A Tale of Two Twoddlers

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:39:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:35:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:09:00 +0000

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.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:37:00 +0000

THE "F" WORD........

No, no, no silly readers--before you go and get worked into a tizzy, gimme a chance to explain!! It is so not the real "F" word. The "F" word of which I am referring to is comprised of a mere three letters and refers most often to one's size. Got it? Now, a little side note--most of you know I rival a sailor when it comes to my lexicon of swear words, and in all honesty, I love the real "F" word. Clearly this is one of the posts my sweet girls will not be allowed to read until they're 60......but, I do have the utmost respect and admiration for the real "F" word. Seriously, I challenge you to find a word that has such a versatile purpose in our everyday vernacular. It's a total multi-purpose, multi-tasking, i'm a-workin' hard for my money kind of word--noun, verb, adjective--whatevs, dudes, it's all freaking there!!! And I love it and have to exert massive amounts of self-discipline now that my blobs are speaking creatures who repeat every.single.thing.i.say.

On to my point.....the "F" word. FAT. Fatfatfatfatfatfatfat. One of the most fricative and offensive words in the English language, and hence, (thank you Sara), a banned word in our household. The girls aren't even three yet, but I'm already worried, immensely, about the new "F" word of which I speak. Since the moment I found out, at 16 weeks, that at least one of the twinners was a girl, I have been stressing hard about this word and all the nastiness that it implies. And more so, how on earth I'm going to raise two girls who have a strong sense of self that is independent of their physical appearance. You see, I've been categorizing myself as fat since, oh, I don't know, the age of 9? This is not good when you are the mother of two daughters. Especially when you have no clue how to go about avoiding doing anything that would in any way, shape or form teach them that self-image is largely based on how pretty you are, or how itsy-bitsy your body is.

Kate and Julia aren't even 3 yet, almost, but not yet. They are obsessed with all things princess. Have I ever mentioned how much I f***ing hate Disney? I hated it before the girls, and now that I have them, I loathe it so much I could gag on my feelings. It is really cute (I grudgingly admit) to watch them dress up and pretend to be Ariel, and Belle, and all those other hooches. But it's cute because of the levels of creativity they display when ACTING like princesses. It's in the dialogue, peeps, the dia-freaking-logue.

However, Kate has now adopted a new defense mechanism when I tell her she needs to wear pants b/c it's 5000 degrees below zero. It goes something like this.....

".....but Mommy, but Mommy, I want to be a princess. I want to be beautiful, a beautiful, pretty princess. Princesses don't (said in demonic, devil-possessed voice) wear pants. (screaming) I WON'T BE PRETTY IF I DON'T WEAR A DRESS/SKIRT/TUTU."

Julia has been sleeping with her tutu and princess crown on every single night since we returned from our holiday travels.

Seriously? These are MY kids? I didn't even like playing with barbies when I was growing up so where on earth is this coming from?

It has to start now, right? The "training" of the girls so they don't grow up to be consumed by the sense of physical self-loathing that runs somewhat rampantly through my (of course, "my") side of the family. I know I can read books about it. And I have to be honest, that makes me feel a bit resentful. I should be smart enough to figure out what not to do just from my own experience. I'm a mom for Pete's sake, and mom's should innately know how to do this shit. Right? (***rhetorical question, guys). I. DON"T. KNOW.

And it worries me. This is the shit that keeps me up when I'm trying so desperately to fall asleep. One of those self-humbling things that makes me feel like I'm an actress and I'm so not equipped, or worthy, to be in charge of these two perfect and wild and gorgeously delicious girls. I don't even know where to start.

They both are already asking me if they look pretty when they put on their lusted-after dresses/skirts/girly crap. I repeatedly tell them that they look pretty ALL.THE.TIME. They're already smarter than me (takes a REAL woman to admit that, no?)......they respond with "yeah, but Mommy, but Mommy, I look realllllllly pretty because I'm wearing a..........."

I am in over my head.

And I wouldn't trade it for the world. (but i might almost consider it for a tummy tuck? KIDDING!)

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:26:00 +0000

If I were a happy camper, I'd be reveling in the fact that it's Friday. Clearly I'm not that chipper as "thank God it's Friday" is quite possibly the last thing I feel like saying right now. What a morning it's been. I'm tempted to launch into a tirade filled with expletives, but am chanting to myself "this is a G-rated blog, this is a G-rated blog." Know that I'm silently screaming over and over and over in my head.

The girls cannot, should not, and must not be left alone. At all. Not even for one flippin' minute. I'm the dumb-ass who should know better, but for some reason I keep giving them the benefit of the doubt. After they got into the toothpaste and hand soap this morning (which is like, I don't know, the tenth time this week), they went back in the bathroom and got into my makeup bag. You would think me not being a makeup kind of girl would mean that this wasn't such a big deal. Not so. Kate colored her face with my eye liner. Julia was sucking on my big, bushy, blush brush. GROSS.

After cleaning them up, I finally smartened up and locked the bathroom door (thank god it's easy to pick that lock or I'd be screwed). I made the girls come down to the basement with me. Silly me, I thought I could put a show on for them and they'd be placated while I continued my never-ending, online search for kids' bedding. About five minutes into Mickey Mouse, they told me they had to go upstairs to get some books. Harmless, I thought. Foolish, foolish Mommy ignored the fact that it was eerily silent upstairs. Ten whopping minutes later, I decided to go check things out. Um, yeah. Both girls were standing on chairs they had pulled up to the kitchen sink. Julia had pulled out every single Lysol wipe from the container and was lining them up between the sink and the counter. Kate had found a new way to entertain herself with the dish soap--holding it upside down over the sink and squeezing the shit out of it. I estimate we lost roughly half of the bottle. I asked them (barely holding back tears) what on earth they thought they were doing. Kate demanded that I go back to the basement while glaring at me, and Julia smiled as she informed me they were cleaning. What in the hell is this???? Where are they coming up with this stuff? They have so many toys we barely have room to live and it's more fun to play with dishsoap and eyeliner???? Are you kidding me?

