Fun Stuff

Today's guest bloggers: Ari and Alex

We've had a lot of fun the last few days. Last night we went to Miri and Opa's house for Shabbat dinner. We got to eat challah and chicken and mashed potatoes-- yum! Here is a picture of Alex with Miri and one of Ari playing with the toys at Miri and Opa's house:

Today was a very exciting day. First we went to lunch with Mommy's friend from Jones Day, Chuck, and his wife Becky. They have twin babies, too, who are just a few months younger than us! Ellie and Thatch are very cool babies, and they're cuties too! We met up with them after they had visited Great Beginnings to buy Ellie and Thatch some new wheels, just like ours. Mommy and Daddy had a lot of fun catching up and sharing notes with Ellie and Thatch's parents while Ellie and Thatch had something to drink and we ate Cheerios (and a few samples of what Mommy and Daddy were eating). We heard another one of those silly comments when a woman asked Mommy if Ari was a boy. Geez, lady- she was wearing pink and acting very ladylike. Why do adults ask so many silly questions, especially about twins?

Despite Ari being mistaken for a boy, we had a fun time and we really hope we get to hang out with Ellie and Thatch some more. Here we are in our matching strollers:
After lunch, it was our turn to visit Great Beginnings because Mommy and Daddy had to buy some stuff for our upcoming trips on something called an "airplane." We don't know exactly what this "airplane" thing is, but we know it means Mommy and Daddy need a lot of stuff. Luckily, Great Beginnings has LOTS of stuff. Ari found a fuzzy green chair and a piano that she really liked; unfortunately, even though she tried very hard to use her charm and sweet smile to her benefit, the chair and piano were not among the stuff Mommy and Daddy ended up buying:
Later this afternoon, Nana and Poppy Jack came over to play with us before we headed out to meet Miri and Opa at The Shoe Train, the "go-to source" for childrens' shoes. Yes, today we got our first pairs of "real" shoes! With Alex cruising around the house, everyone seemed to think it was time for us to get some shoes like the grown-ups wear (although ours are much cuter, if we may say so ourselves.) Mommy brings her camera everywhere, so of course there are pictures:

Alex tries on his new shoes- they look just like Daddy's!

Ari gets her feet measured...it didn't hurt one bit!

Hmmmm...what is this on my foot?

Ari tries out her new shoes

On the way out of the shoe store, we noticed it was right next door to a toy store so we convinced Mommy and Daddy to stop in. We tried on some fun hats while we were in the store:

Alex also wants to mention that he is now saying "Dada" specifically when referring to Daddy (show-off). Mommy says she doesn't feel slighted, but we're working hard to say "Mama" to make sure she doesn't feel left out.

Anyway, as you can see, it's been a very long day for us so we are going to go to bed now. Good night!

Happy Valentine's Day

Ari and Alex celebrated their first Valentine's Day amidst several inches of snow and ice from this year's biggest storm (so far, at least). Mommy celebrated the day by spending over two hours (while Alex and Ari were napping throughout the day) shoveling the heavy snow and ice off of the driveway...fun! While she was outside, our wonderful neighbor Alice came over to bearing Valentine's Day gifts for the kids. Alice and her husband give the kids gifts for every holiday and special event-- our arrival to the neighborhood, Halloween, the holidays, and now Valentine's Day. They also happen to be gifted musicians and vocalists, and we all enjoy hearing their performances. We couldn't ask for better neighbors! Here are Alex and Ari with their special Valentine's Day gifts:Speaking of neighbors, we managed to bundle up and trek through the snow to our other neighbors' house for a play date with Alex and Ari's friends Andrew, Justin, Jason, and Mitchell. We quickly realized that Arielle is going to be mighty happy with the ratio of (older) boys to girls in this neighborhood in about 13 years.

And speaking of Valentine's Day, Nana and Poppy Jack sent over special gifts for Alex and Ari, too- plate and fork/spoon sets...perfect as they start eating "real" meals! So despite the wintry weather outside, today turned out to be a warm Valentine's Day after all.

Let it Snow (and sleet and ice)

The winter weather continues with another round of snow, sleet, and freezing rain today and tomorrow. We took advantage of the opportunity to get out in the snow and use the sled our friends Melissa, Mark, Alex, Vivi, and Zach lent to us:The past week has been a fun one: Daddy came back from his week-long business trip on Wednesday morning, and he took the day off to catch up on quality time with the family. Friday we hosted yet another neighborhood play date with a strong turnout among Alex and Ari's neighborhood pals.

