so, hmmm, i've only been trying to write this post for the past two months and somehow manage to never finish. here are the brief highlights of the past eight (gasp!) months:

*the girls had a fab year at preschool. they will be at a different school this year, a CATHOLIC school, and i'm sooooo excited! the school is right down the street from our house, which is a double bonus since they have to be there at 8:15--ugh, what an early start time. the only drawback is that one of their BFF's, Kiera, will not be going to the same school. i broke the news yesterday and now they are telling me they're not going to go to school. shoulda waited.

*we were late on the potty training. didn't start until a week and a half ago, but naysayers be damned! it has gone (knock on wood) exceedingly well and i can't believe the girls have been such rockstars. they are still in diapers at night, but i don't care. it is annoying that kate wants to sample every public bathroom we encounter (eww), but i guess that's better than the alternative. don't want to be that mom--you know, the one whose child decorates the floor at Target with her urine.

*some great vacations/visits this year: summer trip to Ohio to visit the families which included a visit with my old college roomie, Kathi, and her hubby and daughter; a mini-reunion weekend in NYC w/my old college roomies; an awesome week at the beach in South Carolina with our nearest and dearest (that deserves a post in and of itself); Sarie came out this winter for a divine sisters' weekend (this included a trip to see Ned's weekend place in Lambertville, NJ--so.much.damn.fun.); a trip to Pittsburgh to finally see Jennifer's "new" place.

*got to see The Dead at MSG in the city. amazing is an understatement and the show was so tight and so good that i seriously wanted to drop out of my life temporarily so i could go on tour. what a trip down memory lane (and a not-so-subtle reminder that my youth is gone).

*our dear friend Lisa had her baby--Grace Elizabeth. what a treat to see Lisapete become parents--nothing better than watching your friends falling in love with their child. and what a cutie pie she is--Grace wins the award for best baby ever. she's been a superstar sleeper since birth and always seems to be happy. bliss!

*the girls no longer nap. this is not a "highlight" so to speak, but it's been a big change for all of us. i miss my afternoon breaks. they teased us by continuing to nap for a couple of weeks after the transition to "princess" beds, but quickly decided it was more fun to destroy their room instead of sleeping. this can make for very.long.days.

*anyone who says two is harder than three is a damn liar. and anyone who says they parent without yelling and/or losing their cool needs to be shot. immediately. the terrible three's is in full-force at the Grzybowski house. as much as the girls own our hearts, it's rather frightening that they can turn into such mouthy monsters with little to no warning. Kate likes to push her limits with her, um, word choices and can dish out the attitude like nobody's business. Julia has zero interest in sassing back (for the most part), but she wants to get her way at all times. she also likes to try to give orders and then all hell breaks loose when you tell her no. suffice it to say, we do not live in a quiet house.

*when they're good, they are very, very, VERY good. they've had a lot of days recently where they play together like little angels and it's so entertaining/heartwarming to listen to the conversations they have. whether they're coloring or playing picnic, it is very rare that they ever.stop.talking. and they are so insanely creative and articulate--one of their favorite pastimes is to make up words and then go around the house and point out what items are "fascha" or "barka." of course, try and ask them what these oft-repeated words mean and you'll get a different answer every time.

going to add some pics now--who knows, i may even post again before 2010.