My house is a mess, I have zero energy to clean, and I'm toying around with the idea of breaking my leg. A month in a quiet hospital room sounds more blissful and rejuvenating than a week at the spa.

God help me.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:27:00 +0000

A Happy (albeit, belated) New Year! Wow, so here it is 2009 and I have yet to blog until today. January's almost over and I'm still the world's biggest procrastinator. The holidays were fantabulous (minus a run of the stomach flu), and the girls were so into Christmas. Our time in Ohio was all too short, but we're hoping to rework Scott's vacay days so we can have a bigger chunk of time at home during the winter festivities in '09.

So, where to start? We had 3 Christmases altogether--one in Jersey, one with Mimi and Papa and the Leonard side of the fam, and one with Grandma & Grandpa/Grizz side of the family. The girls were spoiled rotten, which seems to be the norm.....they were sooooo into all things Christmas. Even something as simple as driving from point A to point B got them all amped up as they squealed over the various holiday decorations people had on display (and of course, the tackier the better). We were lucky enough to take them to THE neighborhood in Strongsville (where Scott grew up), where it's pretty much a requirement that you have to go all out and then some w/your decorations. The girls LOVED it and watching them really get into the holiday spirit was priceless. They especially loved spending time with their cousins, Livvy and Jack, and watching the four kids play together was probably my favorite part of the trip.

We're back to the daily grind--preschool has resumed (whew for me), gymnastics is over, and the yearly plans for vacations, activities and all that jazz has begun. In less than 3 months, the girls will be celebrating their third birthday--holy toledo!! That means that we have to make the switch to twin beds (bye bye naptime) and start preparing for the inevitable and much-dreaded task of potty-training. I am seriously contemplating hiring somebody to do it for me.

Random bits I don't want to forget.......

*Julia has been sleeping with her tiara ("princess crown") ever since we returned from our holiday travels. I don't get how that can possibly be comfy, but she refuses to part with the damn thing (even wore it to church this weekend, much to the dismay of my in-laws).

*One of the the girls' favorite expressions (esp. when they're trying to convince me to let them have something I don't particularly want them to have, i.e.--an uber-sugary snack) is to say, "that's my FAVORITE (insert desired object)". It's quite amusing.

*Kate is following in my footsteps and has designated pink as her favorite color. Good taste. Mommy should be proud. Mommy is annoyed. Kate only wants to wear pink clothes. Her love for pink runs so deep that she asked Ray, the Home Depot dude handling our window replacement project, to make sure the new window in her room is pink.

*Julia has a new Oscar-worthy routine. Not sure where she got this, but one of her newest gigs is to say in her tiny, sweet, voice "I'm really tired." Doesn't sound that funny when you read it. I guarantee deep belly laughs if you are lucky enough to hear her do it--between her facial expression and her exaggerated articulation/enunciaton of her award-winning phrase, well, it's too damn funny. She's also figured out that if Mommy's crabby, Mommy will lighten up with the simple utterance of "I'm really tired."

*Some evil outside force has taught our precious angels how to say "shut up." Scott and I both almost collectively shit ourselves when Kate first told Daddy to shut up. This is definitely worse than them telling us to go away. This is the toddler version of the middle finger. I hate it.

*Both girls love coloring, especially with markers. I don't know how our parents managed without washable markers. Kate always manages to color her arms when I'm not looking. Aunt Chris gave them an easel for Christmas and I'm wondering when it's going to sink in that the easel is NOT a climbing apparatus.

*Kate is STILL the world's pickiest eater. Julia is STILL the world's greatest eater. I made falafel the other day and Julia loved it. She definitely gets that from Scott. Kate eats so much mac-n-cheese (the dirty, processed, fake-cheese, nutritionally void kind) that I worry she will turn into a gelatinous yellow pile of mush. Trying to get her to eat new foods is impossible and leads to level-10 tantrums.

*Every time the girls take a bath, they fight over who gets the scissors. Not to worry, these are playdoh scissors--since I refuse to let them play with playdoh (mean mommy, yep) they take them in the tub. They use them to cut their bunny loofah's "skips". Don't ask me what skips are. I have yet to get an answer that is comprehensible.

Me: Girls, please, what are skips?

K&J: Uh, Mommy, bunny loofah has skips.

Me: Can you show me the skips?

Julia: No. I cutting them.

Kate: (holding up bunny loofah) Dere Mommy, dose are skips.

Me: Can you point to them with your finger?

K&J......throw loofahs at my face. There you go.

*The girls, when not trying to physically maim one another, LOVE being sisters. Sure, they fight, and yes, it makes me want to run for the hills, but watching them play together rocks. They are so creative and funny and I love the games they make up. My heart still melts every time they hold hands and dance while singing "Skip to My Lou."