Over the weekend, Aunt Lori stopped by with Cousin Ozzie for a visit. As always, the kids (Alex especially) loved having a doggie in the house. Yesterday we joined friends Gregory and Lilli at Little Sprouts for a music class and open play. Ari and Alex are really starting to enjoy classes like this and play time with their friends.

The rest of the week we'll probably spend a good amount of time indoors, out of the icy weather. We can't wait for warmer weather so that we can get outside and play again. In the meantime, Alex and Ari will resort to finding new places to explore and play in the house:

Highs and Lows

It's been a weekend of highs and lows, luckily mostly highs and only temporary lows!

The highlights included a one-year birthday party for Alex and Ari's good friend (and fellow neighborhood playgroup member) Ryan. Poor Alex and Ari are getting sick of watching all of their friends eat cake when they can't have it for another few months. They had fun with their playgroup buddies, though, and meeting new friends.

With Daddy away on a business trip, Saturday night Ari and Alex's neighborhood friend Sammy came over with his big sister Charlotte and their mom to keep us company (their daddy was also working Saturday night). The mommies ordered in somy yummy sushi while the little people had an assortment of kiddie food: oatmeal and fruit, veggies, pasta, and mac & cheese.

The low hit us on Sunday morning when Ari spiked a high fever and was acting very sad. Of course this would have to happen when Daddy was away, but lucky for us Nana, Poppy Jack, and Dr. Miri came to the rescue. A dose of Tylenol and 20 minutes later, Arielle's fever was gone and she was starting to act like herself. Dr. Miri declared her otherwise healthy, so we took it easy on Sunday with extra help (and TLC) from the doting grandparents. By evening, Ari seemed to be none worse for the wear and on the mend. As of today, the fever has not returned and she's acting like her happy self:

Mommy discovered the most exciting news today when she put her finger in Alex's mouth and felt a TOOTH coming in on the bottom! So, one week past his 10-month birthday, Mr. Alex finally cut his first tooth. One down, four more to go to catch up to his sister, who is working on five teeth now (as you can see in the picture above). Nana also taught Alex a new "trick" this weekend: "Alex, where are your ears?"Tonight we took it easy and got some chores done around the house. Mommy left Ari with the laundry basket for a few seconds and returned to find Ari with underwear around her neck:

So all's well that ends well, and we're just hoping to make it through the rest of the winter illness-free!

Can You Hear Me Now?

It's been a busy week- we hosted two play dates for neighborhood friends, although Alex and Ari napped through a visit from their new friend Riley and her mom Fara at the second play date. They woke up in time to see their friend Jacob and cousin Jonathan, though, and catch the last hour or so of that play date. It's fun to see how Ari and Alex are actually now "playing" at these play dates, vs. just observing (or, in the very early days, napping in their car seats!) Alex is quickly developing a reputation as the "food bully," stealing everyones' food (bagels, cookies, crackers, etc.) right out of their hands. Mommy has tried to explain that this will not make him a popular guy, but he doesn't seem to listen. Arielle tends to be the drama queen, shedding big tears any time another child tries to touch her or take a toy from her. Looks like we have some work to do in the etiquette department.

And now for our fun picture of the day: "Can you hear me now?"

This morning Aunt Lori, Uncle Sam, and Cousin Ozzie came over to babysit Alex and Ari while Mommy went out to a doctor's appointment. The kids had so much fun and were in the happiest mood when Mommy got home. In fact, they didn't even realize Mommy was gone (or if they did, they certainly didn't mind). Alex was excited to have a doggie inside the house (vs. just walking by on the other side of the window!) and Ari enjoyed having Aunt Lori read stories and sing songs. As is evident in this picture, Alex was more intent on playing with Ozzie......and was happy to have a new friend join him at his window ("You see, Ozzie, that little white dog goes by every morning around 10:30, and in a little while the big brown dog will go by.")

Alex and Ari told Mommy that they hope Aunt Lori, Uncle Sam, and Cousin Ozzie come back very soon to play some more!

