Woah! How did two weeks go by since our last post? So much has been going on that Mommy hasn't had a spare minute to sit down and document all of the fun and exciting adventures we've had over the past few weeks.

We've had lots of playdates- we got to catch up with Ari and Alex's friend from school last year, Abbie, and her family; play with Sammy and Izzy and of course Billy; visit the bookstore (and train table) with friends Vanessa and Danielle; and visit with Mommy's work friends Jenn, Maura, Melissa and all of their little ones. And this was all in the course of a few days before Mommy left to run her 6th Boston Marathon!

While Mommy was in Boston, Daddy was Mr. Mom and shuttled the kids to all of their social commitments, including friends Chase and Mitchell's birthday parties and to school (for Ari and Alex) and My Gym (for Kira) on Monday. Meantime, Mommy was in Boston missing her family but having a nice weekend catching up with friends and running her fastest marathon to date: a 3:09:17 finish time! So all in all it was a great weekend for everyone, but Mommy was still elated to get home to Daddy and the kids. Daddy planned a special surprise for Mommy by meeting her at the airport with all of the kids- it was a perfect ending to a perfect Boston Marathon weekend!

Tuesday after the marathon our friend Andrew came over for a playdate while his Mommy volunteered at big brother Justin's school. Ari, Alex and Kira loved having Andrew over for the morning and getting silly with each other:

Mommy left again on Friday to attend the regional Parents of Multiples Club convention (NOT on her list of favorite things to do, but at least she had good company and it was only one night!) and Daddy again filled in on party duty for friend Justin's birthday party. Saturday night we celebrated Mommy's birthday a few days early, since Daddy was going to be out of town on business for the actual day. We took the kids to a Japanese steakhouse where they got to watch the chef cook on the hibachi. It started out badly when the chef lit a big fire on the hibachi which scared all three kids enough to make them start crying, but after that they warmed up a bit (no pun intended!) and enjoyed the show and the food. Alex and Kira ate like champs, with Alex even mastering the chopsticks!

Sunday Mommy ran another race, the Pike's Peek 10K- and set another PR!- and was happiest about having Daddy, Ari, Alex and Kira at the finish line to cheer her on. After Mommy ran the race, Ari and Alex participated in the 50 meter toddler trot and were very proud of the medals they won.

Monday it was back to school for Ari and Alex and Kira went to a birthday party for one of her friends, 2-year old Sara. Tuesday Daddy left for another short business trip so Mommy kept Ari and Alex busy out at the playground before Nana and Poppy took us out for dinner for Mommy's birthday.

Today after school we got together with Izzy, Sammy, Celia, Rina and Eliana at a bookstore where the kids had fun reading books and joking around with each other. After the bookstore, everyone did a little shopping before heading home for dinner.So it's been a very busy but very productive month...hard to believe April is coming to a close already, and Kira is going to be 18 months in a couple of days!!

Passover 2009

We have had a busy few weeks with Passover and Spring Break for Ari and Alex, which lasts an entire two weeks! So we have been keeping occupied with playdates, classes and outings.

In the biggest news, we can finally say (after many false alarms!) that Kira is officially walking. She had her last physical therapy appointment about a week and a half ago, and even though she wasn't walking regularly yet (just a few tentative steps at a time when encouraged by Mommy) the physical therapist discharged her because she determined that at that point it was nothing physical, just the fact that it was easier and quicker for Kira to get around by scooting than by walking, so she was taking the easy way out! Even though our PT assured Mommy walking would come quickly, Mommy was skeptical. But sure enough, one week after that appointment, Kira just got up and walked on her own at our friends' Izzy and Sammy's birthday celebration, and she hasn't looked back since. She now walks more than she scoots and every day gets more and more stable on her feet. It's very exciting! And even though Mommy felt like she walked later than Ari (who was also a late walker) did, looking back at our old blog posts she was surprised to see that Ari and Kira both started walking at about the same time- a week after turning 17 months. Mommy still hasn't figured out how to rotate videos so tilt your head to watch Kira's new skill:

Speaking of Kira, today she has been entertaining us with her new "surprised face." She discovered how much we love it and, in an attempt to get laughs out of everyone all day, has been doing it over and over and over again:

So what have we all been up to over the past few weeks? Passover began and we celebrated with a seder at Miri and Opa's house. Mommy and Daddy are keeping Passover, and Ari and Alex understand the holiday, but we are not requiring them to keep to the laws of kashrut over the holiday. They do know that we should be eating Matzoh and not bread, but they are still having their morning cereal, mac and cheese, and some other chametz this year.

While Ari and Alex have been on break from school, we had a playdate with friend Shara, Kira had her My Gym classes (while Ari and Alex watched and colored with the supplies on hand at the gym), we went to a local shopping center's Mommy and Me morning along with friends Riley and Marin and their parents, celebrated good friends Izzy and Sammy's third birthday, and had a playdate with school friend Rian and his brother Shane today. Here are some pictures from Izzy and Sammy's birthday party:

Mommy also signed Ari up for a special morning ballet camp at a nearby ballet school. This was Ari's first experience with ballet and the first time that she took a class on her own without Alex or Mommy. Ari was perfectly fine being left on her own with a new teacher and three new 4-year old friends, but Alex on the other hand burst into tears as soon as we got into the car because he missed Ari. He was sad all morning and couldn't wait to pick her up. When we asked Ari if she missed Alex, she simply shrugged and said "no." Definitely typical Arielle, very independent and strong-willed! She loved ballet, though, especially the part about dressing up. We borrowed a leotard from friend Riley for the class but Mommy bought Ari her own for future use.

With a half a week still left of Spring Break, we have several more playdates in store and are looking forward to spending some time with more friends!!

A Long Week

Our week was turned somewhat on it's head when we received very sad news on Sunday night after Ari and Alex's birthday party that their great-grandmother Yayita (Daddy's grandmother and Miri's mother) passed away suddenly that evening. She lived in Chile so Daddy, Miri, Opa and Aunt Debbie made quick plans to fly there on Monday night for the funeral on Tuesday. We were all sad that we couldn't go together but glad that Daddy could be with his family for the funeral and shiva (mourning). We're very lucky that Ari and Alex had a chance to meet Yayita twice; and while Kira didn't get to meet her in person, Yayita did see lots of pictures of her and also saw her on Skype. She had even called to wish Ari and Alex happy birthday that very morning. She was a very special person in our lives and will be missed a lot.

With Daddy gone, Mommy made quick plans to stay busy with the kids this week. We hosted our neighborhood playgroup on Tuesday and had a great turn-out. We had our first drop-off playdate when friends Andrew and Darby stayed while their mommies ran some errands. It was actually very easy for mommy, as the kids entertained each other and Darby was happy to keep Kira occupied. While the other mommies were gone, Alex invited Andrew and Darby to stay for lunch so we ended up having a mac and cheese lunch with our pals!

Tuesday afternoon we took advantage of the nice weather and went to have some smoothies and feed the ducks at the lake. Kira especially enjoyed feeding the ducks and imitating their quacks! When we got home, we spent the rest of the evening out at the playground with our neighborhood friends.

Wednesday while Ari and Alex were in school, Mommy and Kira went to a make-up My Gym class (they missed Monday's class after Mommy forgot to take Ari and Alex's backpacks to school and had to go home, pick them up and bring them to school for them!) Wednesday night Mommy had her fellow twin mommy friends over and was happy when all three kids went down to sleep without a peep and allowed the mommies to have a fun evening of chit-chat and comparing notes about having 3-year old twins. It was actually exactly what Mommy had planned as she didn't give Ari and Alex naps on Wednesday and knew they'd probably be pooped by the evening.

Thursday morning we had a fun playdate at the bookstore with friends Vanessa and Danielle. The kids played at the train table and read lots and lots of books. In the afternoon Poppy Jack came over to play with Kira and Ari while Mommy took Alex to a new ENT for a second opinion about his adenoids and tonsils. Alex was a champ waiting in the waiting room for an extra long period of time and then meeting with the doctor who, to our relief, suggested we try medication before deciding on surgery. So we'll go back to him in a few months after trying a nasal spray and after a speech evaluation to decide the next steps. Mommy and Daddy (and Dr. Miri!) all agree that not jumping into surgery is a good idea for now.

Today Kira had her physical therapy appointment and was officially discharged from the program. While she is not walking regularly, the physical therapist said that now it's all mental and nothing physical. In other words, Kira is just being stubborn and taking the easy way around (scooting) rather than the more strenuous way (walking). Kira can walk when she wants to, but certainly won't let anyone tell her what she should be doing. She said that there's nothing more we can do now except wait for her to realize she can't scoot around on her tush forever! So it was a big milestone for Kira to "graduate" from the program, although we'll be sad not to see our friend Dee any longer. And this afternoon Daddy finally came home! He brought Ari and Alex soccer jerseys that match his own Universidad de Chile jersey. We're all glad to see him but we're all exhausted from a very long week. We're looking forward to a nice weekend and to getting some rest over the next few weeks, as Ari and Alex have Spring Break and Passover is upon us.

Third Birthday In Pictures

Ari and Alex's big "oh-three" in pictures...because Mommy is too tired to write anything:

Nana and Poppy's gift (given on Saturday night) was a puppet theater!

Mommy decorated Ari and Alex's room while they were sleeping...

...and they woke up to find balloons everywhere!

Kira gives Alex a birthday hug

Ari got a stamp set from Mommy and Daddy

Alex got a recycling truck (his only birthday wish!)

The instructor starts the party at the gym

Ari takes a turn on the trampolineAlex's turn!Alex and JoeKira gets in on the funAri, Riley and SharaRian and AlexAri runs down the long trampolineFriends wait for cake!!

Mommy and her birthday kidsThe cake (Ari and Alex each had their own round of "Happy Birthday" even though they shared a cake!)

Opening presents from way too generous friends!

A tiring but incredibly special day- thanks to all of our friends and family who made it so wonderful.

Dear Alex

Dear Alex,

You may be younger than Ari by a minute but you are certainly our big boy...at three years old you are the height of an average four year old and most people can't even believe you and Ari are twins. You tower over most of your friends, but you are a gentle giant and always ready with a hug and kind words.

You are emotional- you are quick to cry out in frustration but even quicker to explode with joy and love with exuberant passion. You are impatient, but you probably got that from Mommy. Whereas Ari is Daddy's Girl, you're Mommy's Boy. When you wake up in the morning or from a (now rare) nap, you tell Mommy, "cuddle with me." It's one of Mommy's favorite parts of the day.

You love (ok, are obsessed!) with trucks and everything related to construction. You can name all of the different kinds of trucks (even correcting Mommy's general moniker of "tractor" with the more technical name, like a backhoe or payloader) and can spot a truck a mile away, even before Mommy or Daddy has seen it. All you wanted for your birthday was a recycling truck which, luckily, Mommy found two days before your birthday.

You have an incredible memory for both events and locations- you remember places we've been long after we have visited just once and can recall details with astounding accuray.

You adore music and singing. You make up words to familiar tunes and remember lyrics quickly. You also love to dance and know how to turn the CD player on to your favorite music. You're less likely than your sister to jump into adventures like the moon bounce or going underneath the parachute, but (thankfully!) you are better about trying new foods.

You can spend all day riding your tricycle around and around and around the house. You have a great talent for physical activities like climbing and balancing and also for building and design. You build great masterpieces from blocks and lincoln logs.

You have always had a knack for meeting new people and aren't shy about speaking up. You love dogs, especially Sammy and Izzy's dog Billy, and don't mind asking neighbors walking their dogs if you can pet them (you know always to ask first!) You love your friends and give them lots of hugs and are always concerned if you see someone crying.

You're our big, lovable teddy bear. Mommy knows there will probably come a day when you no longer ask to cuddle, but for now she's going to savor every single day.

Happy Birthday, our lovebug Alex.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Dear Ari

Dear Ari,

Three years ago today you and your brother came into our lives and with you brought us long-held, tough-fought dreams come true. It is truly incredible to see how far we have all come in three quick years.

You are our creative one, the observer, strong-willed diva, Daddy's Girl, brave soul and sweet angel (when you want to be). You love to paint, draw, use watercolors, cut shapes with scissors and read. You can even write some of your letters. You tend to be quiet and shy around others, prefering to stand back and observe others with a quiet intensity. Around those you know and trust, though (which includes Mommy and Daddy, your grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and close friends) you can be totally silly, loving and affectionate. You are the first to jump into the moon bounce at a party or get on a space flight simulator with Mommy- you're really not afraid of daring adventures. You got a perfect "report card" in nursery school this year, no doubt a reflection of your intellectual curiosity.

You're a very picky eater, which is probably reflected in your slight figure or, as you like to say, "my pants fall down because I'm too skinny!" You love mac and cheese, bread, fruit and everything sweet (hmmm- taking after your Mommy) and, interestingly enough, lox. You hate veggies (again, like Mommy). You won't ever try anything new, even if it's something sweet and yummy, but once in a while you'll take a small taste and profess "I like it- I DO like it!"

You may be small, but you're tough. You let Miri take out a splinter without even wincing and were a champ when you had to have stitches in your forehead earlier this year. You will probably be a gymnast- you love jumping, flipping, hanging and are insanely flexible.

You are a loving and adoring big sister to Kira, always looking out for her and offering her some of your snack, sitting down to read to her or helping her learn to walk. It is heartwarming to see how you dote on her and how much she looks up to you and Alex.

You're a total Daddy's Girl, asking every weekday morning "where's Daddy?" even though you know the answer (at work!) You love it when Daddy rubs your head and are always asking us to scratch your back. You know how to press our buttons, especially Mommy's, but at the same time you know how to say exactly the right words to wrap us around your finger.

You are beautiful and strong and we are certain no one will ever push you around. You stand up for what you want, even if it is to the point of frustrating Mommy and Daddy from time to time. We are so proud of you and can't wait to see what new and exciting things you discover and bring to our lives in the years to come.

Happy Birthday, dear Arielle.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Almost the Big Oh-Three!

It's hard to believe, but in just two days Ari and Alex will be THREE years old! The celebrations and preparations already began this week after a bit of a rough start...

Ari and Alex both came down with a stomach virus that kept them out of school on Monday. Mommy was hopeful that Kira escaped the same virus, but it now looks like she contracted it almost one week after Ari and Alex. Luckily it was relatively minor (fever and some yucky tummies) and only lasted 48 hours for Ari and Alex, so hopefully Kira will be on the mend quickly and definitely in time for the big birthday bash on Sunday!

Tuesday Ari and Alex had their official 3-year check up at the pediatrician's office. Alex weighs 33 1/2 pounds (60th percentile) and is 40 inches tall (95th percentile and average height for a 4-year old!) Ari weighs a petite 26 pounds (4th percentile...she is closer to Kira in weight than her twin brother!) and is 37 6/8 inches tall (70th percentile). They acted very silly for our friend Dr. Mindy but at least they were giggling and not crying like Kira was until she realized we were there for Ari and Alex, not for her. Then she got all cute and started playing peek-a-boo with the doctors and nurses she wouldn't even look at a few weeks ago during her appointment! There were no shots this time but Dr. Mindy did do a strep culture just to make sure the earlier viral-like symptoms were not strep. The culture was negative and given the fact that Ari and Alex seemed completely recovered, we chalked up their symptoms to an intestinal virus.

Wednesday Ari and Alex were happy to return to school and Kira got to do a make-up My Gym class that we missed on Monday while Ari and Alex were sick. Thursday we ran some errands which included looking for the one and only gift Alex has requested for his birthday- a toy recycling truck. He had seen it at Target before but to his great disappointment when we went to get it on Thursday they had no more left! Alex was depressed for the rest of the day, explaining to Mommy that he really wanted that truck and was sad the store no longer had it. Mommy promised to try to find one in time for his birthday.

Last night in the middle of the night, Kira woke up and seemed to have come down with the stomach virus mommy thought she had been spared. It appears that the incubation period for this virus is almost a week, though...but we're hoping that Kira's case is as minor as Ari and Alex's and that she'll be over it as quickly as they were (within 48 hours).

This morning our friend Savannah came over to play before school and then Mommy took all three big kids to school (along with Kira) so that Savannah's mommy could go to a doctor's appointment. Mommy dropped off the big kids and then went to a PTA meeting with Kira before running out to another toy store to look for the coveted recycling truck. Luckily a nice man at the store helped Mommy find the KING of all recycling trucks- a huge, motorized truck complete with recycling truck driver and recycling bins. What Mommy won't do to make her children's dreams come true! She also bought Ari a stamp set with Ari's favorite shapes- hearts and flowers. Ari has been asking for "a heart and a flower" for her birthday and Mommy can't quite understand in what form Ari wants these shapes, but assumes that on stamps (Ari's favorite arts and crafts project) will be sufficient!

After the quick shopping expedition it was back to school to serve as Shabbat mom and sister and to celebrate Ari and Alex's birthday with donuts. Although Kira was feeling a little under the weather, she sat nicely with her big brother and sister as they celebrated their big "oh-three" birthday with their school friends, teachers and Rabbi Jacob:

Tonight Daddy, Ari and Alex will be celebrating Uncle Jason's birthday and their own pending birthdays with the extended family while Mommy and Kira rest at home so that Kira can get better. Sunday is the BIG day and the BIG party so we're all excited and hoping everyone is in good health by then!

Multiples Mania!

It was another very good week here with a lot of our friends, especially our twin friends!

At the beginning of the week, Kira had her second My Gym class and showed a marked improvement in her walking, as she was willing to walk pretty far distances and much more frequently than she had been in the past. She is clearly making progress and we're sure she will be running around very soon. It's interesting- both Kira and Ari started walking after beginning My Gym...we're not sure if it is because they started around the same age (16 months) or if it's because gym class has given them the confidence to start walking, but whatever it is, Ari and Kira seem to get a lot of benefit from My Gym. Not to mention the teachers always want to call Kira by Ari's name because they think she looks just like Ari did at that age, only with brown hair. One of the teachers has even taken to calling Kira "mini Ari."

On Tuesday we had our neighborhood playgroup at friend Sydney's house. Ari, Alex and Kira had fun playing with their friends and snacking around the big table:

Wednesday Kira had her own playgroup at friend Micah's house and showed off her new strut to her friends. In the afternoon Mommy had booked the private play room at one of our local libraries so we had a playdate with our "summer friends"- twin friends Rina and Celia, along with their little sister (and Kira's pal) Eliana and Izzy and Sammy and the token singleton, "the other Ari." Yes, it was Alex and seven girls! It was great to all be together again and it made us look forward to the upcoming summer days when we hope we'll all be able to repeat the fun we had last summer. After playing in the fun room at the library and reading some books (Alex again managed to find the "truck books" all on his own, including Digger Man, Dig! and Trashy Town), we all headed over to Moby Dick's for an early dinner. On the way over, all of the kids insisted on holding each others' hands- it was very cute! The mommies (and the workers at the restaurant) were all very impressed with how well-behaved the kids were.

Thursday morning Miri came over to play with Ari and Kira while Mommy took Alex to the ENT to figure out why he might be snoring so much at night and sounding congested quite a bit. It turns out that Alex has a very enlarged adenoid that is blocking approximately 95% of his airway and it looks like Alex will need surgery at some point in the near future. The good news was that Alex's hearing checked out perfect and everything else looked great too. He was a champ, even enduring having the "spaghetti camera" put down his nose so the doctor could see his adenoid!!

When we got home we headed to "twins plus one" friends Gregory, Lilli's and Jessi's house for a playdate and lunch. Ari, Alex and Kira were in heaven playing with all of their fun toys, including an awesome ride-on Thomas the Train that goes around a circle on a track. The kids devoured a lunch of grilled cheese, chicken nuggets and strawberries before heading home for a nap for Kira (no nap for Ari and Alex, who seem to be napping only a fraction of the time these days).

Yesterday morning Mommy and Kira ran around doing errands to get ready for our Parents of Multiples club's HUGE consignment sale this weekend. Once Daddy got home in the afternoon, Mommy headed off to set up for the sale while Daddy took the kids to Miri and Opa's for dinner.

Mommy headed back to the sale at 6:00 this morning, leaving Daddy on his own with the kids. Daddy decided to try out his new camera at a local park so he took the kids and met up with all of the grandparents, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Jason and Cousins Naomi and Jonathan. He took some beautiful pictures that Mommy will try to upload here at some point. After the park, Mommy was just wrapping up at the sale so Daddy came by and followed Daddy, Nana and the kids home after a long but successful day. We had over 140 sellers and 800 shoppers today, our biggest (and highest-grossing) sale yet! It was an EXHAUSTING 24 hours for Mommy but well worth it and so much fun to work together with all of her multiple mommy (and daddy!) friends. Here are before and after shots of the room where the sale is set up over the course of Friday afternoon/evening:

No rest for the weary, though...this week promises to be very busy as we get ready for Ari and Alex's big "oh-three" birthday!!!