So.......I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton, but I gots to go. I smell poopy diapers and both girls are denying they've dumped. Nice.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:43:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:40:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:10:00 +0000

We had a great Thanksgiving in Cleveland with Scott's family. Well, they are MY family now, but you know what I mean. The girls loved seeing their Grandma Bamma, Grandpa David and Aunt Jennifer (she has princess hair!). Pat (aka, Grandma Bamma) made a super-delish turkey day feast, and we all ate way too much. Kate, true to her word, didn't touch the turkey and instead ate a bowl of cereal for dinner--nothing says Thanksgiving like Cheerios! Julia, to the surprise of, um, nobody, gorged on turkey before we even sat down to eat, and then spent her time eating the jello mold (I think that's what it's called--I generally don't touch those things, no offense to jello lovers out there). I'm not sure if she actually ate much of the jello--Grandpa David kept putting whip cream on it, and she would shove a forkful in her mouth and then demand "more cream, please."

The trip was full of wonderful treats--I was spoiled with basically an entire day off on Friday so I could shop with Pat and Jennifer. I knocked out a lot of holiday shopping, and I'm soooo close to being done--woo hoo! Mind you, we didn't get up at the butt-crack of dawn to begin our buying--and we still had to wait in line for an hour at Kohl's. But, it was so much fun. Jennifer was blessed by the parking gods that day, and at every single store we visited, she managed to finagle a parking spot right by the front door--go figure! Now, I love to shop, a LOT. It's akin to a spiritual cleansing and it gives me a drug-like high to find those super-good deals. What made it really special was the fact that I was with Pat and Jennifer--not many people are lucky enough to have the kind of in-laws that they actually want to spend as much time as possible with. It was a girls' day out in every sense of the word, and I was doubly impressed by Pat's can-do attitude--she was feeling a bit under the weather but didn't let that stop her for shopping until we felt like dropping!

Saturday morning was spent visiting Santa at this insane nursery in Strongsville, where Scott grew up. Now, I had been to this particular nursery before, but never at Christmas time. Holy shit--talk about a Winter Wonderland--it was crazy cool! This place is huge and it was decorated within an inch of its life--the girls were in total awe and seeing their excitement was priceless. We watched Santa arrive in the parking lot on a fire engine (his sled must have been in the shop, but still, a fire engine?). I was standing with Kate trying to take pictures of Santa, and listening to her as he approached the crowd brought tears to my eyes. She had her arms extended and kept saying "Santa, I here, Kate's here, I talk to you, yeaaah." I almost did the ugly cry.

Of course, almost as soon as we got in line to take pics, Julia was protesting and informing anyone and everyone that she was NOT going to sit with Santa. Long story short--we had to all get in the picture. Scott and I were not dressed for the occasion, but it was still amusing--I'm not one for doing the family photo thing on holiday cards, but I'm going to embrace the utter cheesiness of two overgrown adults and their offspring gathering around the jolly old fellow and include it in this year's greeting.

One of the biggest treats of our trip was reuniting with my long-lost friend Kathi. Okay, she's never really been lost, she's just been in Cleveland and we fell out of touch after college. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, we reconnected via Facebook, and I got to hang out with her, her hubby John, and her unbelievably gorgeous daughter, Alex. Scott was sick, and the girls seemed like they were getting there, so I went solo to Kathi's house. WOW. To say it was fun to see her and her family is a ginormous understatement. Kathi was my roomie in college, and was always more of a sister than a friend. She and John stood by my side during some incredibly tough situations and I've always felt such sadness at the fact that we lost touch. I have to admit, I was nervous about seeing her--it had been 12 FREAKING YEARS, and who knew if we'd even have anything in common anymore, ya know? It still makes me uber emotional to think about--no surprise there, I know. I could go on and on and gush and gush, but I'll try to be succinct and wrap it up (must shower before the girls wake up)........besides the joy of seeing my friend/s, it was so cool to see that all the things I loved about Kathi in college are STILL THERE. She's as sweet and funny as ever, and artistically talented to boot. It was very healing. I've missed her so much and to see her during the time of year when we're supposed to reflect on what we're grateful for made it all the more poignant.

Have to run. Want to post some pics and must wash this mop before wakey-time.

Heart hug.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:35:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:07:00 +0000

The Twids' First Halloween

Okay, so it wasn't exactly your first Halloween, girls, but it was your first time trick-or-treating--and what a treat it was!! It didn't hurt that you two were the cutest little bugs I've ever laid eyes on--Julia, you were a ladybug, and Kate, you were a bumble bee. I thought for sure you would want to dress up as princesses since you are obsessed with all things princess, but you picked out your costumes and made it very clear that you wanted to be insects.

I don't know if I should be thanking that ginormous-headed exhibitionist (aka--Dora), but you two had an inhuman amount of enthusiasm for all things Halloween. Prior to yesterday's festivities, you had seen, several times over, a Halloween episode of Dora that more than explained what exactly was involved in soliciting candy from strangers. Preschool also provided some reinforcements, and you two were ready and raring to go.

Daddy was able to come home from work early, and we could not get you out of the door fast enough. One of the many strange things about Jersey is that there isn't a set time for Halloween. When we were kids, trick-or-treat was crammed into a two hour time frame, usually beginning right before sundown. Not so in Bergen County--here, it's basically a free for all that starts as soon as school lets out, and goes until (as far as I can tell) parents get tired of lugging their over-stimulated offspring around.

I had heard that downtown Westwood (which is basically one main drag, very similar to the Oxford's uptown area) had a pretty good trick-or-treat shindig, so we decided to check that out. Heavens to freaking betsy--it was rockin'! What an efficient system (which appealed to Mommy's super-anal-retentive-control-freak side)--all of the vendors participated and it was so.much.damn.fun.

You two were divas and Kate, you especially, had zero need for me and Daddy to help you out. I think you thought you were like 13.....you didn't want to hold hands and you would march your little bumblebee butt up to people without any hesitation before demanding your candy (which you did very sweetly). Julia, you were a bit shy in the beginning, but you quickly got the hang of it--so much so that anytime we came upon suckers, you made your wishes known. "I want red." If you were feeling gracious, you would add a please, but that didn't happen too often.

It was hilarious to watch the two of you go into some of these stores--particularly the jewelry stores and Shaw's Book Store. You were both fascinated by all the shiny sparkly jewelry and instead of asking for candy, you just wanted to walk around and look at all the diamonds and glittering fancy garb. I knew for sure you were my daughters when we walked into Shaw's and Kate, you let out the loudest "OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!" You immediately found your way to the kids' section and made yourself at home. Daddy had to remind you that we were there to get candy, but you just couldn't believe how many cool books there were to see.

After stocking up on candy, we made our way home, and quite belatedly, decided to carve our pumpkin. Daddy handled the carving and you two were mesmerized--as you can tell from the pictures. Watching you two was such a trip, and I have an entirely new appreciation for Halloween. You melted my heart about a hundred million times yesterday and I just want to gobble you up and revel in your deliciousness. You two are so amazingly cool and funny and I cannot believe how fast you're growing up.

Smooches.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:33:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:01:00 +0000

What a great weekend!! Our dear friends (Aubrey, Ottis, and Cameron) trekked it out to Jersey to spend a few days with us. I hope I'm not just speaking for myself when I say that a great time was had by all. It was so nice to be able to spend quality time together. Aubrey and I always make it a point to hang out when I'm in Cincy, but the hubbies usually aren't with us, and we don't usually get a lot of time visiting with the kids. I feel like I finally got to know sweet Baby Cameron--he's the spitting image of his dad, and such a sweetie pie. He also still has that yummy baby smell and I couldn't get enough of his deliciousness. He's at such a fun age, although I do feel bad that Aubrey and O had to spend so much time shadowing him as he tried to maneuver the stairs!

One of the funniest parts of the weekend was Kate's creation of Ottis's new nickname--"other daddy." This is one of those times where you're seriously wishing you could get inside of her brain to figure out her thinking process. It's not like the girl has never been around other fathers--but for whatever reason, she decided that since Ottis is indeed a daddy, and he isn't HER daddy, he would thus be known as "other daddy."

There was a whole lot of over-indulgence while the Coates family was in town--lots of fatty food and lots (like crazy lots) of adult beverages. Aubrey and I took Saturday afternoon and evening off--we lunched, saw a great movie (Ghost Town, see it NOW if you haven't already), and then went out for apps and drinks. *SIGH*--how I miss my time with my girlfriends!! We had to go to New York (not the city, just the state) to see the movie, and go figure, I missed our exit on the way back to Jersey. Aubrey was quite gracious about the fact that our detour took us (almost) to the Catskills and ate into over, oh, like 2ish hours of our time! At least the autumnal foliage was out full force so the scenery (I hope?) made up for it!!

The maniac men took in the Bengals-Jets game on Sunday, and I'm not going to even get into the shenanigans that occurred. No need to revisit that drama--although I am glad they had fun. Truly, I am :). Scott doesn't get many opportunities to relax and do something he truly enjoys--like going to NFL games with friends. He got stuck taking me to the Browns game last year, and I'm quite sure he had more fun with Ottis than he did with me.

Saying goodbye to the Coates fam was bittersweet--it was so nice having them here. They're such an important part of our family and we miss them. I can't let myself dwell on just how much we miss them, or how much fun we had hanging with our Cincy crew, or the endless Trivial Pursuit games and the shit talking and the Cranium and the birthday parties and the cookouts and the bar-hopping and the Basco incident and the whispery "hi" phone call or the.......you get the point.

So, Aub, Ottis Other Daddy, if you're reading this, thank you so very, very much for spending the weekend in the 'wood--we LOVED having you here! You guys are a big part of the reason we miss Ohio so much and we're so touched that you came to the Garden State to play--smooches!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:17:00 +0000

One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination. ~Sam Levenson

Okay, so I have zero idea who Sam Levenson is, but find his words so fitting for something I've been spending a lot of time thinking about/noticing lately. Of course this is all due to me being lucky enough to witness the girls' creativity take flight--I dare anyone to tell me what's more inspiring than watching a young 'un tell these complicated stories that they fully believe to be true. Stories that are full of whimsy and possiblity and complete nonsense, told so vehemently and enthusiastically that you can't help but believe your daughter did, indeed, just see a kangaroo. On a rooftop. In New Jersey. (This happened on the way to preschool the other day, and Kate was very concerned about the kangaroo having to go to timeout--I'm glad she recognizes that playing on roofs is a big no-no).

In the past week alone, I've crawled out of the mole hole in our yard, Lovey has pooped several times and both girls have gone swimming. On the moon.

It's so totally cool to watch these little creatures, who I still consider helpless peanuts, engage in this imaginative play. Every time they play with their dolls, it cracks me up to hear them quoting ME and repeating every single one of my daily mantras. Despite all evidence to the contrary, they have indeed been hearing EVERYTHING I say. They may not be the best of the listeners, but they're damn good at regurgitating. Julia loves to have meals with her dolls and Lovey (and tell them that they must sit on their respective tushes), while Kate is often comforting her dolls, who are always crying (seriously, I think her babies need Prozac). Kate loves to tell me and Julia that her dolls are crying because they miss their mommy--this is immediately followed by declarations of "Mommy KAAATE, I the MOMMY, OKAY?" Like what, anyone's disagreeing?

The only downside to this display of creative brilliance is that I no longer am able to tell when the truth is being told. Specifically, when asked about the happenings at preschool, both girls will weave these tales about how so-and-so was in timeout for pushing Kate and then so-and-so bit Julia. Now, I know the biting thing isn't true b/c there would be an accident report from preschool, however, the pushing very well could have happened. Oh well, I'm pretty sure I would be notified if something substantial were to occur.

Kate and Scott both have ear infections right now, which Kate finds verrrrry cool. Since Scott's dx (last night), Kate has been prancing around saying "Daddy's ear is broken. JUST. LIKE. KATE. Yayyyyy, Daddy." Apparently, this is quite the accomplishment on Scott's part.

Should have some good pics to post next week. Our friends are coming to visit from Cincy today--Aubrey, Ottis, and Baby Cameron, who technically isn't a baby anymore. I just hope the girls don't terrorize Cameron!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:35:00 +0000

THAT'S A Kiss

As of yesterday, our twoddlers (or "twids", as Mimi likes to say) officially hit the 2.5 year mark. To celebrate, although we certainly aren't really into the whole half birthday thing, I took the girls out to lunch after their gymnastics class. This was my first time venturing into a restaurant without backup. We had the best time! We went to the Westwood Pancake House, a diner that I used to frequent (by myself) when I was pregnant with the girls. It's right across the street from my ob's office, and I can remember barely being able to squeeze into a booth towards the end of my pregnancy. The girls were so well-behaved, and I of course, was oh so proud. It was almost as nice as lunching with my lady friends....we had real conversations! Of course, our conversations mostly consisted of talking about the obvious--like, the ketchup in the bottle is red, and how chocolate milk is just so yummy. But, it was fun, and it was really precious to see how darling and well-mannered the girls can be.

We had a fab weekend--weekends are always great because Daddy's home and it makes life so much easier on me. Even if he is as messy as the monkeys :). On Saturday night, we went to the Eustic's house for dinner, or "Lisapete" as the girls call them. Pete's sister Cheryl, her hubby and their daughter Riley were also there. Riley is a few months younger than the girls and so the girls were happy to have a new partner in crime. We both love watching them interact with other kids their age. At one point, the three girls were just running around the first floor in a loop, and it was hilarious--it was like watching a high-energy game of "Simon Says" as they sped around mimicing each other. Riley did try to bite Julia's cheek when we were saying goodbye, but we played it off and managed to do a satisfactory job of convincing Jules that Riley was just giving her a really sloppy kiss.

Kate has a new game that I absolutely adore--I like to call it "That's a Kiss." It's quite simple--she comes up to me, asks if I want a kiss, and when I lean in lips all a-puckered, the game begins. She leans in with the fake-out, lips pursed, and opens her mouth at the last minute, just in time to slobber all over my face. Fake-out kiss is followed up by Kate proclaiming, "that's a kiss, nooooooo, that's NOT a kiss." This is repeated until she finally ends up giving me a real smooch. She has a second variation of the game where kisses are substituted for hugs, and I freaking love it!! When she does deliver the real deal, she gets so rambunctiously excited and has to yell "that's a kiss/hug" as loud as possible. It.doesn't.get.old. Especially because she often sounds like she's speaking in some weird hybrid comprised of a Jerseyish British accent. Try and imagine THAT one if you can!

We have a super-busy week this week, which is good because Scott's in California right now. Between preschool, playdates, gymnastics and the playground, time should fly.

I know there's something I'm forgetting, but I've got to go--The Biggest Loser starts in five minutes and I can't miss it! Thank goodness the fall line-up is back in swing :).

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:50:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:44:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:44:00 +0000

As I sit down to type, I'm again flummoxed by the fact that I can't seem to post more than once a month....this is a problem. So, I think I'm going to make Monday's my new official blogging day......maybe a schedule will make me a better blogger....we shall see.

So, monkeys, wow......in just three days you will be 2.5 years old! My little preschoolers are getting old :). And big--we were at the doc's office recently, and Julia weighed in at 25lbs., while Kate--you behemoth babe, weighed in at 28.5lbs. This is the first time in your lives that there has been more than a one-pound differential between the two of you. Up until recently, Kate, you've never been more than 3/4-1 lb. heavier than Julia. Looks like you hit a growth spurt, my love--not surprising though, considering that your dresses were getting shockingly shorter as the summer came to an end (which I thought was adorable--you won't be able to get away with that much longer). You guys are just now able to wear 2T bottoms--you need the length, for sure, but man--we have to steer clear of pants/skirts that don't have adjustable waists. Thank gawd 2T is when most retailers decide to include those handy-dandy buttony things so we can keep those pants up! I can't believe how skinny minny you guys are--you have no tummies or waists!

You two have been in preschool for almost a month now, and you are loving it. You have yet to cry during drop-off, which has been wonderful, but part of me does wonder if I should feel bad that you can't wait to walk into your classroom and leave me all by my lonesome? Kidding--it's so sad to watch some of these moms whose kids are struggling with the whole separation issue....I'm really not sure who it's harder on, the moms or their babes.

Your teachers are Miss Mohr and Miss Chomiak (pronounced Ko-mee-aak), and you.are.in.love. You are constantly asking, on your days off, where your teachers are, and when you're going to see them. I especially love that even though you know they are two people, whenever you refer to them, they become one--"Miss Mohr Chomiak". It's very reminiscent of cousin Livvy and what she would do with "Brosini Fehr". I'm so glad we decided to sign you up for school--you two are thriving and it melts my heart to see how happy you are. I love waiting to pick you up with the other mom's--we all stand in the hall gathered around the closed door, and listen to you talk. Julia, you surprised the daylights out of me on your first day there--for some reason, I thought you would be a bit shyer than Kate, and I won't forget eavesdropping in the hall, and how you were just talking a mile a minute. Miss Mohr Chomiak :) would ask a question and you would be the first to shout, and I do meant shout, out the answer. Talk about Mommy being guilty of Mommy Pride!

Daddy and I are really enjoying watching your relationship with one another blossom. You two still fight, much more than we would like, but you are definitely enjoying one another so much more than you ever have. I could listen to the two of you (when you're not fighting) talk to one another for hours and days and weeks on end. You love to play games together, even though you aren't actually, ya know, playing GAMES. You're just playing......you both just love to say "I play games with (insert name here). Kate, the way you continue to look out for Julia, especially when she's crying, just crushes me. Who would have thought that at 2.5 years old you would be more compassionate than many adults I know. It isn't unusual for you to bring Julia her lovey, or a drink when she's hurt, and you particularly love to offer her hugs and kisses. Sometimes she even accepts!

We were getting ready for school the other morning, which is not an easy task.......I swear, for loving preschool as much as you do, you sure make it a total pain in the patoot for me to get you guys out the door. Anyway, Kate, I dressed you first, and Julia, you walked over to Kate and got sooooo close to her face (the way you do when you're telling Daddy about your day--you seem to think we're all a bit deaf). You put your hand on Kate's shoulder while crouching down and said "wow, Kaaaate, you soooo bootiful, you willy pwitty today." Stomach stabbing pangs of love, hello! What an angel you are.

Since I last posted a lot of cool things have happened.....Kate, you've peed in the potty three times now--way to go Tatie-T! Julia, you are now correctly pronouncing words like ladybug and butterfly, which I know is good, but I do admit, I miss leakybugs and bubbaflies. Both of you are getting closer to correctly pronouncing Julia's name--since you started talking, we've gone from Buggy to Gia to the latest, Jooo-eeea-ah. It was so funny, Kate, the day you figured it out. We were driving home from Wee Play, and the entire 20 minutes, you sat in the back of the car saying "Joooeeeah" over and over.andover.andoverrrrr. It was hilarious.

You two are just so funny (when you're not whining or fighting--there's been a LOT of that too, but I don't want to focus on that right now). Kate, we've been call you various versions of Potato-derived monikers since you were born (Taters, Tash, Tatie-T, etc), and you've recently decided that it's ONLY okay for ME to call you Tatie-T if Daddy's around. We were driving home from somewhere the other day, playing the "on the waaaay" game, and you told me "Mommy, no call Tatie-T, I name Kate." This was followed by "Mommy, don't call Cinda-ILLA, it name Cinder-elllla." You, my dear, were the one who started the Cinda-Illla craze, but apparently, we all need to be as mature and articulate as you and pronounce things the right way.

Julia, you are such a polite little wonder--you love to say "thank you" as you should when the situation calls for it, but what cracks us up, is the way you follow your thanks with "wah welcome". Never mind that somebody else should be giving you the wah welcomes. You are still so extreme with your moods--and when you're happy, you are truly a ray of effusive sunlight and giggles. You laugh so easily, and you often laugh for no reason at all. You spend so much time singing, and we're so impressed with your ability to carry a tune.....we actually tried to videotape you over the weekend, but you weren't really having it.

I need to wrap this up as I've gone on long enough. You two are giving me a run for my money, but I am oh so in love with you.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:14:00 +0000

The best things in life start with "B"......

Seriously, I never realized (but now do, thanks to Kate and Julia) how many of my favorite things start with the letter "b". The list includes, but of course isn't limited to, beaches, babies, bubbles, baths, bubbles in the bath, brownies, butterflies, books....well, you get the point. And to be fair--a lot of those aforementioned favorite aren't really my favorites, rather, they're the girls'. We were outside yesterday, and the girls were freaking out b/c they wanted to go back to the beach. Julia also wanted the bubbaflies to go to the beach, along with Lovey and bubbles. I clearly have too much time on my hands, as my mind started to wander and I had the epiphany that the girls and I really dig things that start with the letter "b". Anyway, I don't know why I felt the need to share, but there you go.

We spent all of last week at the shore with Scott's parents. So. Much. Fun. Seriously, it was a blast--not many people are lucky enough to have in-laws that they can spend a week with and then be disappointed that that week flew by! We didn't have the best of weather, but it didn't even matter. The girls were beyond thrilled to be hang out with their grandparents, and it's been a rough adjustment for all of us to be back in the real world.

Bama (aka, Scott's mom) introduced Julia to sponge rollers, or "roaders", in Julia-speak. Julia was so enthralled with the roaders, that she insisted on wearing them. In public. To the zoo. To say we received some strange looks would be an understatement. Luckily, all the women we encountered were generous with the knowing smiles, and the "been there, done that" comments. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, especially when your opponent is a willful and headstrong two and a half year old. And, as Pat/Bama/Scott's mom, pointed out, Julia's hair put a lot of smiles on the faces of strangers.

The girls loved the zoo. Julia loved it so much that as soon as we saw the bears, she started screaming. Our little fearless wonder wanted to "go play yard with bear"--she was literally trying to jump the fence to get to the caged area. Crazy monkey!

Kate wasn't as interested in watching the animals--mainly b/c a lot of the zoo is in this heavily wooded area, and to see the animals, you walk on this never-ending (and wide) wooden bridge. Kate likes to run and was enjoying spazzing out in all that open space. She surprised us on the way to the zoo by asking if we would see flamingoes. Umm, I didn't even know that she knew what a flamingo was. Since I had no idea whether or not the 'mingoes would be there, I told her that they wouldn't. Boy was she psyched to find out Mommy was wrong--I'm not sure I've ever seen her so happy.

There were so many precious moments (barf, can't believe I just said that as I HATE the Hallmark figurines that go by the same name) during the week. It's hard to know which ones to write down here, or which ones to store away.

The one that sticks out the most in my mind, though, happened one night at dinner. The adults were eating while the girls played and Scott's parents were making a toast to vacation. Scott piped in with a toast to Kate and Julia, and was quickly interrupted by Kate yelling "yay, Bama Grandpa, yay, Grandpa David!" Her timing was impeccable, and what was particularly sweet was that prior to her contribution, she had never called Scott's dad anything other than "Grandpa." She obviously picked up on Pat calling Dave by his first name, and it was soooo sweet.

The girls loved the beach--the water was almost warm, still a bit chilly, but warm enough that you did eventually get used to it without feeling like your extremities were going numb. Kate was fascinated and disgusted by the seaweed, and the first time she saw it, thought it was cat puke and asked me to clean it up. By the end of the trip, she decided she liked seaweed and would run up and down the water's edge looking for seaweed to talk to. Did I mention she never stops talking :) ?

Our travels are coming to a halt for now, but Mimi (my mom) will be out here in 2.5 weeks--yay! She managed to time her visit to coincide with the girls' first week of school which will be perfect--I may need the emotional support!

Heart hug, off to clean.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:12:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:07:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:04:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:16:00 +0000

TIDBITS........

I have to rush through this post as I'm supposed to be getting ready to go out of town......but there are some things I need to write down so my already horrid memory doesn't forget just how sweet life can be. When I return from vacay, perhaps I'll try and organize these "thoughts" in a more mannerly fashion, but, eh....I doubt it!

*The girls are definitely digging being sisters these days....that's not to say they don't fight, but there has been a lot of positive play time going on. This leads to some really cute moments that make me get that melty-gushy feeling. For instance, we were swimming the other day, and Julia was talking about her purple finger (which Kate slammed the door on about 3 wks. ago). She loves to talk about her boo-boo, and mentions it to me at least 100x a day. Besides wanting the world to know her fingernail is, indeed, purple, she also wants to talk about how "door shut my finger", and how much it hurt. During this conversation in the pool, Julia looked up at me and said "kiss it all better." I assumed she wanted, me, the irreplacable Mommy, to kiss it all better (hell, we even have a song about kissing it all better). Nope, I got the toddler look of death from her as I tried to lean in for a smooch. At the top of her surprisingly mighty lungs, she yelled, "NO MOMMY KISS!! I want KAAAATE kiss better!" Luckily, Kate was in an obliging mood and all ended well.

*The same day, Kate decided that she needed a hug from Julia. Now Julia isn't as forthcoming with the cuddles as Kate, so I was a bit worried when Kate started bothering Julia with her non-stop, "Gia, hug Kate? Gia, hug Kate." Julia gave Kate a very sweet, and quite long hug, and then the shit hit the fan. Kate decided that since that first hug was so great, she needed another. And another. And....yeah, you get the drift. All hell broke loose as Kate chased Julia around the yard screaming for more hugs, and Julia screamed "leave Gia lone Kate" over, and over, and over. Kate would not be distracted and I seriously couldn't even find any words as she proceeded to have one of the most colossal meltdowns I have ever seen her have. Yikes.

*The following is a conversation that I had with the girls this week while driving home from the sitter.

Me: So, Julia, I heard you were crying a lot for Michelle this morning.

Julia: Yes. Buggy B crynin.

M: Why were you crying, Bug?

J: I sad.

M: But why were you sad sweetie?

Kate: Mommy, Gia crynin she miss Karen. Mommy Karen. Mommy, YOU be Karen. Yes?

*I'm so bad about keeping up with the girls' baby books (&, ahem, this blog), but I am so entertained by some of the words Julia uses--mainly b/c of her super-sweet girly voice, but also because of the typical mispronunciations that occur as she tries to figure it all out. Some of my current faves include: leakybug (ladybug), bubbafly (butterfly), cool (pool, as in "go simmin in new cool, mommy"), fider (spider), oppodots (opposites), and helipocter (self-explanatory, no?). My all-time fave, which actually isn't that new is "I carry you", which clearly translates to "pick me up".

*Time outs continue to be a success although there are still plenty of tantrums going on. Julia has gotten much better about apologizing, which she never used to do. Kate still spends a heck of a lot more time in time-out than Julia, but Julia will typically keep her sister company while she's serving her sentence.

I know there's so much more, but these are some of my faves. We're off to the shore for a week w/Scott's folks, so I won't be near a computer......hoping to get loads of good pics of our sugars to share when we return.

Heart hug.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Okay, if I've said it once, I've said it a million times.....I really wish somebody would tell me when my babies stopped being babies. How did I miss it? I'm only with them every waking moment so it's a bit frightening that such a monumental transition occurred without me really noticing. I mean, of course, I noticed things.....but still.

First, they figured out how to get up and down the stairs by themselves. Next it was opening and shutting doors, and now, they are practically dressing themselves, singing the ABC song, and counting to 10 (leaving out a number here and there). They are almost at the point where they no longer fit perfectly into my arms. They've grown, for pete's sake. Clearly I knew this was to be expected, but man, I didn't notice how tall they had become until they insisted on wearing their Easter dresses the other day. The dresses were just the slightest fraction too short, and I felt a fleeting but piercing pain. My helpless lil' babes are not so helpless anymore *sniff, sniff*.

The highlights of our week included the girls' first trip to Story Time at our town library.....they were thrilled to see so many books in one place, as evidenced by Kate trying to pull every single book in reaching distance off the shelf. They didn't sit so well during the actual reading of the stories, and I was quite dismayed to hear Kate shout at me (while I was at the water fountain):

"Mommy, I have this for you, I need new diaper."

Um, yeah, okay. Nice to see that lil' Miss Thing had pulled off her diaper and was swinging it in the air as she strutted over to me. Lucky for me there were no scathing glances/remarks as everyone turned to witness the spectacle. Yikes.

Clearly, potty training isn't going well. Actually, we haven't even started potty training, although I don't know why. The girls sit on the potty every single day, but have yet to produce any, um, results. They are quick to tell me when they need to be changed, but their kidneys and bowels are apparently incapable of action once their tushes hit the toilet.

We have two chatty kathies on our hands, and we are really enjoying the daily oratories of both girls. Kate is constantly giving me a running dialogue on what we are doing, what she wants to be doing, etc. She takes it one step further by answering any and all questions posed to other people, especially Julia. It's a little too cute when I make whatever meal for them, and Kate, upon receiving her food, rewards me with a "good job, Mommy." If she's feeling particularly sweet, I even get a "thank you."

Julia makes everything into a song. If we're going to the park, she starts singing about the park. And the slides. And the swings. She loves to sing. Most of her songs are sung to the melody (harmony?) of "Twinkle, Twinkle", but she's just started branching out this week and it's soooo sweet (esp. since she has such a delicate girly-voice).

We have a lot of exciting events coming up--friends from CO visiting this week (which includes Scott taking an entire day off work, the girls going to the sitters, and the adults carousing around NYC--woo hoo), a trip to the shore with Scott's parents, Mimi (my mom) is coming out for a week, and Aubrey, Ottis, and Cam are coming in October.

The only downer there is that I don't have any scheduled sister time coming up. And in case you're confused, the sisters I am referring to are myself and Sara (not K & J). I need to try and figure something out so I can see her, as there is no way in h.e.l.l. that I can wait until the holidays to see Sarie and her family. Not cool. Ugh, the only thing really holding me back from a trip "home" is the fact that K & J's nursery school doesn't prorate. And we all know I need at least 2 weeks every time I go home.

Getting too tired to focus, must try and rest these weary bones. Thank you Nitin, my calves and shoulders are killing me from last night's class.

Heart hug.

P.S. Hoping to update and add pics before I turn 40.

P.S.S. The Mighty Panini is not so freaking mighty. They ran out of meat when Scott when to pick up our lunch. Seriously, that's like a pizza place running out of cheese. I give the place 2 months.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:24:00 +0000

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY, DAD!!

I would typically be on the phone with my dad right about now, trying to wish him a happy one, but, I was just informed by my sister that he's behind the wheel right now. Cell phones and my dad don't mix in general, but I know, as a Leonard, that "yapping and driving" is even more of a no-no. My folks spent the week in Chicago, revisiting their roots, and they chose today to drive back--not how I would want to spend such a significant birthday, but hey, what do I know?

Anyway, my dad doesn't even read my blog (at least to my knowledge), but I'm thinking about him and missing him today--I'm so glad we had the party for him because it does help ease the guilt I feel about not being with him on his actual birthday. I mean, seriously, he's kinda getting old, ya know :) ?

He knows how much I love him, so instead of doing what I would usually do--writing a sappy tribute of sorts (which, ahem, was already done/delivered at his party), I'll keep it simple. Happy Birthday, Dad--you're the best and I love and miss you tremendously!

So, the girls........ah, yes, these girls of ours......where do I start? They are a mischevious and wild pair, and they are constantly challenging and delighting us. They seem so much older than 27 months--especially when they say things like "go away, Mommy." That's one of their newest commands, typically reserved for those frequent moments when they are trying to do something they shouldn't be doing.

Both girls have developed incredibly strong opinions. About everything. But, especially about what they will and won't wear. I'm a bit worried about what this will mean for the future. Both girls want to wear dresses. All. The. Time. That includes bedtime. Julia prefers to wear her dresses with a skirt underneath. She's very particular that one. When she goes into fashionista mode with her dress/skirt ensemble, she's adamant that at least 2 inches of the skirt be showing beneath the hem of the dress. This often entails her wearing her skirt below her tush. And all H.e.L.l breaks loose if everything isn't just so. Aye aye aye. I don't understand where they are getting this, as I have NEVER liked wearing skirts or dresses. EVER. Between the dress issue and the obsession with shoes, I have a feeling Scott and I are going to be fighting a long, uphill, and expensive battle when it comes to outfitting our offspring.

I'm pretty psyched because I finally found a pre-preschool program for the girls that is, at least right now, seeming pretty ideal. It's actually a new part of the YWCA's program--this will be their first year running a program for 2 year olds (and the girls don't have to be potty-trained, major bonus!). I went and visited the facility (it's held at a church) and met the two teachers, and it was love at first sight. I hope it isn't presumptuous of me to say this (knock on wood), but I really think the girls are going to thrive there. They are both so hungry for knowledge and new experiences and I don't know that I'm giving them enough in that department. I certainly try, but, who knows......

Okay, must run as Julia is insisting on taking a bath........

Hoping to post pics soon!

Heart hug.