Ten Months

Happy 10-month birthday to Ari and Alex, and Happy Birthday to Jake, Olivia, and Natalie (our triplet friends in Texas)! We were housebound today because our car was getting a tune-up, but we managed to have fun nonetheless...

The obligatory monthly picture, which is getting harder and harder to take as A & A get more active:

A better picture:

Ari and Alex enjoy watching the world go by:

Alex sees doggies outside:

Ari gives a big grin:

Houston, We Have Liftoff (Reprise)

It seems as if we now have two babies on the move. Yes, following in the footsteps (or crawlsteps?) of her brother, Arielle started crawling today. She had been trying so hard the past week and today she finally achieved forward motion. Maybe part of it had to do with her excitement over their new playroom, which was formerly an almost-empty room off of the kitchen (technically it's the dining room but we chose to make the larger family room our dining room). Daddy bought a play mat and we installed some gates, and voila! Alex and Ari especially like looking out the front window, watching for passing cars and dogs. Here is Ari practicing her skill in the new playroom:
Speaking of milestones, a few that have occurred in the past week: Ari is getting her fourth tooth (meanwhile, Alex has none!) and Alex now waves "hello" and "bye-bye" (again and again and again...)

Yesterday Ari and Alex had a play date with two new twin friends, Ella and Nadine. Everyone (including Mommy) had a great time and hope to see Ella, Nadine, and their mommy again very soon. Today our two little social butterflies had two birthday parties, although we sadly missed the first one (for our two-year old bud Lauren!) due to the kids' napping schedules. We did make it to the party for our pals Celia and Rina, though, and had a wonderful time playing with them, their friends, and their toys (they have a lot of fun stuff!) Alex and Ari have known Celia and Rina since they were just 8 weeks old, so it was very special to share their first birthday with them and their parents. Alex and Ari watched with envy as Celia and Rina dug into their yummy cake:

Finally, tonight we had all of the grandparents over for dinner. Alex and Ari enjoyed the extra attention; they were pooped from a long day, though, so right after dinner, Miri and Nana helped Mommy get everyone to bed. Miri took some great pictures so once we get them from her we'll post them for all to see.

So all in all, a great weekend...we're all sorry to see Monday arrive so quickly!

Oh, Babies, It's Cold Outside!

Brrr...an arctic blast is reminding us that we'll probably pay for our 70-degree days earlier this month. Alex and Ari got all bundled up to go out to one of Mommy's committee meetings at the JCC. The kids were laughing at each other after Mommy put them in these cozy get-ups:

Fun Week

It's been a fun, friend-filled week for all of us!

Monday we hosted a playgroup for our multiples friends and the mommies in the group were all amazed to see how much our little ones are interacting. We started this group when the kids were just a few months old, so early "play dates" were more for the mommies than the babies. Now that the kids in the group are nearing (or exceeding!) one year, it seems like they are starting to get as involved in the play dates as the adults!

Ari asks "who are all these kids playing with my toys??!"

Buds Alex and Syd check out Alex and Ari's new toy

On Tuesday, we met Mommy's friends Mel and Jana and their kids (Alex and Ari's older friends) at the mall for lunch and a ride on the indoor train that goes around the inside of the mall. Mommy wasn't sure if Ari and Alex would appreciate the ride on the train as much as their older friends do, but they had a blast. Alex stood at the window, hair blowing in the "wind," smiling at the people watching the train go by. It was hard to get a good picture, but Mommy's friend Mel was kind enough to snap this shot of the three of us getting ready to depart:Wednesday was our weekly neighborhood play date where Alex and Ari had a chance to socialize with more of their friends. In the evening, Nana and Poppy Jack came by to babysit while Daddy went to a Homeowners Association Meeting and Mommy had a chance to socialize with HER friends at a fabulous inaugural monthly Girls Night Out. Alex and Ari received an excellent report from their babysitters and were sound asleep when Mommy and Daddy arrived home later that evening.

We're looking forward to a continuation of our fun week at another play date and two birthday parties (if nap schedules permit) this weekend!

Snow Day!

So less than a week ago, it was 70 degrees and we were outside at the playground without jackets (see below). Well, today we were snapped back into reality with our first dose of real winter weather, approximately one inch of snow and temperatures in the 20s. Not enough to build a snowman, but certainly enough to cause chaos on the roads.

Before the snow began, we set out to Baltimore to visit Great Aunt Bess (Poppy Jack's paternal aunt) and Cousin Jake. We had such a nice time catching up, having a delicious deli lunch, and hearing childhood stories. Alex and Ari enjoyed playing with the adorable stuffed animals Aunt Bess gave them when we arrived. They also agree that the turkey served for lunch was delish (they haven't had red meat yet so they didn't get to sample the corned beef, pastrami, or brisket, but Mommy and Daddy can vouch for those!) We were sad to leave, but Alex and Ari were pooped and ready for a nap during the ride home. Here is a picture of Alex and Ari with Bess, Jake, Nana, and Poppy Jack (Ari is eating Alex's shoe):

We have a busy social schedule this week, including hosting a play date for our other twin friends, lunch with our favorite older twin pals, and our neighborhood playgroup. Next Monday Alex and Ari will turn 10 months old - it is hard to believe they are only a few weeks from turning one year old!

Cruisin'

Wow- once Alex had a taste of mobility, the boy was addicted. First it was tentative "steps" forward, now it's full speed ahead around the house. He's also pulling himself up on anything he can get his hands on and "cruising" around (walking while holding onto the object).

Our week was filled with fun and friends, including a play date at our new neighbors' house (a family with twins just a few months older than Alex & Ari). Today Nana and Poppy Jack came over to play with the kids before lunch time. They certainly enjoyed the attention and extra hugs (Alex and Ari, that is).

After their afternoon nap, Alex and Ari visited their friends (big) Alex, Vivi, and Zach while Mommy and Daddy caught up with their parents Mark and Melissa in their "new" house (an older house the family has been renovating for over a year now...but good things come to those who wait, as the house is beautiful). One of the benefits of having older friends is hand-me-downs, and today their friends passed along a tunnel to Ari and Alex. The tunnel has now become one of their favorite toys- Alex spent the evening going back and forth through the tunnel, and Ari has new motivation to learn to crawl so that she can play in her new toy. She tried so, so hard and is now THIS CLOSE to crawling as she dragged herself through the tunnel. Nothing like a little motivation and competition (although Mommy is a little apprehensive at the thought of both babies crawling around the house). Can you tell how much they're enjoying their new toy? Thanks, Alex, Vivi, Zach, et al!

Hey, what are you doing here?

By gosh, I will get through here if I have to drag myself!

Get outta my way...coming through!

Tomorrow it's off to Baltimore to visit Great Aunt Bess and Cousin Jake. Winter has finally reared it's head, as the forecast for tomorrow is calling for measurable snow (quite a difference from our 70-degree days just a week ago) but we're not going to let a little snow stop us. Maybe Alex and Ari will actually get to use their snow sled (another hand-me-down from big Alex, Vivi, and Zach) this winter, after all!

Global Warming? What Global Warming?

Nearly seventy degrees...half way through January. Took the kids out to the playground...without jackets. 'Nuff said.

Long Weekend

We're in the midst of celebrating a long weekend (thanks to MLK Day) and many happy festivities.

Last night, we went over to Nana and Poppy Jack's house to see them for the first time in over a week since they left for vacation in Florida to visit Alex and Ari's "GG", Great Aunt Candy and Uncle Jerry, Great Great Aunts Rita and Shirley, and other assorted relatives and friends. They were amazed with how much Alex and Ari have changed in just the week they were away, especially Alex's newfound mobility.

Today we attended a baby shower for friends Graciela and Julio, who are expecting boy/girl twins within the next six weeks. Alex and Ari met several other kids around their age as well as an older Ariel (pronounced air-e-l, not r-e-l...but close!) We are all so excited for Graciela and Julio and were honored to share in their special day. Alex and Ari are looking forward to having more twin friends to play with very soon.

After the baby shower it was home for naps (see below) before heading out again to celebrate Miri's birthday (we warned you that January would be heavy on the birthday celebrations!) The cousins had so much fun playing together and the adults had just as much fun watching the kids. Some pictures from this afternoon:

Daddy and Alex rest up during a busy day:

Cousin Jonathan says "baby!"

Cousin Naomi

Birthday girl with her grandchildren

Naomi helps Miri blow out the candle on her cupcake

Houston, We Have Liftoff

A big milestone reached this week as Alex has started crawling. While it's still tentative at this point (a few "steps" forward when he's feeling energetic) we are pretty certain that in no time at all, he will be motoring around the house faster than Mommy and Daddy can keep up with him. And in a related development, he is now pulling himself up in his crib to both a sitting and standing position. Mommy was quite surprised today when she brought Ari into her bedroom for a nap (after having put Alex down just moments before) and looking into Alex's room discovered he was not sleeping, but standing at the end of his crib with a mischievous smile on his face. Apparently, his new achievements are much more interesting to Alex than sleeping. Then again, who wants to sleep when there's so much to do?

Ari is also making progress towards crawling: she can easily get up on all fours but hasn't yet figured out how to propel herself forward (she can, however, go backwards). Mommy has mixed feelings about crawling: while it's an exciting milestone, it also means figuring out how to manage two babies moving in different directions...she's up for the challenge, though!

Here is Alex, preparing for launch:

In other news this week, Alex and Ari welcomed a new friend, Matthew Philips Hausman born to parents Lara and Andy, joining his big sister Taylor. We're looking forward to meeting Matthew and Alex and Ari are ready to teach him all he'll need to know in the months to come. Also, today was Nana's birthday although she was not here to celebrate. Rather, she had the good sense to celebrate it in sunny Florida (with a lobster dinner we hear). Alex and Ari called her earlier today to wish her a Happy Birthday, though. Happy Birthday, Nana!

Happy Birthday Aunt Debbie

Is it really January? It's hard to believe with the record-breaking weather we had here this weekend (73 degrees on Saturday!) The calendar says January, though, so that means a birthday bonanza this month: Aunt Debbie, Nana, Miri, Uncle Sam, friends Colin, Jenna, Lauren, (big) Alex, twin friends Rina and Celia, and the Cohen triplets in Austin, Texas. Whew!

The birthday celebrations kicked off this weekend with an early birthday dinner for Nana at our house before she and Poppy Jack left for a trip to Florida (little did they know they didn't have to leave the state to enjoy summer-like weather). Saturday Cousins Denise and Jason came to visit from upstate New York. They joined us for a walk outside in the balmy weather and entertained Alex and Ari until it was nap time. Here are Alex and Ari with their cousins:

Today we celebrated Aunt Debbie's birthday with brunch at Normandie Farms, famous for their popovers and extensive brunch menu. Needless to say, we haven't eaten much since brunch today. Here are some pictures from the celebration:

The birthday girl, friends, and family:

Daddy likes the dessert buffet

Ari is stuffed!Alex wants more:

We're looking forward to more birthday celebrations this month, as well as a baby shower for our friends who are expecting twins and a visit to Baltimore to see Aunt Bess. We're also anticipating the arrival of some new friends for Alex and Ari within the next few weeks. It should be a good start to 2007!

Peek a boo!

Old Friends Found Again

Speaking of old friends found again, life certainly has a funny way of bringing your past and your present together. Recently, we found out that a good friend of Mommy's from high school (who married another high school classmate) also had boy/girl twins just a few months after Alex and Ari were born. The best news is that Mommy had a chance to see her friend Laura for the first time in many years while Laura was back in town visiting her parents. Mommy, Alex, and Ari were so excited to meet Jack and Abby who, by the way, are absolutely adorable, happy, well-behaved babies. Alex and Ari seemed quite taken by these smaller babies...it's not often that they aren't the youngest babies in the room!

We had such a wonderful time catching up and comparing notes on raising twins and the time passed too quickly. We're hoping that Laura and her family will be back to visit soon (hopefully when Laura's sister has her baby in a few weeks!) or that we will be able to take a trip up to Manhattan to visit them in the big city.

For entertainment purposes only, here are "then" and "now" shots:

This picture was taken (cough, cough) 18 years ago (how can we be that old?!)...it's a little hard to see because (1) it's an old picture, (2) this is a picture of a picture, since "back then" we didn't have digital cameras, and (3) all the better to obscure our big hair [Laura is on the left in the blue shirt and I am on the right in the white shirt]:And here we are, in 2007, two lucky mommies and four babies:

This week has been a rather short one, as Daddy had both Monday and Tuesday off from work for the holiday and for Ford's funeral (Federal offices were closed). We took advantage of the unexpected day off to take a trip to the outlet stores for a little retail therapy. Here are Alex and Ari in their outlet finds:

And finally, just a cute shot of Ari playing around: