Visit to Baltimore

Thanks to Nana for this great picture of Mommy, the kids and Aunt Bess from our visit this weekend:

Snow in March!

How is it suddenly March? Kira is now 16 months old and we're hopefully on our way into Springtime, although with the weather around here you would never know that (more on that later...)

We have had a lot of fun over the last few weeks. The last weekend in February we celebrated friend Adam's birthday at a beach party at his house, complete with beach balls, shells and a picnic lunch! Ari and Alex were so excited to see some of their old school friends, especially Adam and Abbie, who they ask about all of the time.

Last week was "silly week" at Ari and Alex's school in anticipation of Purim. Monday they wore their pajamas to school. Wednesday was "buddy day" when the kids were asked to bring in their favorite stuffed "buddy." Lucky for Alex and Ari, the day before Mommy took them (and Kira) to Build a Bear for the first time as an activity to keep us all busy while Daddy was away for the week in Las Vegas on business (really, he was there on business!) So Ari, Alex and Kira all made their own "buddies" at Build a Bear- Ari picked a pink monkey she named "Piggy," Alex selected a doggie he named "Billy" after his favorite doggie, and Kira selected a bear that Ari and Alex named "Teddy" for her. They had so much fun helping the man at the store stuff their dolls, put in a special heart, give the animals a "bath" and print out a birth certificate for their new buddies (who Alex and Ari took to school the next day):

Wednesday afternoon, after school, we had a playdate with Izzy and Sammy and Alex got to introduce his new "Billy" to the real Billy!

Thursday Mommy decided to try something new and took the kids to indoor play at the local Soccerplex, which has a huge indoor soccer field area that is open to kids on certain mornings. Mommy had heard that it was a good idea to bring something for the kids to play with- bicycles, balls, scooters, etc. so Mommy somehow took all three kids, two tricycles and helmets and a ride-on toy (for Kira) to the indoor play where Ari, Alex and Kira rode around for two hours with some of their school friends, including their classmate Chase. Ari and Alex LOVED having a huge open area to ride their tricycles safely and Kira was happy just scooting after them on her ride-on toy. Afterwards, Mommy treated everyone to a lunch of mac and cheese at Noodles and Company before heading home for long naps after a morning of so much activity. In the afternoon we took a trip to the playground to take advantage of some warm weather and also went to Target where the kids got to spend the money GG sent them. Ari bought underwear and watercolors, Alex bought a toy tractor (of course!) and Kira bought a pink ball. They were all excited with their purchases and insisted on calling GG to tell her about them and thank her.

Friday, the last day of "silly week" at school, was "hat day" at school. Ari wore a baseball cap to school and Alex wore a new sun hat that Nanny and Poppy brought him home from their visit to GG in Florida.

Saturday night was a big night for the kids and for Mommy and Daddy. Ari, Alex and Kira had their first non-family babysitter so that Mommy and Daddy could go out to a fancy party for our synagogue! Lexi was on the soccer team that Daddy coached for many, many years and is now a high school senior who is getting ready to go to college. Ari and Alex had met Lexi at Daddy's soccer games and were very excited to find out she would be babysitting. Before she got here, Alex somehow came up with the nickname "Sexy Lexi," although we doubt he knows exactly what that means...or maybe he already has a crush on his babysitter! Ari and Alex showed off for Lexi, dancing and running around, and asked her to read them books. They didn't even care at all when Mommy and Daddy left. Kira, on the other hand, was experiencing some "stranger anxiety" and was not at all happy to be put down to go to bed with a stranger in the house. Luckily she stopped crying quickly and Lexi reported that Ari and Alex went to bed perfectly after she read them some bedtime stories. We were all happy to have Lexi babysit and hope she'll come back again soon. The pictures show Ari and Alex were very happy to have Lexi come babysit, while Kira had her reservations:

Sunday morning Mommy woke up bright and early (5:00 a.m.!) to compete in an indoor triathlon, her first triathlon of the season. She got #1 as her bib number, which must have been a good omen as she ended up placing first woman and fourth overall! After the kids woke up from their naps, we loaded into the car and picked up Nana and Poppy Jack for a trip to visit Aunt Bess and Cousin Jake. Bess treated the kids to some fun toys that they played with at her house before we all went to an early dinner at a very yummy Italian restaurant. We drove home just in time for a big snowstorm...yes, a big snowstorm on the first day of March!!

The snowstorm that started last night continued into today, bringing us over 6 inches of snow and closing schools (and practically the whole city) for the day. We had a big day planned, but those plans were nixed by the snow. If it had not snowed, Mommy would have had Ari and Alex's parent-teacher conference this morning (already rescheduled from a previous snow day!), Kira's first My Gym class and a doctor's appointment for Kira to get the shots she didn't get at her last appointment due to her ear infection. Instead we spent the day mostly indoors except for a brief outing to shovel the driveway (Ari and Alex helped while Kira watched from her stroller in the garage) and to the grocery store once the roads were clear later in the day. It's hard to believe that Spring is around the corner with weather like this, but forecasts are calling for 60 degrees by the end of the week so hopefully this snow will melt soon and warmer weather will arrive!

Time Flies

Wow-- time flies when you're having fun...which must be why it's been so long since we last updated our blog! We've been up to a lot of fun activities the past week and a half.

A week ago on Friday, Mommy was the Shabbat Mommy at Ari and Alex's school so she and Kira joined the class to read a story, help with the Shabbat prayers and visit during lunch and play time. Kira even sat at the table with the rest of the kids. It was fun to watch Ari and Alex play with their friends; it's clear that some of them think Alex talks too much:

Friday night we had our good friends and neighbors, the Millers, over for Shabbat dinner. Ari enjoyed spending time with older friend Emily, and Alex liked having his friend Justin over to play. It was a great chance for all of us to spend some time together and celebrate the end of the week.

Last weekend we took a trip downtown to the Building Museum to visit with Mommy's friend from college and his family, including his twins who are just a little older than Ari and Alex. Ironically, Mommy's friend's name is Dan and they also have an Ari (a boy Ari, though)! It was so much fun to catch up and to meet new friends. The kids LOVED the museum- it's actually just a huge building and inside they have a special area for kids, plus they put out all sorts of building materials for the kids to play with. There is also a huge fountain, which was very popular with Ari and Alex. After playing for a while, we all went out for sandwiches before we headed home, and the two Aris sat next to each other, making it a little confusing for them:

Saturday was also Valentine's Day, and Nana stopped by with special gifts for the kids (Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday!) Ari's gift was her first nightgown:

Saturday night Aunt Lori, Uncle Sam and Ozzie came to babysit so Mommy and Daddy could go celebrate Valentine's Day with their friends Vanessa and Eric (Sammy and Izzy and doggie Billy's parents) and other adults. Ari, Alex and Kira had fun with their aunt, uncle and Ozzie while Mommy and Daddy were appreciative of a night out!

Monday of this week, Ari and Alex's school was not in session for President's Day so Mommy took them, along with Kira, to see a magic show put on by their nursery school. It was a great show- complete with appearing birds and disappearing objects- and all three kids were mesmerized! Tuesday we had our neighborhood playgroup at friend Ryan's house and Wednesdsay Kira had her playgroup at Ella's house. Thursday we went back to the library's Penny Theater where all three kids enjoyed watching the miniature puppet theater. Friday night we had Miri, Uncle Jason and Cousins Naomi and Jonathan over for Shabbat dinner.

Today we all went to an event for our Parents of Multiples club at Kidville, a "child enrichment center" that typically holds classes for kids but today was party central, complete with a concert, gym time, arts and crafts and pizza. Over 200 parents and kids from our club were there. Ari and Alex passed on the music and gym in favor of crafts and food. Alex was excited to see his buddies Sammy and Izzy and paused in the gym room for long enough to give Sammy a big hug:

After the event, we all went for a sushi dinner. The kids were delighted when we were seated next to a big fish tank, which kept them entertained most of the meal. Ari, Alex and Kira really only ate rice and fruit, but Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a yummy sushi buffet. Ari and Alex did learn how to use special chopsticks, though, that are rigged just for kids with a rubber band around one end:

Fun times, and we're looking forward to a birthday party tomorrow and a busy week ahead!

Fun Inside and Out

This week has been unseasonably warm- today reached almost 70! Unfortunately, it's been quite the tease because this weekend is supposed to be cold and even possibly snowy again. Nonetheless, it was nice to have a taste of springtime while it lasted.

Monday Kira visited with her own friends at her playgroup while Ari and Alex were in school. Tuesday we hosted our neighborhood playgroup and were happy to have a great turnout, including some of the original members of our playgroup who don't get to come that often any more due to hectic schedules. Ari, Alex and Kira had fun playing in the ball pit, making music and running around with their buddies.

Today after school got out, Mommy's friend Donna called to see if we might want to meet up with her and Rina, Celia and Eliana at the zoo to take advantage of the warm afternoon. Mommy thought that was a great idea so she woke the kids up a little early from their naps and we headed down to the zoo, which was very empty because it's the middle of the week. We had such a great time- Ari was most excited to see the elephants and Alex liked the Prairie Dogs and the construction crane working on the elephant habitat. All of the kids loved seeing the lions, too, just before the lions went inside for the evening. It was a beautiful day to be outside and we had so much fun with our friends.

Happy Birthday Marleigh!

Today Mommy took Ari and Alex to celebrate Marleigh's birthday while Daddy and Kira spent some quality time playing together at home.

Marleigh's birthday party was at a local puppet theater, which, aside from the library's "Penny Theater" time, was a first for Ari and Alex. Mommy was SO proud of how well they sat (on their own, apart from Mommy with the rest of the kids close to the stage) the entire show. The theater has strict rules on behavior during the show, and Mommy was just so impressed at how well both Ari and Alex paid attention and refrained from talking. Ari sat with her buddy Laylie and whispered and giggled together before the show, while partners in crime Alex and Chase sat with each other but Alex did a good job resisting Chase's (well-intentioned) attempts to get Alex to engage in some antics. After the show, the kids got to meet the storyteller/puppeteer and one of his puppets, Jemima Puddleduck (the show was a series of Beatrix Potter stories). They also got to ride in an old bumper car and check out the old trolley car, much to Alex's delight, after sharing cake and lunch with their friends.

After naps, we all went outside to enjoy the unseasonably warm (60 degrees!) weather, a welcome break from the bitterly cold weather we've been having. We hope this is a sign that springtime is near!

Milestones

Despite the radio silence on the blog, we have had lots of milestones in the Reichmann family in the past week (maybe it's an indicator why we haven't had time to update the blog in a week!)

First, Kira turned 15 months old and had her 15 month appointment with the pediatrician. Overall her appointment went well, with just a few minor concerns. First, we found out that Kira's uncharacteristic cranky attitude this past week wasn't just a change in attitude, but the first ear infection for the Reichmann children! Mommy was surprised, as Miri had checked just last weekend to make sure her cough and cold hadn't led to an ear infection, but it seems as if the infection came on some time after Miri checked (good thing we had a doctor's appointment planned anyway!) With some antibiotics, Kira has been back to her normal happy self this week.

Kira also only gained one ounce between her 12 month and 15 month appointments. She now weighs 20 pounds, 3 ounces and measures 33 inches long (she was 20 pounds, 2 ounces and 32.75 inches at 12 months). The doctor wasn't too concerned, as now Kira is on Ari's growth curves- 97th percentile for height and 15th percentile for weight. We'll keep an eye on her to make sure she's eating and growing appropriately, but given the fact that she is the best eater out of all three kids, we're chalking up the small gain to her new found mobility and the consequential burning of more calories.

Finally, Kira's head circumference was above the 100th percentile so there is a slight concern there, but because she is otherwise acting normally, we are on the fence as to whether or not to do a precautionary ultrasound before her soft spot in her head closes and we'd have to do a CT scan (with sedation) if there are future concerns. Dr. Miri is going to re-measure her head this weekend and we'll consider whether it is worth doing an ultrasound when there are no other signs of anything that would cause concern. Given the fact that her brother and father both had large heads as infants, this is probably (like her weight) genetic, but we'll defer to Dr. Miri in deciding what to do.

Because of her ear infection we decided to hold off on the three vaccinations until next month, but even that news didn't cheer Kira up while she was at the doctor's office. She screamed bloody murder any time the nurse or doctor walked towards her. It was interesting to see how her memory works at this young of an age!

