodle soup or a sandwich. The part I like the best is writing her a note. Today's note contained a riddle:
What do witches put in their hair?
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Scare spray!

E's Beauty Salon

I am currently getting my hair done by E. She asked me if I thought she would be a hair dresser when she grows up. Who knows? As long as she doesn't put a big sequined bow in her clients hair. Lol!

D.isney for two please

After much talking M and I decided that it would be E and myself going to D.isney. It wasn't the added expense (we would have gotten a suite) of taking the babies but the general care of them. Feeding them, naps, etc. Plus they wouldn't remember going. We told E and she was upset. She was excited to have them see the characters but after explaining to her that she would be able to do so much more I think she began to understand. We are going to book our trip this week. I am also going to make our reservations for the luau, breakfast with W.innie, hair and make-up at the Bibbity Bobbity Boo salon and maybe C.irque du Soleil. U.niversal is also on our list. I think we will go for two days. H.arry Potter being our main destination. E saw the pirate rooms at the Caribbean so I'm going to check those out for her. It does simplify things but I know it's going to be hard to leave Peanut and Squeakers. If they want to go in a couple of years we will take them. I think everyone should experience D.isney once. I went when I was 4 for the first time (I don't remember much) and again when I was 21. I had so much fun the second time. I'm looking forward to seeing E experience D.isney. I think she's at a good age. She is tall enough that she can go on all the rides but young enough that D.isney is still magical.

Adventures

I come in from taking Kona and Logan outside early this morning. I see Peanut high tailing it through our baby gate and crawling underneath the kitchen table. M was just about out the door to go to D & D -we run on D.unkin ;-) - and I ask him, "Didn't you put Peanut in the exersaucer?" "Yes" Amazing. We don't know how exactly he got out. M said it was going to happen sooner or later. I would prefer the latter because I put them in there when I have to go to the bathroom.
I don't think Squeakers would do that. He's so happy and content where ever he is. He was pushing a book around the living room and Peanut is taking clothes out of the plastic drawers. We had to turn around said drawers because he shut the drawer on his fingers. Oh boy.
E has her cheerleading camp today. She told me she wants to do cheerleading next year. This is something I can see her doing. The cheering, routines and fancy uniforms are right up her alley. She went to her first football game last night and loved it. She went with one of her friends from class and met up with other friends. She made confetti, watched the cheerleaders and had red, white and blue stars on her face. Sparkly stars of course. After her camp the girls put on a routine for the parents.

Weaning

I was very determined to nurse both my babies. I really enjoyed nursing E even though we got off to a very rocky start. I did nurse Peanut and Squeakers in the hospital but also supplemented with formula. I just wanted them to gain weight so they could come home. M helped me with the babies for their first two weeks home. He would ask me who he could feed and more times than not I told him Squeakers. So I blame myself for him not nursing like Peanut did. I do wish I could go back and do things differently. It's affected me more than him. I continually tried to nurse him but after a few months he would turn his head away. He's very content to drink out of a bottle. And now so is Peanut. He's becoming so independent. He likes to hold his own bottle and take a swig. The only time he really nurses is at night. Then you have E who loved her boobies and nursed until 2 1/2 years old. I really thought my nursing relationship with my babies would be like that. My children are all their own person with their likes and dislikes. What makes them move.
As a parent you do the best you can for them. Even though they may not understand or like you for it at the time. E has a hard time understanding why we are more strict with her than the other kid's parents in our neighborhood. Why we don't tolerate being mouthy and having an attitude. It is my job to be the best parent I can be for them, not their best friend. I just want them to grow to be happy, healthy and respectful of people and their world. I think that's what any parent wants. Right?

Bump in the road

Sunday was supposed to be the start of our vacation at the campground. Not even 1 hour there and E fell off her scooter and broke her thumb and wrist. We found a way to make her cast waterproof--gore tex liner. Now she can go swimming and shower. I feel so bad that her summer is ending this way. But on a good note she only has to have it on for four weeks and she can go swimming.