Alex has also had a momentous week- we can now say that he is just about 100% potty trained. He is still sleeping in a diaper but has woken up dry the past two mornings (in fact, he woke up and asked Mommy to help him go to the bathroom in the middle of the night last night) so Mommy is tempted to let him sleep in underwear but holding off a few more days just in case. Mommy is DELIGHTED to have just one baby in diapers- it has already made a big difference in our monthly expenses, and it's not as difficult as Mommy had feared to take the kids to the bathroom while we're out and about, as Ari and Alex are really good at going quickly and waiting for each other.

This week Daddy worked late every day but we kept busy by spending a lot of time with friends- on Tuesday we had a fun reunion with twin friends Ellie and Thatch, who we hadn't seen since the kids were all under a year old. Thursday we played with friend Sam and his mommy in the morning and then had dinner with the Arking clan at night. Tonight we had friend Shara and her parents and baby sister over for Shabbat dinner.

Ari, Alex, Thatch and Ellie at 10 and 6 months, respectivelyThatch, Ari, Alex and Ellie at 2.5-3 years

Things are really changing around here- our "babies" are growing up before our eyes!

Billy!

For the past three days we've been "dog sitting" for friends Izzy and Sammy's awesome dog, Billy. The kids love having a dog around- they help to feed him, give him treats, and dote on him all day. Billy takes it all in stride. He's even found his favorite sleeping spot at the foot of Ari's bed, and sleeps there during nap time and all night. We just may not want to give Billy back when his family comes home tomorrow!

Today was a very low-key day in our house and the kids all stayed in pajamas for most of the day. We played with Billy and Miri, Opa and Nana came by for a visit with the kids, but otherwise it was a very lazy day. While she was here, Miri removed a splinter from Ari's hand that she got a few days ago. Ari wouldn't let Mommy or Daddy touch the splinter, but she was totally calm and composed as Miri took a good 15 minutes to extract the splinter from her hand.

Kira continues to improve on her standing and walking skills. Mommy took a few videos with her camera over the past two days but for some reason can't seem to rotate them so they show the proper way. So tilt your head to the left and watch Kira in action:

Snow Days

While we had a light dusting of snow last week, yesterday brought our area's first "measurable snow fall," which also cancelled schools yesterday and today (postponing Ari and Alex's parent/teacher conferences, scheduled for today). It was just as well, we suppose, as the kids had woken up with a cough yesterday and it was probably best that we kept away from other children.

The kids were all really excited to put on their snow gear and get outside into the white wonderland, though. We broke out the snowsuits, boots, sled and shovels for some fun times outside:

It's been fun but we are all going a bit stir crazy now and ready to get back to our regular schedule!

In other news, Alex is most certainly well on his way to being 100% potty trained. He hasn't had any accidents since the first day and even napped without a diaper yesterday. This morning Mommy was pleasantly surprised to find that he had woken up after a long night's sleep with a DRY diaper, too. We're so proud of him, and hopeful that we've ordered the last of our Size 5 diapers...until Kira moves up a size, that is!

And Then There Was One

A few weeks ago, Alex woke up in the middle of his night, crying- not for Mommy, not for Daddy, not for a one of his treasured dump trucks...instead, all he wanted was his underwear. We thought this was a little weird but also hoped that maybe it would be the start of his interest in giving up diapers. Sure enough, this past weekend Alex was very eager to go on the potty and wear underwear, not diapers. He had a few small accidents (and one larger, very messy one) but in general has been doing great- he took a shopping trip in his underwear, went to a birthday party, and only wore a diaper for naps and bed time. Today he went to school in underwear and while he didn't use the potty at at school, he also didn't have an accident and came home dry and in the same pants he went to school in. Mommy and Daddy are very proud, and so is Alex, who has called everyone he knows to tell them about his new achievement. We are hoping that his success will continue and we'll be down to just one in diapers soon!

In other happenings this weekend, Miri and Opa came to babysit Ari, Alex and Kira while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed an "adults' night out" with our neighborhood group of friends. It was a special occasion because all seven families had babysitters so that the mommies and daddies could enjoy a night out.

On Sunday, Daddy took Ari and Alex to friend Shayla's birthday party while Mommy and Kira hung back at home to host a preschool roundtable discussion for our Parents of Multiples group. Ari and Alex joined in the fun when they got home and shared some of the goodies Mommy prepared for the meeting, like chocolate chip cookies. Daddy reported that they had a great time at the party and Alex even used the potty at the gym: