Still Life With Toddler

Blowin' In the Wind...

2009-10-21T09:45:00.004-04:00

Cool weather, apple picking and falling leaves - Fall is officially upon us. Despite not really having a lawn, we still have plenty of leaves that descend upon our driveway and sidewalk area. In addition to raking them all up, one of Elijah's favorite activities is helping Marc blow away all the leaves, dirt and debris. The other day they took to the driveway to clean up. But first, Elijah and Marc had a little fun with the camera.

Then Elijah grabbed the camera and got some great shots of Marc!

Elijah had a blast and our driveway looked great. I just looked out the window, however, and it seems like we've been blanketed in leaves once more. Perhaps it's time to pull out the leaf blower again.

As Big As a Whale...

2009-10-14T13:12:00.002-04:00

Elijah has been out of diapers now since early summer. He's been great about letting us know when he needs to pee and has no trouble using the potty, except for....poop. For some reason each time he needs to go #2 he demands a diaper and won't even listen to the idea of using the toilet. I figure since he pretty much learned to use the potty all on his own, I'm not going to push this and let it work itself out.
I do however, ask questions. Each time he requests a diaper so he can do his business I always ask if he'd prefer to use the potty. He always refuses. Today I decided to ask when he thought he'd be ready to use it for poop. Elijah's well thought out response?
"When I'm bigger. Like, as big as a whale."
Oh, good to know that it might still be sometime then...

A Walk in the Woods

2009-10-12T14:37:00.004-04:00

The other day Marc and Elijah took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to go for a hike. Elijah really loves walking through the woods, searching for various creaturs, checking out what seems like every rock, leaf and twig along the trail and of course, no hike would be complete without a picnic lunch. Despite not finding any dinosaurs, manatees or bears (all animals he hoped to encounter while out in the woods) he still had a pretty fabulous time.

Howling like a coyote

Third... 1st Day of School

2009-09-17T09:08:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Elijah's first real day of school. Never mind the fact that his school had been in session since the week before, I am still counting yesterday as his first day of school. Marc or I accompanied Elijah during the days preceding "the real first day." Elijah's school is fine with parents hanging out in the hallway, reading a book in one of the many chairs that line the corridor. So, we did. Those first few days, with either Marc or I in the background seemed to go well. Elijah did pop out of his classroom a couple of times here and there to check for us, but otherwise seemed to be doing great.
I think that it was really more of an issue for me. This was the first time that Elijah has ever gone to something resembling a school setting. Beyond that he hasn't had much experience being looked after by somebody other than us. He loves hanging out with his grandparents or with friends of ours, but outside of that, this was a whole new world, for all of us. Not only did Elijah had to be comfortable and enjoy his new school, I had to feel secure knowing that his teachers were going to take good care of them.
So, yesterday Marc dropped Elijah off with the promise that I would be there to pick him up, and he left. Elijah didn't make a fuss, but I was on pins and needles wondering if he was truly okay. An hour into his school day (he is only there for three hours!) I called the front office, acting every ounce the nervous parent. The soothing secretary reassured me that she would go check on him. A few minutes later she returned with a positive report - no tears or sadness in sight!
Of course, the real reassurance came when I went to pick Elijah up. He was playing happily on the swings and when I walked up to him I anticipated a cheerful reunion, with him running towards me, wrapping me up in one of his fabulous hugs.
No dice.
He just continued swinging, barely allowing me a second glance before demanding I come and push him higher. Well, at least I'm good for something.
Here are a few photos from the first day Elijah did indeed go check out his school (with me in tow). He had fun making silly faces as you can see...

Country Fair Fun...

2009-09-14T17:32:00.004-04:00

Few things scream "Fall is coming!!" to me more than the Tri Country Fair. Every year in early September this fair rolls around. It's not the largest or most unique fair, but it has found a place in my heart. Even more so now that Elijah is able to enjoy it so much. This year he took his first carnival ride ever - the merry go round! He also checked out the various livestock, farm equipment, monster trucks and ate tons of fair food, culminating in soft serve ice cream for dessert.

Cooking Lessons...

2009-08-26T09:28:00.005-04:00

I am blog fail. I realize this, I feel bad about it, yet I've done nothing to really change it. So, instead of droning on and on about how sorry I am I'll just say that we've been busy, and I've taken quite a few videos (yay Flip!) that I'll be posting soon to make up for the lack of posts.

I'll start with this one, of Sina & Elijah cooking in the play kitchen. I've been joking lately that Sina & Elijah should have their own you tube channel of "toddler how to's" as they've shared many important instructionals lately (How to pick cherries, How to do yoga, and now...How to cook).

Enjoy this informative video on how to make hotdogs, salad and potatoes...a complete summer meal.

Outside Art

2009-08-09T14:39:00.004-04:00

With the sun shining and a cool breeze a blowin', its been hard to stay inside despite Elijahs itch to color, color, color! So, we just took it outside, marking up the entire span of brick wall outside of our house with chalk drawings of everything and anything we could think of.

Thinking of what to draw...

Some of our finished masterpiece

Elijah with a little chalked up nose (hey, when you run out of canvas...improvise!)

Cousins, curls and cuteness...

2009-08-04T09:42:00.006-04:00

This past month Elijah's cousin Jori made the long trek from Eugene, Oregon all the way to the east coast with Aunt Bec and Uncle Jeremy. We finally got to hang out with them last week, checking out a water park down by Bubbi and Gramps. Despite not having seen each other for a while, the two cousins played like no time had past at all. They quickly found a comfortable rhythm and had a fun time exploring the park together.

A few people remarked that the two kids looked liked siblings and I couldn't have agreed more, with their tight curls bouncing around as they ran. Between Marc and I, Elijah really stands no chance but to rock his curls, which make their presence loudly known during these summer months.

Jori & Elijah showing off those crazy, cute curls.

Exhibit A - my curls. No wonder Elijah's hair twists and turns the way it does!

We're lucky that Bec & Jori are coming up to visit us here later this week so this kids can have some more time together. I know they're both looking forward to it!

2009-07-28T13:21:00.007-04:00

and the lapse in posting continues...These past few weeks have been filled to the brim from playing outside all day to picking blueberries, visiting Savta at camp, hanging out with friends and general summer shenanigans. Even this morning we were wrapped up in the miracle of life, watching two baby goats being born into this world at our friends' house. I can't say that I have been too vigilant about taking many pictures, as I'm usually caught up in the fun and play, but our new video camera has definitely made an appearance or two. Here is a glimpse into some of the fun we've been having lately:

Elijah having fun at the Children's Museum (on a field trip with Savta's camp).

Watching a concert at our friends' store, Impish.

Playing at a local water park to escape the heat!

Cherries Jubilee

2009-07-13T11:15:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting...we've been so busy being out and about, and I have to admit to being lax in taking photos. So, in lieu of some photos, here's a little video taken with my new Flip video camera! We went cherry picking yesterday, and while Hannah and I picked bags and bags of cherries, Elijah and Sina mostly just filled their bellies full of the sweet fruit.

A boy and his beach...

2009-06-30T12:47:00.004-04:00

Just a few more glimpses of Elijah enjoying the beach a few weeks ago.

A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing...

2009-06-20T07:29:00.008-04:00

The ocean called, and we answered, driving over three hours last Saturday to Truro, MA. Marc had been able to get a week off of work and we decided to spend it on Cape Cod, renting a house all the way up by the tip, near Provincetown. Marc grew up going to the Cape every summer since his uncle used to have a house out there and has many fond memories that include lots of sun, sand and ocean waves. I had only been a couple times before, but each time I grew more in love with the area, and couldn't wait to bring Elijah there.
We packed up the car and headed off, eager to get to the beach. We made it to our rental house around dinner time, but before grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to head down to the beach first. We went to the bayside beach and Elijah marveled at the "puddle" in front of him. The weather was cool, but the feel of soft sand beneath our feet and the smell of the salty sea air had us hanging around for quite some time.

Finally at the beach!!

ahhhh....

The next few days were spent checking out the various beaches and what they had to offer. Sometimes we'd go to the ocean side beaches where the waves ruled, and other times we stayed amidst the calm of the still, bayside beaches.

Checking out the water...

hm...thinking about going in.

Pretty fun!

After a few days by ourselves, a bunch of our friends came to visit and spend a few days at our place. We had a blast. Elijah had his friends to play with, we had our friends to hang out with and we had so much fun playing in the sand and sea. We had a bonfire at one of the ocean beaches one night where we roasted hot dogs and s'mores. I still have the smell of the bonfire tucked deep into my sweatshirt!

Simone, Elijah & Zeben

Marc playing with the kids

mmm....campfire hotdogs, delicious!!

Jasper, Lex & Zeben hunting for hermit crabs!

Bath time! Thankfully we had a tub that was big enough for all of them!

The tub had jacuzzi jets, which most of the kids were fans of. Zeben and Elijah were not into it at all. But they had no problem watching their friends have fun!

Bedtime story hour with Marc

The Cape Cod Crew!

Getting our Groove On!

2009-06-05T22:32:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we packed our overnight bag, piled into the car and headed to Boston. Our main destination was Fenway Stadium, home of the Red Sox. However, we were not going to see a baseball game. Instead, one of our favorite bands, Phish, was playing a concert there.
We decided to bring Elijah along, since he loves to listen to music and dance, dance, dance. This concert was no exception. We swung by my brother's apartment, right outside of Boston, to pick him up before heading to our hotel. Elijah and I took a nap while Marc and Amir hung out in the city. Upon waking we got ourselves together and walked outside, only to be met by some rain! We had brought along some rain gear so we stayed dry, and the rain quickly ended an hour or so later. We grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to Fenway.
The highlight of the weekend for Elijah happened on the way to Fenway. We got to ride the "T", Boston's subway line. It was jam packed with people all headed to the show, but Elijah loved it all the same. Once we finally arrived at Fenway the energy was palpable. Everyone was excited for the show and ready to dance the night away. The concert started early and so it didn't go as late as usual ones do. We enjoyed a fun night of great music and running into some friends before heading abck to the hotel around 10:30ish. Then we all piled into bed and fell quickly to sleep. The next morning after breakfast we headed back onto the highway to drive home. Although our stay in Boston was short, it was fun filled and fondly remembered.

In the car, heading to Boston

Happy family ready to see Phish!

Once the skies cleared we were blessed with a beautiful rainbow!

Down & Dirty

2009-05-29T18:39:00.004-04:00

One of the pleasures I've had with creating our new garden space is watching the pride Elijah takes in caring for it. He always makes sure to remind me when we need to water the garden and is always quick to jump in and share what we have planted with random passerby's. I'm proud of the garden as well. We took a bit of space, originally filled with mostly shrubs and turned it into a flourishing garden. Our greens are growing strong, our herbs are spreading and I am shocked at how fast our peas are growing. There is definitely a strong sense of proud ownership when you can sit down to a meal where many of the ingredients are from your front yard. We're nowhere near growing all of our own food, but this small step makes me happy.
I also think that there is some silly pride associated with just how dirty Elijah can get. At some point socks and shoes come off and Elijah's toes wriggle around in the dirt, free as can be. Sometimes I will join him, relishing the feel of the cool dirt between my toes. Other times I'll just watch him enjoy himself and think to myself that another dirt rimmed tub will be the end result that night.

Game night - fun for the whole family!

2009-05-23T18:55:00.002-04:00

A few months ago we started up game night - a night that occurred about once a month where we'd get together with friends, have some good food and play some fun games. The best part about game nights is that the kids would come along and get to play, while the adults were (mostly) left alone to enjoy whatever game we had chosen to play that night.
A couple of weeks ago we hosted game night here. We ordered some pizza and after a few rounds on the wii, headed upstairs to play Cranium. The kids busied themselves playing games and after a while we got absorbed in the game. That's when we realized it was quiet, almost too quiet. SOmebody then sniffed the air and thought they smelled shampoo. After sending out one of the adults on a search expedition, we discovered the kids in the third floor shower, emptying a container of shampoo down the drain. In the process they also managed to get shampoo smeared all over themselves. After quickly being stripped of their clothes we turned the water on and let the kids take an impromptu shower. Getting them redressed, however, proved to be a bit more of a challenge, and so we let them run around naked while we went back to the game. At one point Elijah and Zeben found the clay that came with the game and enjoyed playing with it. The night wore on until a team won (Marc, Lex & Megan if memory serves me right), and sleepy babies insisted that it was bedtime.

George & The Man In the Yellow Hat

2009-05-18T15:40:00.003-04:00

The other day Elijah asked me for some more water while he was eating lunch. I walked into the kitchen to refill his cup and brought it back to him. He responded with, "Thanks Man In the Yellow Hat!" and broke into giggles.

I looked at him, unsure of what he was up to, but I soon caught on when he said, "Ima - Man In the Yellow Hat. Elijah, George."

Clearly we were playing pretend and I just got the memo. This morning he slipped back into his role of "George" with ease and all morning was spent in character, with Elijah chastising me if I neglected to call him George instead of Elijah. The imagination that he possesses at just two years old makes me feel creative and I love him for that. It's wonderful to watch as he lets me in on the joke and shares his world with me. I wish I had some pictures of us as George and the Man In the Yellow Hat, but we were just too busy being silly. Instead, here are a few more from the park the other day.

My little shutterbug

2009-05-11T10:29:00.006-04:00

Elijah has always been fascinated with our camera. It's probably because he's had it shoved into his face from birth, as I snap away doing my best to document everything that has gone on in his short life. He continually asks to try the camera out on his own, and isn't pacified when I hold it out for him to see through the lens. He needs to hold it himself! So, throwing caution to the wind this morning, Marc and I let him have at it, always hovering to make sure the camera didn't fall or smash into anything. He snapped away, sometimes just taking pictures of random things, other times setting up a scene to capture something specific. He asked Marc and I to pose a few times as well. We both watched quietly, letting him do his own thing despite the fact that I frequently wanted to tell him to lower the camera or raise it up a bit. I was a little skeptical while I uploaded the pictures, but was shocked and amazed when I saw the results. Elijah already has quite the keen eye when it comes to taking pictures. His perspective is totally different than mine and that comes through in his photos. He really did seem to put a lot of thought into the pictures that he took and I think that shines through.

I love this series of his little guys. He used the same background, but switched up the guys for each picture.

Close up of his baby doll

We were instructed to be silly

A couple pictures of the photographer. Wearing a t-shirt for "pants" and his baby in a mei tai. He chose his own outfit today, clearly.

Peas & Carrots

2009-05-05T21:40:00.004-04:00

There is a line in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest is describing his relationship with long time friend Jenny, "Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots."

I find myself thinking of that quote a lot lately when I watch Elijah and Sina playing. They can go days or sometimes weeks without seeing each other because of our busy schedules and when they get together it's like no time has passed.

Super Saturday!

2009-05-03T08:15:00.007-04:00

The possible threat of rain had me a little worried for all the fun we had planned for our Saturday. However, we woke up to sunny skies and warming temperatures. We started the day off early, driving down to Connecticut to enjoy breakfast with some friends we haven't seen in a while. After a delicious breakfast and some play time we were off to the University of Hartford to take part in a dvd taping for some of our favorite musicians, The Nields! Not only did we get to be included in the making of their first kid's dvd, but we got to enjoy some fun music as well. I wasn't able to get any pictures though, because the television studio didn't allow flash photography.
After singing and dancing our hearts out, we headed back home for some lunch and a well deserved nap. After Elijah woke up we decided to head into town, to check out the Pride event that was going on. Because of a late nap we only caught the tail end of it, but still had fun listening to music and running into a few familiar faces. Elijah loved looking at all the beautiful balloons.

Still riding his new bike. He likes to try and pedal on his own now!

We then decided to head to the park since Elijah had been cooped up in a car for a good portion of the morning and could use some outdoor fun. Marc seemed to agree and played along.

After working up an appetite running around, we decided to grab some dinner at a favorite sushi restaurant. Elijah scarfed down two avocado rolls and half of my tuna roll! He loves his sushi! Then we decided to cap the day off with some ice cream. We made it in before the line was out the door and enjoyed our delicious cones.

The air had cooled off a bit when we got back outside, but it was still a perfect spring day. Elijah biked home and played outside for a while before heading back inside for a bath. Spring days like these make me so happy we live in an area where there is always something fun going on!

How does your garden grow?

2009-04-28T11:32:00.004-04:00

We've finally gotten around to planting our seedlings and I couldn't be more excited. Of course, we picked the hottest day of the week to get out there and garden, but it was well worth it. We planted a variety of lettuce, swiss chard, dino kale, lavender, rosemary and zinnias. We still have some basil to get in the ground, but that will come soon enough. Elijah helped out, and after a few explanations about why he couldn't run around in his "dirt garden" he seemed to genuinely understand that we had to be careful with the plants. Of course, then he found some worms and got distracted. I never thought I would find myself saying "Worms are an outdoor thing, not an indoor one!"

Rosemary

Greens

Watering the tulips

Showing off a worm

Spring into Summer...

2009-04-26T21:55:00.004-04:00

We're only a month into Spring and yet this weekend seemed to have magically fast forwarded up into Summer! The weather was in the upper 80s, the wind warm and the sun shining all day long. We spent pretty much all weekend outside and have the pink cheeks and lighter hair to show for it.

Salad seedling ready to plant in our garden!

Enjoying the sun

Grilling up dinner, yum!

The rainbow we saw earlier this evening (even though it didn't ran by us)

Alternative farms...

2009-04-20T10:12:00.005-04:00

Lately, Elijah has been showing a real anxiety towards large scoop type trucks. This seems to go beyond just a fear, since when he sees one he will literally begin tensing up and shaking all at the same time, a look of intense fright spreading across his face. We're not quite sure what brought this fear on, since he has loved all things trucks for quite some time. In fact, he still loves playing with his trucks, including scoop trucks. Yet, seeing one in real life has turned into quite the ordeal, and we try to avoid them if we can until he's worked through this phase. Unfortunately, that means staying away from the local farm we love to visit. We've tried going a few times recently, prompted by Elijah's insistence that he really wants to visit the farm, only to have the visit end in tears with Elijah glued to either me or Marc.
So, for the time being we have a few options. Luckily, our friends Lex & Lena have recently acquired two adorable goats (and a few chickens!) and no scoop trucks, so Elijah has had a blast hanging out with them.
In addition to our friends'"farm" Elijah has been letting his imagination run wild with his indoor farm as well. He's been playing with the wooden farm my parents bought him for Channukah a bunch lately, creating intricate stories with the various animals. The other day Elijah came up to me, his hands empty, but cupped together as if he was holding something. "Piggies!" he exclaimed, looking down at his hands at the clearly adorable invisible pigs he was carrying. He then went on to describe how the lambs and baby goats were sleeping. While I'm thrilled he is having fun with his play farm and imaginary farm, I'm hoping that his fear of scoop trucks will subside eventually so we can visit our real life animal friends soon!

Family Fun Time

2009-04-19T21:55:00.004-04:00

This weekend we were able to get in some quality family time. My parents, grandparents and brother all came to visit and spend the day with us. As per usual, Elijah had a blast. As soon as we heard my parent's car in the driveway Elijah's face lit up and he ran to the window shouting out for them. The rest of the morning was spent catching up, having Elijah show them all his favorite things and then trying out the great, new bike my grandparents got him. He loves this bike and so do I. He is able to peddle on his own, or I can push him with an attached handle. Elijah has pretty much given up on his stroller, so we've been finding different ways of heading into town (usually we take my bike or an old bike trailer that doubles as a push wagon) and this new bike is definitely going to be making its way into our rotation. We've already taken it into town a couple of times and it's been a ton of fun!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2009-04-13T13:32:00.004-04:00

It is gorgeous out today. The sun is shining, the skies are bright blue with nary a cloud in sight and only a slight breeze in the air. Unfortunately, today is also the day that Marc went back to work. He took all last week off work with big plans to completely transform our garden into a burgeoning vegetable oasis. We got a couple of days in before the weather turned against us and the rain clouds rolled in. It rained for most of the week and made it tricky to get outside and garden. We thought maybe we'd tackle cleaning out the basement, but that never really transpired. Instead, we found ways to enjoy ourselves indoors while keeping warm and dry. (Try and ignore the piles of laundry laying around...we may have been on vacation, but laundry still needed to be done!)

Getting dirty in the Garden!

2009-04-07T21:26:00.003-04:00

We took advantage of the one dry day this week to start revamping our garden. We spent a couple of hours pulling out old flowers, digging out old bushes and trimming down trees. Elijah was into it as well and helped wherever he could. Step one - cleaning out the old - is almost complete. Now the fun part starts up - deciding what to plant! Hopefully the rain will hold off and we can turn the dirt and start planting!

Pizza Party!

2009-04-05T14:12:00.004-04:00

Last night we hosted a bunch of our friends and had a little game night/pizza party/celebration of Marc's birthday. Everyone had a blast. We gorged ourselves on pizza, cookies and chocolate/orange cupcakes. I'm still reeling from all the rich foods this morning. But it was worth it, as we laughed, played games and had fun till late in the evening. And, despite not having his usual daily nap yesterday, Elijah rallied and stayed up partying with his friends.

Zeben and Elijah enjoy pizza together

Aviva & Elijah work together to hold baby Linus while Sina drinks a beer (don't worry! it's empty and washed out)

Aviva & Elijah had fun, not so sure what Linus thinks!

Fuzzy Fun...

2009-04-02T21:49:00.005-04:00

The other day Marc and Elijah went out to pick up a few things at the local natural foods store in town. They were out for quite a bit of time, and I wondered what had happened. It seemed that they headed to our friend's store to hang out for a bit. They came home with a new toy and Elijah had to show me how it works. It was awesome. He already had his technique down and the huge smile on his face as he twirled around was priceless. I grabbed the camera and tried to take a few pictures. The really cute ones came out a bit fuzzy, but I think the fun and joy still shine through...

My afternoon date

2009-03-27T17:31:00.006-04:00

Over the fall, Elijah and I started getting into the habit of going on a post-nap date on the days Marc worked. After he had gotten up we would head outside and go to our favorite coffee shop. Usually Elijah will accompany Marc there in the early morning when he gets a latte (and I'm sleeping in!). However, on the afternoons we have our little dates there it becomes a bit more than a quick run in for a "to go" cup of coffee.

When we went together, back in the fall, I ordered us a hot chai (our favorite!) and a blueberry muffin to split. My plan had been to grab both and enjoy them back at the house so as not to disturb the other patrons who were all busy doing work at their laptops or reading the New York Times. Elijah, however, had a different plan. As we stepped outside the coffee shop to begin our walk home, Elijah sat down in one of the outside chairs.

"Stay, Ima. Eat here." and so we did.

This became our routine for the next couple of months. We would go and get either an iced or hot chai, depending on the weather, and a baked treat to accompany it. We would sit and watch the cars go buy, sometimes commenting on them or not even talking at all. Then, the days grew shorter and colder and the outside tables and chairs were no longer. Winter meandered by and I had almost forgotten all about our special dates. However, today Elijah reminded me as we once again found ourselves at the coffee shop after an impromptu walk. We weren't very hungry, but ended up getting an iced chai from our favorite barista. Elijah again requested to slow down and relax at the coffee shop and I obliged, enjoying the nice respite myself. With the weather warming up, and the outside tables and chairs making a reappearance, I am eager to restart up our dates again, and I think Elijah is as well.

I didn't take any pictures, since my camera was left at home, but here are a couple of pictures of me and Elijah that Marc took the other day.

The spirit of how we feel during these little dates definitely shines through in these pictures!

April Showers Bring May Flowers (In March?!)

2009-03-23T14:08:00.008-04:00

While it is officially Spring, the temperature has taken a bit of dip, reminding us that Spring in New England is a title only. Instead of hunkering down inside the house, we decided to do something spring like, despite the frigid temps. We met up with our friends Meg, Aviva and Liesl and headed to Smith College's Lyman Conservatory. Here you can escape the cold and see signs of spring all year round. The flowers were blooming and it was truly a sight for sore eyes. The annual bulb show had just ended and we reaped the benefits as the conservatory was still decked out in a rainbow of gorgeous flowers. We ambled through the various rooms, breathing in the freesia scent in the flower room, shedding more layers in the tropical rooms, and careful inspecting (but not touching!) the cacti in the moisture free, hot greenhouse (my favorite!). The kids had a bunch of fun looking at the various flowers and plants and Meg and I enjoyed catching up with each other while snapping lots of photos.

The sight that greets you when you walk into the 1st greenhouse

Aviva & Elijah ham it up for the camera

Elijah said that the above tulip looks like it has sparkles on it.

Spring has sprung!

2009-03-20T14:20:00.004-04:00

Spring is officially here and I couldn't be happier! With the weather warming up we have been spending more days outside basking in the sun. We have also been eagerly planning our new garden. Currently the front of our house has two sections of brick walled garden space. There are a few brambly bushes, some dogwood trees and a whole mess of weeds. Last summer some flowers grew and they were quite beautiful but Marc and I are hoping to reconstruct this space into an actual vegetable garden. We've been in the planning stages for a few weeks now and will soon begin to start the process of uprooting what is currently there and planting our garden. Elijah can't be happier. He gets all excited when we talk about the future garden and has chimed in with his own ideas of what we should plant. And while we wait to figure out how we are going to uproot two dogwoods without damaging the brick wall (any suggestions?!) we've been having fun playing in the dirt and pretending to plant seeds. I can't wait for the real deal...

Toddler Time

2009-03-18T12:24:00.005-04:00

There is a remarkable phenomenon that I have come to experience called toddler time. When in this zone you'll notice that time can move incredibly fast or as slow as a snail's pace, depending on what is going on. For example. We can be sitting down to dinner, and before I have even finished my scooping some rice onto my plate Elijah will have finished his meal in record time, looking at us like we're the crazy ones for not having even touched our peas yet. Or, we might need to be somewhere at 9AM. We can have been up since 6AM, but that doesn't matter because somehow, it is now 8:55 and we are nowhere near getting our coats on and headed out the door. Then there are the times when we're having a challenging day and a half an hour can feel like three hours have passed. I'm not yet quite used to running on toddler time, but am doing my best to take my cues from the master, Elijah.
I have also found myself slacking on taking pictures lately as I've been engaged in a lot of playing and rarely find myself thinking about taking pictures. So, I'll leave you all with a few pictures I snapped of Elijah the other day when I absent mindedly left my computer open when I went off to cook dinner. Perhaps he'll be taking over blog duties sometime soon...

A glimpse into the future?

2009-03-16T13:59:00.003-04:00

I love watching Elijah play with his friends. He is a real social butterfly and enjoys all of his friends in different ways. One thing I have loved watching the most is his relationship with Sina. They have been best buds since they were only a few months old. But, that was due to circumstance. Hannah and I lived two streets away and had husbands who worked long/strange hours and so we spent many a day together. But the kids didn't have to like each other just because we did. Thankfully, however, they did and their relationship has grown and blossomed into something just their very own.
Even before they had real vocabularies, Sina and Elijah knew how to communicate with each other. They still have their own way of discussing things and it is so enjoyable to watch them hatch a plan and see it through. I wonder to myself whether they'll still be friends in five, ten, or twenty years. I think of my friend Becky, who has been in my life for twenty-nine years now and hope that they still have a connection like we do when they are older.
Until then, I'll just enjoy watching them interact and play together now. Sometimes it does seem like I'm watching two teenagers though...

At least they have good taste...

Bugging out...the sequel!

2009-03-15T09:36:00.004-04:00

I spoke too soon. I thought that we had seen the worst of it, that Elijah had succumbed to the bug, but somehow Marc and I had miraculously gotten off. Alas, this is how I spent most of yesterday (Elijah is on the floor in sympathy with me!) :

My body ached, I couldn't keep any food down and I was sick as a dog. Elijah and Marc both feel fine, thankfully and kept quite busy so I had lots of time to rest. Elijah was quite concerned and offered me many hugs and kisses in hopes that I would feel better soon. I am a bit better this morning - no laying on the floor for me! Although, I'm not 100% better yet. I am really hoping that this bug will bypass Marc, who seems to have built up a super immune system from working at the pharmacy. I'm hoping I will be all better by tomorrow so I can get outside and enjoy what looks to be spring like weather!

Bugging out

2009-03-10T09:46:00.004-04:00

I thought we had gotten through the winter untouched. I had heard stories of other friends catching...the bug. The dreaded pukey bug. Last year we were hit hard. All three of us got it, with Elijah having it for almost a week and losing two or three pounds, which really took a toll on his small frame. But, this year we had miraculously steered clear from it. That is, until this weekend. Elijah had been complaining that he had an "owie belly" which I thought was due to some constipation he was dealing with. Marc was working 9-9 on Saturday, so Elijah and I went on a date to get some burritos. While he was still in his regular good spirits, Elijah continued to complain of an "owie belly." I had hoped that our walk home might help, but he was really starting to sound like he was in pain once we got home. I sat on the couch and he crawled up into my lap, gave me the saddest look ever and then BLAM! all the beans, cheese, tortilla and guacamole he had eaten for dinner were all over the both of us. I sat there, unsure what to do. How could I minimize getting the puke over the couch, the floor, the rug, etc... Poor Elijah was simultaneously crying and apologizing. I ended up just sacrificing a nearby blanket and stripped us both of all our clothes, dumped them on the blanket to clean up later and whisked us away to the relief of a hot shower. Elijah calmed down and really enjoyed the shower. After the shower he fell asleep right away and slept for almost twelve hours straight. He woke up, immediately puked once more and that was it. I was so thankful that we only had to deal with two pukes. It was a bit harder trying to explain to Elijah why eating an orange for a snack with a raw tummy might not be the best idea, but he enjoyed getting to eat as many bananas and as much applesauce as he wanted. Thankfully, Elijah is all better now, which thrills him, because limiting his diet was not fun for any of now. At least now he can munch on one of his favorite snacks...Bamba (and Israeli treat that Saba & Savta sometimes bring).

Hitting the reset button

2009-03-07T14:49:00.003-04:00

The idea behind a reset button is wonderful. If something isn't working out as plan, you hit reset and you can a clean slate, a chance to start over. This theory would work well in life, yet we don't really have the mechanisms to make it happen, usually. Today was definitely one of those days where I would have been indebted to the inventor of the "real-life reset button". I am just getting over a raging sinus infection, and today was the first day I woke up without feeling like my face was being smashed in between two bricks. I am still a bit stuffy and achy, but feeling a lot better. This weekend is also Marc's weekend to work, so is gone all day today, working a twelve hour day. Once Marc headed off to work, the entire morning seemed to start unraveling. Elijah was full of energy at breakfast and decided to dump his juice, then further scramble his eggs and dump those onto the floor as well. After cleaning up, he proceeded to pee on the floor 3 times. 3! He's been great about asking to go pee in the potty, and was hanging out pants-less this morning and I'm not sure why he chose to pee on the floor, but that's what happened. Then we attempted to get dressed. I managed my attempt successfully, yet Elijah- not so much. After about an hour of running around stark naked, he finally allowed me to help him get dressed. After all of that I decided I needed to reset. I was tired, slightly annoyed and growing more frustrated. I looked outside and saw how gorgeous it was, so I decided that the act of going outside would symbolize our reset. And, it actually worked. We stomped around in the melting snow, drew on the sidewalk with chalk and took a long walk. We came back into the house refreshed and ready for lunch. The meal went off without a hitch and after a book and some nursing Elijah headed down for a nap.
I'm not sure if my magical reset button will work every time, but just knowing it's a possibility is encouraging!

School Daze...

2009-03-04T15:06:00.004-04:00

I mentioned a few posts back that I was filling out an preschool application for Elijah. How did it come to pass that my child has only just turned two and I'm already thinking about schools for him? I've been having a blast hanging out with him on a daily basis at home. We do a number of fun activities outside of home as well. However, he is such a social kid that Marc and I both thought that a few hours of some sort of preschool program would be a fun change of pace for next year. I thought I had plenty of time to figure it all out. It's only the winter and I wasn't planning on sending Elijah anywhere until next fall! However, I quickly learned that I was sorely mistaken.
After overhearing a conversation about how a friend's child couldn't get into a certain program because of his age (there is a strict 2.9 age requirement set by the state) I made a few phone calls and found out that the preschool I was thinking of sending Elijah to was not an option. The director was firm that she only accepted children who were 2.9 in September and did not do rolling admissions to allow kids to start when they turned 2.9 (Elijah would do so mid-October). No amount of pleading helped. We decided to check out a few other places. After finding out that some places already had waiting lists a year or two old I was not very encouraged. Other places seemed more like daycares and en par with what I was already offering Elijah at home. If we were going to send him to school, I wanted him to experience something I was unable to give him here. Finally we decided to tour the local Montessori school. Both Marc and I fell in love. We decided that if we were headed to preschool this is where we wanted to go. However, the application process was a bit daunting. The program we were interested in (only a couple hours, 3 days a week) accepted just 9 new kids and there were many applicants. I felt like I was transported back over 10 years ago when I was applying for college. When did it become so intense for 2 year olds? yikes! But, we did the best we could and answered all the questions with as much candor and detail as possible. Elijah went in for an "interview" which was really just a informal way for him to check out the school and for the teachers to meet him and see how he could fit in there. Then...we waited.
and waited.
and waited.
And today, we got a letter inviting Elijah to join the Montessori school in the Little Children's House program next fall. Marc and I actually jumped for joy and breathed a sigh of relief. How did we get so invested in this? It's only preschool! I shudder to think what college applications will even be like in sixteen years...

Crafting away the winter woes...

2009-03-02T11:49:00.006-04:00

With the start of March comes the promise of springtime. It is around this time that I am usually done with winter and ready to see budding crocuses, grass and warmer temperatures. Unfortunately, the New England weather rarely cooperates with me. Despite the official start of spring (and my birthday!) only a few weeks away I woke up to over six inches of fresh snow outside. While Elijah could be happy shoveling snow all day, I have just about reached my limit! I am eager to get outside without wet, slushy snow mucking up my boots and my needing a down jacket to keep warm.
However, staying inside wears on me too. Elijah and I have played with the same toys and read the same books over and over again. So, over the weekend I took it upon myself to dust off my sewing machine, buy a bunch of brightly colored cloth and started crafting up something new to do! We decided to make some bean bags and both Elijah and Marc helped out and got crafty with me.

The fabric - Elijah helped choose it. We both tended to like the brightly colored patterns!

Sewing away!

Marc and Elijah filled the bags with dried black beans.

They ended up coming out really great and Elijah has been having a great time tossing them into baskets, bowls and whatever else he can find!

Kids say the darndest things...

2009-02-28T09:55:00.004-04:00

I'm sure everyone has heard that phrase before, right? The cliche is true. I find myself bursting out laughing at the things I hear Elijah and his friends say more often then not. Other times however, they just leave me speechless.
Yesterday Elijah and I were hanging out together, while he was eating a snack. He looked at me intently for a while and then came out with this gem: Ima, baby belly? Baby Ima belly.
What? I can pretty much guarantee that there is no baby in my belly. But, it brought up a subject that Marc and I have been thinking about a lot lately. Well, to be fair, I'm the one who is thinking more about it. Marc only seems to think about it when I bring it up. It doesn't help when pretty much all of our friends insist that we should have another baby and that Elijah would be a great big brother. I don't disagree. I think he would be a fabulous older brother. He already has the role of "hall monitor" down pat and I can see him being a loving and fun older brother. And clearly he is ready for a baby. He talks about babies constantly and likes to ponder about babies in my belly. He will also answer in the affirmative if you ask him if he'd like a baby brother or sister.
I'm still on the fence. While I find myself fondly remembering the newborn stage, I also remember the sleepless nights, leaking breasts and baby spit up...I have made lists and see pros and cons for both sticking with one kid and adding one more. So, as it stands, there is currently no baby in my belly, but we haven't entirely ruled it out...For now, I'll enjoy my big little boy!

Why?

2009-02-26T13:24:00.004-04:00

The other night I was hanging out in the bathroom while Elijah was taking a bath. He was sitting in the tub, playing with his bath toys and splashing around happily. he wasn't being very chatty so I took the opportunity to brush my teeth. As soon as I got the brush in my mouth I hear a little voice come from the tub, Ima, what doing? I let him know that I'm brushing my teeth.
Why?
So I can clean my teeth.
Why?
Because I like the feel of a clean mouth.
Why?
Because it feels good to me.
Why?
Well, I really don't like having old food and germs stuck on my teeth.
Why?
At this point I was running out of reasons about why brushing my teeth was really super amazing. Elijah wasn't being whiny or annoying. He just was genuinely interested in each answer I had. With each Why? he would cock his head to the side a little and his eyes turned curious. I wanted to honor his curiosity but truly had no more real answers. So I tried to turn it around on him.
Why not? I replied.
He thought about that for a bit, tried the words out for himself...Why not?, nodded his head and went back to playing with his fish, as if that sufficed.

I thought I had a bit more time until the "why, why, why" phase, but it seems like it is here, and I'm actually looking forward to it a bit. Although I'll probably be eating my words in another few months, when I've heard Why? more times than I can count!

Flutter by...

2009-02-23T09:38:00.004-04:00

We woke up yesterday itching to get out of the house, but unsure what to do with ourselves. Thankfully Elijah had an idea. He was drawing in a little notebook showing me all the pictures of butterflies that he had made. that reminded me that there was a butterfly conservatory only fifteen minutes away that would make the perfect winter field trip. We made sure to get dressed in vibrant colors, since we had read that butterflies are attracted to bright colors and perhaps wearing a bright red or purple would entice them to land on you.

Elijah understood that we were going to see butterflies, but until we actually walked in to the conservatory I don't think he was quite prepared for the amount of butterflies we would see. There were butterflies, of every color, everywhere! Green ones, red ones, orange ones, spotted ones, and blue ones - which were Elijah's favorite.

Of course, as soon as we entered the tropic like environment of the conservatory my camera lens got all fogged up. But it did make for some dream-like quality photos. Almost right away a butterfly landed on Marc. His red shirt was quite the butterfly magnet.

We spent over an hour there, just walking around the garden, looking at butterflies, birds and the various reptiles that lived there. It was quite warm and peaceful, and it almost made me forget that it was below freezing outside with a snowstorm on its way.

Loving Laughter...

2009-02-20T21:45:00.004-04:00

The other day Marc and I were sitting down, filling out an application for Elijah to attend preschool (more on that in a future blog, I promise!). One of the questions was What do you appreciate most about your child? Like any parent, I had a laundry list a mile long of things I loved about Elijah, but I only had ten minutes, eight other questions to answer and less than 2 inches of space to describe all of the things I appreciate about my son. The first thing that came to mind was his sense of humor. I have to say that for a two year old he is quite funny. I find myself laughing out loud on a daily basis in response to something he has said or done. Granted, that could say something about my own sense of humor, but I prefer to think that Elijah has a certain gift when it comes to making people laugh.

Sometimes he will do it unknowingly. He can be sitting by himself, playing with his toys, when I will overhear him reenacting a scene with his dolls. The conversations that come out of that make me giggle and smile, but I try my best to stifle the laughs, so as not to interrupt his play.

Other times it is clear that Elijah's intent is to get you to laugh and he will do anything it takes to reach that goal - making silly faces or sounds, talking in a funny voice, or just acting like a clown. I can't wait until he gets a bit older and starts making up his own jokes! I love that we can make each other laugh pretty easily. It helps diffuse tense or sad moments, livens up a boring day and generally makes us all feel great to get a few belly laughs in every once in a while.

Dino-mite!

2009-02-17T16:07:00.005-04:00

A couple weekends ago we headed down to visit my parents and took a trip to the Peabody Museum. I have fond memories of going to the Peabody, and was excited for Elijah to experience it for the first time. in the past month he has started getting interested in dinosaurs. We have a few books about dinosaurs and he keeps wanting to learn more about this. Triceratops and T-Rex are now a daily part of his vocabulary.
Needless to say, the trip to the museum was a huge success. Elijah got his fill of dinosaurs and I got to brush up on my own dino info since my child loves to ask questions. Did you know that we're no longer calling the big, tall veggie eater Brontosaurus? Yup, they now go by Apatosaurus. I can only imagine the vast amount of dinosaur facts I will have stored in my mind before the year is up...

Checking out some fossils with Savta

Reading up on the Jurassic Age

Really big, prehistoric turtle...imagine running into one of those in the ocean!

Sunny Days...

2009-02-11T15:56:00.001-04:00

The last few days have done a wonderful job of reminding me that Spring is just around the corner. (Although knowing that this is New England, we're probably in for the snowstorm of the year next week!). The temperatures have been creeping up into the 40s and even the 50s and the sun has been shining as well. It has felt great to be playing outside with Elijah without shivering and wondering if it's possible to add on one more layer of clothes. We've also taken advantage of the warmer weather to try and tackle the mountains of ice and snow that are around our property. The driveway is covered in ice and snow and we have a few huge piles of snow near the sidewalk. Everyday we slowly chip away at the mess, revealing more sidewalk or driveway underneath. Elijah enjoys helping out as well and hopefully by sometime in March we'll have cleared away all the remaining signs of winter. We did some more work outside today and it was wonderful to just be outside in a fleece jacket and sunglasses. I could tell Elijah felt the same way!

Handling ice - chilly!

Checking out Milo's car that has been left out all winter long...oops!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

2009-02-09T15:08:00.003-04:00

Before Elijah was even born, both Marc and I were adamant that we would do our best not to impose any institutionalized gender ideals onto our baby. I figured that he will have the rest of his life to deal with the imposition of various gender stereotypes and it did not need to begin at home. We did not find out the gender before the birth, and therefore had a baby dressed in lots of whites, yellows and greens the first few months. However, even once we started buying clothes for Elijah, knowing he was a boy, we bought very few blue outfits. In fact, I think he looks best in purple and orange (neither stereotypical girl or boy colors, really). We also did our best to impart to everyone that we didn't want to thrust him into the preconceived "world of boy" where everything has pictures of trucks or sports. It was easy in the beginning as a plain, old, wooden rattle is as gender neutral as you can get, but as Elijah got older it became a bit harder to figure out. We never pushed him towards certain toys and we never kept him away from others. We did our best to have many varieties of toys available, and I have to say that he can be happy as a clam sitting and nursing his dolls before putting them down for a nap. He can also be extremely content playing with his trains. Elijah loves to create new and varied track set ups each time and then takes his trains around the track many times before rearranging the track one more time and doing it all again. Lately he has been gravitating more towards his trains and trucks, and less towards the dolls, but 'm sure in another month something else will have captured his attention. I'm just doing my part and enjoy watching him get excited by whatever excites him at that particular moment...

Color me crazy

2009-02-05T16:24:00.006-04:00

Slowly but surely the love for art has been creeping into Elijah's life. Lately he has been putting pen (well, usually it is crayon or marker) to paper and expressing himself through drawing. He has yet to make any recognizable pieces, but he clearly knows what they are and will point and tell you if something is a bunny or an umbrella. He is very specific about what color paper he would like to draw on when the urge to create art hits. And he is also pretty good about actually using the paper.

A few of Elijah's drawings

Coloring with Sina

The other day, I walked away to throw some laundry into the dryer and came back to him creating a masterpiece with another medium.

While this looks like a lovely drawing on white paper, when we pan back we see...

Oops! Apparently somebody forgot that we don't draw on walls! Elijah is showing me that he drew on the wall, but that he now remembers that drawing on the walls is a "no no" and he should use paper. I wasn't terribly upset because he wasn't doing it maliciously, and he clearly remembered that we use paper for drawing. And, thankfully I have one of those scary Magic Erasers that wiped it clean with no effort. (I say scary because I'm not sure what exactly is in them that allows them to clean to efficiently. You can't find the ingredients posted anywhere!). From now on, however, I will be a bit more vigilant about making sure that the walls stay color free and only the paper gets drawn on around here!

Our "backyard" farm...

2009-02-01T14:59:00.012-04:00

I have a secret dream of having a house with a big backyard so we can have a small chicken coop and maybe a goat or two. I have absolutely no animal raising skill or experience, was never in the 4-H club and never had a pet bigger than a fish or guinea pig growing up. But something about being able to eat eggs from your own backyard and perhaps even make some fresh goat cheese resonates with me. I'm not so sure about Marc, but I bet Elijah would be on board with my mini farm fantasy. Until then, we'll have to suffice with finding local farms to visit. Luckily, the Vo-Ag school nearby has there very own farm that you can visit whenever you want. And while it may not be exactly in our own backyard, it is close enough that we can easily bike there once the weather warms up and is only a short car ride away! We went a few weeks back with a group of friends and Elijah had a blast. Today we woke up and wanted to get out of the house so we decided to take the short ride to the Vo-Ag farm and see what the animals were up to.
When we were there last time there was a donkey who was extremely pregnant and I was almost sure we would get to enjoy watching a newborn donkey prance around. Unfortunately (both for us and the mama donkey!) no baby was in site and the pregnant donkey was even bigger! One of the workers who was there said that the donkey was probably going to start laboring any day now and they had round the clock staff on just to be safe.

The very pregnant donkey

However, we still got our baby animal fix since there was the addition of two baby goats since the last time we visited. They were adorable!! They were bounding around the pen, nipping at the grass and being playful with each other. They were exactly at Elijah's height and he loved laughing at (with?) them. We even got to see them nurse, which Elijah thought was incredible. He later recreated the scene at home, having his toy dog nurse on his toy pig.

The baby goats scampered around so much it was hard to take a good picture of them!

Elijah checking out the baby goats nursing

After visiting all the animals in the big barn, we headed over to the smaller barn that houses the rabbits, guinea pigs and soon to arrive pigs. The farm had just sold all of their old pigs the last time we were there and were prepping the stalls for a new set of pigs this time around. Hopefully next time we will actually get to see some piggies! However, Elijah loved the rabbits and guinea pigs and even fed one of them some carrot that we had brought from home.

Once the bunny nibbled away at the carrot we headed outside to find the horses. These horses are no regular horses - they are huge work horses. They are absolutely gorgeous!

Extreme close up of the beautiful horses!

We had brought the carrots with the idea that the horses would be into eating them and we were right. Bob, the big brown horse quickly chomped up all of the carrots that we had left with us, leaving none for the other horses. Elijah wasn't too sure about feeding the horses and was even a little afraid of them, but did quickly stick his hand out to try and pet them once or twice. He felt more at ease all snuggled up in either Marc's or my arms.

After hanging out with the horses, Elijah got a little more brazen and helped feed some cows that were hanging out near the troughs. He enjoyed that immensely, perhaps because they were a bit smaller than the horses.

We finally left the farm after making sure to say good by to every.single.animal. I am sure we will be back soon, as we cannot wait to meet the baby donkey and we hear that a sheep is close to giving birth soon as well!

Photo Remix...

2009-01-31T18:25:00.010-04:00

I got inspired earlier today after reading my friend Lex's blog. I realized that despite the plethora of photos I share on the blog, there are a ton more that go unshared. Some get printed out, others burned to disc and shared with my great-grandparents down in Florida. Mostly they just get archived away into the memory of my computer and taken out every so often when Elijah requests a trip down memory lane. He enjoys flipping through the various photo albums that i-photo creates each time I upload new pictures. He will point out every person in each photo and if a certain picture sparks a memory he'll share with me the story that it evoked.

Reading a story with Bubbe

Fireman fun

Goofing around

A favorite outfit around here...a warm top, undies and babylegs!

Playing with a funky stars/moons light

I just love this one...it really reminds me of Marc

Like father, like son...

2009-01-27T14:33:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty sure the pictures explain it all. But for those that are curious, my mother knit Elijah the sweater and hat, and Marc was so into it that he requested a sweater for himself. They both wear them frequently, and Elijah actually had his on the day Marc's sweater came in the mail...

Cookie Monster

2009-01-24T16:13:00.004-04:00

One of my Channukah gifts from Marc was the Martha Stewart Cookie Cookbook. The book is filled with a plethora of cookie recipes, each with an accompanying photo to tempt you into making it. Once we had flipped through the book, Marc and I had made a promise that we would no longer buy prepackaged cookies and if we were in the mood for a sweet treat, we would have to make it ourselves. This served two purposes. First, it would ideally cut down on our consumption of store bought cookies - no more preservatives and easy access to extra calories. And secondly, we would build up our baking repertoire, which we're always looking to expand. We decided we would go through the book, picking out cookies that looked appealing and interesting to us and try them out, jotting down our thoughts and impressions for future use. The first two cookies we made were total flops, and we were a bit discouraged.
The first cookie was a honey florentine, and while it was easy to make and looked exactly like the one Martha's book it was just over overwhelmingly "honey-ish". Too much honey for our tastes.

Cookie number two was a chocolate pretzel, and while it looked delicious on paper, it was a pain to make and was not very tasty. We didn't even both with photos!
I was starting to get a bit despondent and wondering if Martha was really all she was cracked up to be. Thankfully, our third attempt turned the tide. We made citrus infused cornmeal shortbreads and they were delicious. Crumbly and buttery with a hint of orange flavor. They were eaten up in no time at all, and I'm sure will be a recipe we will return to frequently.

The other night we had gotten some bad news. Somebody close to us had passed away and we were pretty upset. Both Marc and I tend to be emotional eaters (yikes!) and we had no store bought cookies on hand to help ease the sadness. Marc decided to persevere and whipped up our favorite cookie to date - Grandma's favorite chocolate cookie. Martha's grandma must have been on to something because these were phenomenal. The cocoa flavor was wonderful and they weren't overly sweet. These will definitely become a staple in our house for sure.

Elijah has yet to taste the chocolate cookies, as he hasn't had much exposure to chocolate yet (and seeing as how voraciously we devour it, perhaps that is a good thing!), yet absolutely loved the citrus-cornmeal shortbreads!

Who knows which of the many cookies we'll make next, but my hope is that they'll just keep getting better and better!

Music Maker...

2009-01-22T19:53:00.005-04:00

I know I've written time and time again about how music plays such a big part of our lives. This post is just one more that enforces that notion. Today we started a new session of Hootenanny. Elijah was raring to go, especially since we had week off in between the last session and this current one. Despite learning a whole new set of songs and getting the beginning of yet another winter cold, he rattled his egg shakers, wiggled his tush and sang his heart out. So far we are loving all the new songs.
Along with playing our Hoot cds and our new favorite Michael Franti song over and over again, we have been playing a lot of youtube videos of old school Phish. Both Marc and I are extremely excited that Phish is back and touring and have been sharing a lot of the music that we love with Elijah. What we have found is that some of the songs make excellent kid's music. It also helps that one of the members happens to resemble a muppet (you make the judgement call on that one!). Elijah has taken to some of it with gusto and even goes around the house singing Phish songs to himself - makes a mama proud! I caught this little vieo of us singing Contact earlier today. Elijah puts his own spin on the lyrics. Ignore my horrible voice and concentrate on how much fun we're having. I also included Phish's version so you can see what we're attempting to sing!

Namaste (the light in me honors the light in you)

2009-01-19T08:44:00.006-04:00

Last week Elijah and I bundled up against the bitter cold and ventured into town for the first class of a toddler/parent yoga session we had signed up for. While I have been practicing yoga (on and off) for almost fifteen years, Elijah is no stranger to the practice as well. He started early on in the womb when I would meet with other pregnant mothers once a week for a fabulous prenatal yoga class. This class not only allowed me time to relax, but it also helped me stretch out my aching, pregnant limbs and practice some moves that would help open up my hips and help in labor.
Once out into this world, Elijah and I attended a "baby & me" yoga class. I loved it because it helped get my body back to pre-pregnancy feel and I was able to meet a bunch of other new mamas in the area. Elijah would stare up at me, smiling and giggling, as I did downward dog over him. So, when we ventured into this toddler yoga class I was confident that he would be interested and curious as to what this whole yoga thing is all about.
He loved it! His body naturally falls into downward dog a few times a day (what a fabulous stretch!) so he took to that pose with gusto. The teacher did a lot of easy, basic poses and connected them to familiar animals, and Elijah relished doing mouse pose (child's pose), snake pose, butterfly pose, cat pose and more. His body naturally allowed itself to twist and turn into the various poses, allowing him to accomplish them with ease. However, since it had been a while since I had been serious about practicing yoga it took me a bit more time and concentration. Yet the next day, despite being a bit sore, I was already excited for our next class, as was Elijah. We even showed off a few of our poses for Marc.

"Mouse" pose

Downward Dog

Helping me do upward facing dog

Star pose!

Music man...

2009-01-15T21:34:00.004-04:00

Music has always been something special for me and Marc. We actually met while taking a UMASS class called "The Lively Arts." We would meet once a week in a large lecture hall and professionals in various fields of the Arts (musicians, dancers, painters, etc...) would come and lecture us and our homework would be to go to various events and write reports on them. Yeah...a dream class! And, in fact it set Marc and I up to go on unassuming dates with each other as well. We went to a symphony, bluegrass show and the ballet all within a few weeks. We quickly realized that music played an important role in each of our lives and we had similar taste in music. We were fortunate that many great bands came and played while we were in school and we went to many local concerts. We also spent time traveling to concerts as well, even as far away as Florida.
Music was always on in the car while we drove places, blasting from our cd player while making dinner or just hanging around the house, and filtering through our ipods once we each got one. So, it was no surprise that when I was planning things for Elijah's impending birth, that I tried to decide what type of music I would like to have playing while in labor. I went to great lengths to create a playlist that had relaxing songs, energizing songs, inspiring songs...basically music for any situation I could think of. Despite all my planning, I never once turned on the music while in labor and yet Elijah still came into this world with a vast appreciation for music. Perhaps it was the music that was constantly played while he was in the womb, or perhaps it was from all the music that we played for him once he joined us. At some point along the way he developed a love of music that matched our own. In fact, we could just be sitting and playing and he'll stand up, start singing a song and request that I join him in a special dance. Anytime he hears music his little body begins to sway in sync with the beat, his hands pump out at his sides and he gets the biggest grin plastered to his face. It makes me so happy to watch and inevitably I join in and boogie down with him.

One...TWO!

2009-01-12T15:35:00.005-04:00

Over the last couple of weeks, whenever anybody has asked Elijah how old he will be on his birthday he would pause to think a minute and then slowly say "one...Two!" with all the excitement in the world. And, indeed, today he is two years old. How this came to pass so quickly is beyond me. Yet, here we are - two years after giving birth. It has been my pleasure and honor to watch Elijah grow and change this last year. He is extremely inquisitive, thoughtful, playful, and funny. He has a fabulous sense of humor and loves to laugh and make others laugh as well. He is caring and generous and creative. He is also quite the two year old, and has strong needs and wants that must be met (in his mind anyway) right away. So, we're navigating this new path of toddlerhood all together and it has been interesting. I do have to say that no day is ever dull anymore. My little baby is growing up into a person with a real specific personality developing. One of which I am extremely proud.

Minutes old. January 12th, 2007

At his 1st birthday party, 2008.

2 years old!

While we had his party on Saturday, we still celebrated today with Elijah's favorite breakfast - pancakes! And, since we quickly learned that blowing out the candles was one of the best things about having a birthday, we added a little something special to his morning treat.

Birthday Brunch!

2009-01-11T10:55:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow Elijah turns two years old. I'll spare you all the bittersweet nostalgia until then, but I must say I have no idea how this came about so fast. One minute he was my little, chubby baby and the next he is a walking, talking two year old with opinions, preferences and desires all his own. So...more reflection on that tomorrow.
Today I'll focus on the fun birthday party we had yesterday. We decided to have a birthday brunch as the timing was just right. Elijah is usually full of energy and spunk during the morning and early afternoon hours right before his naptime. And, who doesn't love brunch? So, we thought we would combine the two and it proved quite successful.
The house was decorated in balloons, which Elijah has deemed essential in any birthday celebration. We had tons of yummy food and a bunch of family and friends came to celebrate. Elijah had fun with all of his friends but I think his favorite part was blowing out the candles on his cake. In fact, he loved it so much that we re-lit them 3 more times so he could continue to blow them out, clapping for himself each time. Between running around and playing with his friends, eating bowlfuls of fruit salad and big bites of bagels, and blowing out countless candles he was wiped out by the time everyone left and settled in for a wonderful 3 hour nap! We'll celebrate his actual birthday again, tomorrow, but with less fanfare. We have potluck and will bring some leftover cake and of course...candles to blow out!

Balloons a plenty!

Make a wish!

Really enjoying the cream cheese frosting!

Handmade for the Holidays

2009-01-07T14:36:00.004-04:00

Elijah received many different gifts for Chanukah this year, and seems to love them all. I was a bit wary at first for the potential for gift overload, especially with his birthday coming up next week. Last year he didn't quite get all the excitement and craziness of exchanging gifts during Chanukah, and seemed more interested in the wrapping paper than the actual gifts on his birthday. This year he seems to have more stock in the whole idea of gift giving and receiving. What is so sweet, is that Elijah loves to give gifts, as much as (if not more than) giving them. He has gone on at length about the gift we bought and shipped out to his cousin Jojo in Oregon, and reminds me "Ima! gift Jojo? package? yay!". He relished the idea of hanging Marc and I our gifts during Chanukah and helping us open them. Opening his own gifts was a second thought. I am hoping this spirit of giving lasts through the years, as it is very inspiring. It may be genetic, as both Marc and I also love to give presents and "fight" with each other over who should open their gift first(we always want the other one to go first!).
It also made me happy that some of the gifts that he has received have been homemade. An overflow of noisy, plastic, soon-forgotten-about toys is not something we want to fill our homes with, and it seems that our family and friends feel the same way, for which we are extremely appreciative. In fact, two of Elijah's favorite gifts have been handmade. The first is the set of aprons that Savta made for us. Elijah makes sure that we take them off their hooks each time we go into the kitchen to cook. He loves that each one has pictures of us painted on to them, and that his has a special pocket for a spoon or rogue carrot stick.

Elijah's other favorite present came from one the Fletchers - a family in our weekly potluck. We had our 2nd annual "Secret Solstice" exchange a few weeks ago and they had made Elijah a set of wooden characters from Sesame Street(you can see more of the creative gifts Lex made on her blog!). They were a big hit, and Elijah has a blast playing with them. Sometimes I'll join in and play with him, but the magical moments have happened when I've been sitting up on the couch, reading, and I'll look over and Elijah is positioning his Sesame gang in one of his wooden trucks, explaining to them how they are headed to the park. Or, the other day, he came up to me asking for a blanket. I looked at him curiously, as there was a big, knit blanket right by his feet. But he actually needed a much smaller blanket, as his gang were all neatly laid out on a pillow and ready for nap time. I tossed him a cloth napkin that doubled as a blanket and Elijah tucked them in, whispered "shhh" and then went off to play with something else. The fact that these toys can unleash such creative play from Elijah make them a winner in my book.

And just today, Elijah opened up a gift from our friend Lucy and we were amazed at the handcrafted awesomeness that lay inside! Lucy knew that Elijah had gotten a new, wooden kitchen for Chanukah and so she made him an apron and some amazing felt play food as well as a great tote bag to carry it all around in. Thanks Lucy!!

The funk...

2009-01-04T14:38:00.002-04:00

Let's hope that the first few days of the new year do not foretell what the entire year will be like. If that is the case...we're in trouble! The last few days we have been dealing with what I like to call "the fever funk." While this is not the actual medical name of the sickness we've been fighting, it's pretty close. And, while Elijah is the only one actually afflicted with the funk, we're all still suffering!
A couple of days ago when I got into bed I noticed that Elijah was feeling rather warm. All night he felt like a little fireball next to my skin. His sleep was fitful, and so was mine. Then yesterday he had a fever all day. He didn't have any other symptoms besides just being in a funk (hence "the fever funk."). He was clingier than usual, wanted to be held, snuggled and wasn't really into eating. We took a nice, cooling bath together last night in hopes that would help him relax a bit and enjoy a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, he had another crazy night of on and off sleep, and again, so did I.
This morning I woke up in a fog, completely sleep deprived. Elijah on the other hand seemed to have energy to spare. His fever also felt much, much cooler. His appetite was back and he seemed content playing by himself while I cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast. I was hoping to catch up on sleep during Elijah's naptime, however it only last a short fifty minutes - yikes! So, instead of sleeping, he is vegging out in front of the tv and I'm updating the blog. It does feel like his fever has finally broken, so I'm crossing fingers and toes that tonight will be restful for all of us!

Welcoming the New Year

2009-01-01T11:14:00.003-04:00

Seeing as it is a new year, I thought new look to the blog would be timely as well. I'm still not 100% sold on this current one, so don't be surprised if it changes the next time you visit. I'm trying out various color schemes/layouts when I get the chance. I'm also abandoning my trend of having blog titles come from song titles/lyrics. While it was fun to do, it also became a bit tiring and tedious. I'll just stick to regular old titles for 2009.
I hope everyone had a wonderful new years eve, no matter how it was spent. We had plans to have a quiet night for Elijah, with my parents coming up to babysit while Marc and I went to a local concert. The weather, however, had other plans in store for us. Due to a blustery snow storm, my parents stayed down in CT and we were on our own to make other plans for the night. We ended up having a blast - friends came over and we headed out in the bitter cold to see the fireworks the town puts on every year. Elijah absolutely loved them. He kept clapping every time the sky lit up, and despite the wind and extremely cold temperature stayed for the entire event. I, on the other hand, made an early exit with some friends and we went back to the house to start dinner. A Mexican feast of tacos, guacamole, refried beans and all the toppings helped us ring in the new year. Elijah stayed up a bit past his bed time, but made up for it by sleeping in a bit later today, a treat for us all!

When the new year comes, many people make a habit of creating resolutions, yet they rarely are followed and the guilt associated with that is just no fun, so instead of making resolutions for 2009, I want to make a list of things I'm looking forward to in the coming year.
I am looking forward to
...watching Elijah change each and every day.
...playing, reading, creating, (and napping!) with him on a daily basis.
...playing outside, whether that is knee deep in the snow, or wearing just a bathing suit and splashing in the water (no, I'm not tired of all the cold and snow...yet).
...seeing Elijah ski down a bunny hill for the 1st time (and Marc is doubly excited for this! I'm also a bit terrified!)
...doing new work-related things. I am extremely excited for the Rosh Chodesh teen yoga workshop I will be co-leading later this month!
...joining our new CSA that is biking/walking distance and has fresh eggs, a tractor for Elijah to climb on and great views of the valley!
...cooking new and exciting meals(with yummy CSA produce!), as well as the old favorites.
...Monday night potlucks!
...reading more.
...writing more!
...spending quality time with loved ones.
...seeing and dancing to live music with Marc and Elijah...especially catching a Phish show this summer! And, in preparation for that, Elijah has been practicing how to bust a move in the lot...

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-31T15:16:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to take a second to wish everyone a happy, healthy and joyous new year! It has been amazing to look back upon 2008 and see all the exciting changes that occurred. We traveled down to Florida to visit my grandparents and attend an amazing concert, we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, we bought a house, Elijah reached many different milestones, and in general we had an extremely happy, wonderful year. We had our share of struggles as well, but I am hoping 2009 brings us many more wonderful, exciting experiences. I know just in the first few weeks of 2009 we will be having fun, as Elijah turns 2!
Here's to hoping everyone has a wonderful new year! In the spirit of wishing happiness and light for everyone, here are some pictures I took with our computer the other day of Elijah and I goofing around.

Chanukah Blessings...

2008-12-28T21:11:00.006-04:00

Tonight is the last night of Chanukah and we celebrated by lighting the menorah for the last time this year.
Yesterday, my parents and brother came up to celebrate the holiday with us and we all had a really wonderful time. Marc made his fabulous latkes, a beef stew simmered all day and we ended the meal with a take on the traditional sufganiyot (doughnut). We lit the candles and everyone sang the blessings together.
We also took the opportunity to exchange gifts. What was nice this year was that Elijah really enjoys giving gifts and loves to hand people gifts and watch them open them. In fact, he is a little unsure about tearing into the wrapping paper of his own gifts without a little gentle prodding. So, when Saba & Savta gave him a ton of gifts he was a bit unsure which to go for first. All the gifts were absolutely wonderful and chosen with great thought. Elijah loved them all! One of his favorites was a wooden barn with animals. He has been playing with it non stop since he got it and I can see it being a favorite toy for a lot longer.

My mom has also kept tabs on the fact that Elijah is a budding chef and loves to help out in the kitchen and created these adorable aprons for each member of the family - we love them!

One other favorite present that Elijah received was a set of stamps and ink pads. He had a blast stamping paper with his Saba, and even stamped himself! (it looks like a black eye with a quick glance but is actually a purple butterfly stamp!)

The real fun was hanging out with my parents and brother. Elijah has such a great time with them. All morning he kept repeating "Saba coming? Savta coming? Amir coming?" in quite the eager tone and was jumping for joy when they finally did make it. It was great being able to celebrate with them!

Chanukah is...the festival of lights!

2008-12-23T21:56:00.004-04:00

We are so excited - Chanukah is here! We have been celebrating for the last three nights by lighting candles and eating delicious latkes. Elijah has really gotten into the spirit, helping us light the candles each night and singing the various Chanukah songs he knows. We usually light the menorah at the beginning of dinner so we can watch the flickering lights as we eat. I'm really enjoying this Chanukah simply because Elijah really seems to have an understanding of what is going on and is enjoying it so much himself. It has yet to become all about the gifts (although I hope it never does become like that!) and is all about the lighting of the candles and being with each other.

Click here and here for a couple of our current favorite Chanukah songs!!

Winter Wonderland...

2008-12-21T13:29:00.005-04:00

It is officially winter today! And what better way to welcome in this season than with a beautiful snow storm. The snow started in earnest on Friday afternoon and has yet to really stop. It just seems to keep falling down, and I'm actually ok with that. Once Marc made it home safely from Connecticut on Friday, I was able to relax and enjoy the snow, knowing we were hanging out at home for the weekend and didn't need to worry about leaving at all. In fact, we hosted a Welcome to Winter party last night, so our house was filled with great friends and delicious food. Between that and the gorgeous snow that fell outside it was the perfect way to celebrate the solstice.

The tin lanterns I made yesterday to light up our front walkway

This morning we woke up and it was still snowing, so after breakfast we got all our snow gear on and headed outside. Elijah helped shovel, then discovered all the other fun snow activities that can be had!

Catching snowflakes on his tongue

Shabbat Shalom!

2008-12-19T22:17:00.004-04:00

Elijah has many, many books. He loves to read them all but will go through cycles of having a new favorite one that he'll read over and over again. Lately, the book of choice has been My First Shabbat Book, a board book we received a while ago. He loves to look at the pictures of challah and the candles. Shabbat has been one of the practices that I've never seemed to keep up with. Yet, seeing Elijah so interested in his book inspired me to set aside this special day at the end of the week and to celebrate it by making challah and lighting candles.

Elijah helped me in making the challah. He was extremely excited, as all things cooking really seem to bring joy to his world. Plus he knew the end result would be challah, and he couldn't wait. Together, we lit the candles, drew the light towards our eyes and I said the blessing while Elijah tried to repeat it after me. Then we enjoyed the challah, still warm from the oven. It was a nice way to end the week, and we repeated it again this week with hopes to make this a regular, weekly event!

Pizza's Cooking...

2008-12-17T09:19:00.004-04:00

The other night we decided we really wanted pizza. We also decided that we eat take out pizza way too much. So, instead of deciding not to ave pizza we instead made our own! It was actually really easy. We used a very simple dough recipe, made our own sauce, and made two different pizzas. The first pie was a regular red pie with fresh mozzarella and the second was a white pie topped with olive oil, garlic, parmesan, and a little fresh mozz. mmm...they came out really great. Both were bubbling over with cheesy goodness and the crusts were the perfect blend of crispy and doughy.
The best part was that Elijah helped with everything. We made the dough before nap time, so he helped pour in flour and watched it form. Then he stirred the sauce and nibbled on the cheese as I cut it up. He also enjoyed watching the pizza bake in the oven as it went from raw dough to a cooked masterpiece! And of course, I think Elijah's favorite part was eating it. We're all enjoying having him be a big part of choosing and creating meals lately (although if left solely up to him we would be eating tacos every night!).

My funny friend and me...

2008-12-12T16:14:00.004-04:00

What I love about our friends is that Elijah has the opportunity to play with kids of all ages. He can get along with those his own age, as well as babies and older kids. He doesn't really show any preference and seems to love them all equally. I think that he gets to exercise different parts of his personality with his various friends and it's always a treat to see how he'll act when somebody else is over. On Wednesday we watched 3.5 year old Aviva while her folks were busy. Elijah loves Aviva. He talks about her all the time, and will remind me of things that happened with Aviva weeks or even months ago. So, when he realized he had the whole afternoon with Aviva he was beyond excited. Aviva seems to have a special place in her heart for Elijah as well, because they truly make great playmates. They seemed to have fun with just about anything they encountered, from snack bowls to laundry hampers...

Hey Baby It's Cold Outside!

2008-12-09T16:32:00.007-04:00

Brr...Despite it not being officially winter quite yet, we are definitely feeling the chill of winter in the air. That's meant a few changes here. We're not spending nearly as much time outside as before, much to Elijah's chagrin. He would be outside all day if I let him, but with the quickly dropping temperatures, *I* can't stand being outside for too long, despite being all bundled up.
We've tried our best not to let too many things slip to the wayside despite the cold. We still ride our bike, unless the streets are super slushy and gross. We bundle up extra tightly and so far, so good. Elijah hasn't complained about being cold on our bike rides and loves being out on the bike still. And Marc is still biking to work, bring an extra layer of long john's to wear on the ride home at 9pm.
One of the things I love most about wintertime in New England is the snow. I love watching gently falling snow as it covers all the gray and blah of the barren landscape. It's so much fun to wake up and see the streets and trees covered in a beautiful white blanket. And while Elijah played a bit in the snow last year, this year it is even more exciting for him. We got our first real snow fall over the weekend and Elijah was jumping for joy as he looked out the window. He wanted to go outside really bad and I told him that as soon as we ate breakfast he could head outside. He then started saying "penguins! penguins!" over and over again. It took me a while to realize, but all the pictures of penguins he has ever seen has been with snow in the background. In his mind, the arrival of snow meant that the penguins could come out and play. It crushed my heart to explain to him that penguins don't live in our neighborhood. Despite this devastating news, he was able to bundle up in all his fabulous snow gear and head outside with Marc to shovel the snow. I didn't get any pictures of the guys outside because I was warm inside, relaxing(!!) but did manage to snap a few photos before they headed outside.

Fly me to the moon...

2008-12-04T19:52:00.002-04:00

Elijah and I were playing outside yesterday around dusk. We were making chalk drawings on the side walk when all of a sudden he ran to our neighbor's driveway, sat down and stared up at the sky. Then, out of nowhere, he started shouting "come here! come here!" and made a corresponding gesture with his hands. So, I came over but he vigorously started shaking his head no. I couldn't understand what was going on. I thought he had just called me over. Instead, he turned to me, then pointed up at the sky and said "Come, . Come here!" then looked at me with a pleading face, as if I could convince the moon to travel down to my little boy. I pointed back up myself and explained how the moon lived up in the sky with all the stars and could not come down and hang out with us. But, any time we needed to, if it was dark enough out, we could see the moon up in the sky. He seemed satisfied with that answer and kept repeating the story of what happened over and over again. I figure we have enough time for more in depth astronomy lessons later...
Later we drew a moon and stars with chalk on the brick wall bordering the house, but the entire time he kept staring back up into the cosmos at the real deal.

Ch...Ch...Changes...

2008-12-02T12:38:00.003-04:00

Many people say that the toddler years are filled with many new developments and changes. What I didn't anticipate was how quickly those changes could happen. In the last few weeks there have been many changes here, and I thought I would share some.
The most exciting change, for Elijah, is going to the bathroom on the potty. Whenever he is diaperless (which is pretty much anytime we're home) he will let me know he has to go pee and we'll rush up to the toilet and he'll go in the potty. The big development was using the potty to go #2 yesterday. He was so excited and told everyone he saw about it. Now, he just likes to hang out on the potty (the bright, neon pink kid toilet he picked out himself) talking about all the things he can do on it. He is extremely proud of himself, and has started eschewing diapers. I am extremely proud of him as well, and love that he is so into the potty! I especially love that there was very little "training" involved. I really didn't do anything. Elijah would follow me into the bathroom and watch me go each time, sometimes sitting on his own baby potty, other times just helping out by giving me toilet paper and flushing(his favorite part). Then, on the advice of some fellow moms, I just started letting him go diaperless around the house and while we had a few accidents here and there Elijah seemed to motivate on his own and really figure it out himself. And I'm quite thankful for that, as I really had no plan as to how to go about doing this.

Another huge change is that Elijah has stopped nursing at night. Many people might not have had any idea he was still nursing at night, or still nursing at all in general, but it's been working for us. The night nursing, however, had started to take its toll on me. While Elijah hardly woke up at all, it would completely rise me out of my sleep, causing me to take another half hour to settle back down again. I had tried to night wean him before, but that just resulted in tears, hurt feelings and sleepless nights for both of us. However, yesterday I decided to try again and it worked, almost like magic. I had told Elijah that the "milkies" were going to sleep, but that we could have some in the morning. If he found himself waking up I would offer him water or snuggles. He did wake up twice during the night. The first time a reminder that the milkies were sleeping and a sip of water got him right back to sleep, and the second time he requested snuggles. I was more than happy to oblige both times. Then, of course, I couldn't get back to sleep again. But this time it was because I was staring at my little boy, who was truly growing up right before my eyes. His language comprehension is ever evolving, allowing him to understand that while we'll take a break from nursing at night, he will still have it in the morning if he chooses.
There are many other changes happening on a daily basis in the life of Elijah Zvi, but these two have truly affected the whole family in a big way. I am eager and curious to see what new and exciting changed await us tomorrow!

Music makes the people come together

2008-12-01T17:17:00.004-04:00

It's no secret that we are a big music loving family. Before we had Elijah Marc and I would think nothing of getting in the car and driving an hour or 24 hours to see a favorite band. And, even when Elijah was here we continued to trek all over for great music. There is always music playing in the house, whether we're cooking, playing trains, folding laundry or coloring. Unfortunately I don't play any instruments. After giving up violin lessons at two because they interfered with my nap time, I haven't really gotten back into playing any instruments, save for a short stint playing recorder in fifth grade! Thankfully, Marc plays both bass and guitar and they are frequently being dragged out and strummed in our house. Elijah loves the guitar and will strum on it himself from time to time making his own brand of music! We're also lucky that my brother shared Marc and Elijah's affinity for stringed instruments. While we were home for Thanksgiving Amir and Elijah got to have a little duet. Elijah definitely seems to have a real feel for the mandolin. I can't wait until he is old enough to take lessons to see where this love for music and guitars takes him!

It's oh so quiet...

2008-11-29T15:54:00.003-04:00

A little video accompaniment to yesterday's blog.

It's oh so quiet...

2008-11-28T15:15:00.004-04:00

This time of year is always a good one for reflection as the days grow shorter and colder and more time is spent quietly indoors. Well, sometimes it's quiet. Lately over here it has been all sorts of chatter non stop, and I actually love it.
Elijah seems to be acquiring a handful of new words every day and his phrases are getting longer and more complex. He loves to tell stories, and the memories these stories are based on could have happened yesterday or many months ago One favorite story is from when Marc took our car Chicken Noodle to the vet. Elijah had never seen anyone attempt to lift our cat before (why would they? She's almost 20lbs and quite frisky) and that image must have been burned into his brain because he'll tell you how "Noodle, up daddy, car...doctor!" over and over again.
Except for nap time there is very little quiet time in our house. If I'm not hearing stories then I am treated to songs. Elijah's favorite is a combination of "Happy Birthday", "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABC". I'm pretty certain he learned it from his friend Zeben, since we watch a video of Zeben singing his own medley pretty much every day. Elijah will just be sitting on the floor, playing with his train set, when he'll spontaneously burst into song - sometimes quietly to himself, other times with such vigor and excitement it's hard not to join in.
So, while the winter time reminds one of stillness and being quiet, Elijah has not quite gotten that memo, and it's a-ok by me, because I love watching his language develop and expand.

Peek-A-Boo!

2008-11-25T15:02:00.003-04:00

This is what happens when I'm so wrapped up in cooking. I didn't even notice Elijah sneaking into the cabinets to play until I looked around and he was gone! He thought it would be fun to play some peek-a-boo with me. Being entertained while I cook is a lovely perk to having a toddler!

Happy Girl!

2008-11-23T21:52:00.004-04:00

Today we celebrated Sina's birthday with a special birthday brunch. It was lovely and Sina truly was a happy girl. She had friends and family come to celebrate her birth and wish her happiness going into this 3rd year of life! Elijah had a blast singing happy birthday, watching Sina blow out her candles, and eating the delicious birthday pie Hannah made.
This is the second birthday party in two weeks that Elijah has attended, in addition to helping his Savta celebrate her birthday on Friday, and he is really getting into the spirit of it all. While sitting around at home I'll catch him singing versus of Happy Birthday to himself and he loves to remind me that you blow out candles on a cake (I'm a bit worried for what will happen once we get to Channukah and he realizes not all candles get blown out!). We still have another month and a half until Elijah turns two, but I am sure that when the big day comes he will be ready to blow out his own candles, sing Happy Birthday to himself and indulge in some birthday delights. Until then, he will continue to enjoy celebrating his friends!

The birthday girl in her special birthday hat

Blowing out candles with Max

mmm...Elijah digs birthday pie!

Sina does too!

Special birthday hug!

Elijah plays while Sina looks on with her Pops Drew and Aunt Grace

Happy Birthday x2!

2008-11-21T08:58:00.005-04:00

Today is a very special day! Today we celebrate the birthdays of two very important women in Elijah's (and our) life. They may be 58 years apart, but they have both made quite the impact on Elijah and hold very special parts in his heart.

The first is Elijah's Savta, Betty. Elijah always loves to chat with her via Skype nightly and gets the biggest kick out of singing Itsy Bitsy Spider with her. Despite going through a period of major separation anxiety, Savta Betty is one of the very few people that Elijah is totally at peace hanging out with, even without us there. The two have forged quite a bond in the past two years and Elijah's face lights up every time he sees her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAVTA!!! We wish you all the health and happiness in the world - we hope your day is filled with fun, excitement and lots of happy birthday wishes!

The other lady in Elijah's life that is celebrating a birthday today is a bit younger than Savta, but none the less has had quite the impact as well. Elijah's bff, Sina Penelope turns two today and we really can't believe the time has flown by that quickly. Elijah and Sina met when they were both only a couple months old, when Hannah and I would escape our homes to go for walks or to visit each other. They have truly grown up together, reaching milestones together, experiencing "firsts" together and generally growing up to love and cherish each other. Sure there are some not so fun moments when a toy becomes stolen from somebody's hand, or a shove happens or perhaps a bite. But despite a few tears the two quickly forget and hugs and kisses are showered upon the upset toddler. They greet each other with smiles, hugs and shouts of "'Lijah!!!" "Sina!!!" (which used to be "Si-si" but has just recently evolved to the full Sina!). We are blessed to have a friend like Sina in our lives and wish her all the best on this magical birthday! We can't wait to celebrate many more with her!

Happy Birthday Sina P!!!

Sing A Song!

2008-11-20T16:44:00.004-04:00

This morning we headed to Hootenanny for our weekly class of singing, music playing and dancing with The Nields! We've been attending Hootenanny since this past summer and this is our third session. When we started going to class Elijah was a bit timid and would sit on my lap, watching all the other kids sing and dance around. After listening to the cd from class a bunch in the car Eljah would start singing various "Hoot" songs while sitting and playing or we'd sing some together in the kitchen while making dinner. As we went to more classes Elijah got more comfortable and would get excited when the instruments were handed out and they sang songs he recognized. Now he wakes up on Hoot mornings all excited and tells us about all his friends he'll see there and what songs we might sing.

Walking On Sunshine...Part II

2008-11-18T14:45:00.003-04:00

Or...Date with daddy #2.
Marc and Elijah had an impromptu date this past weekend when we all went to Look Park. I decided I really wanted to check out a local craft fair as well, but Marc and Elijah though that feeding the ducks and hanging out with the farm animals would be more fun. We ended splitting up for the morning with Marc and Elijah hanging out at the park while I spent some time checking out pottery. Marc had the camera with him and caught a few great pictures of Elijah enjoying the day. Both the boys had a fun time and were all smiles when I came to pick them up.

Cheese!

2008-11-13T23:37:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago my parents came up to visit and we snapped a few pictures of them with Elijah. He loves to smile for the camera and has even taken to saying "cheeeeeeese!" when ou point it at him. He will also follow you around with one of our older (now totally busted) cameras and direct his own photo shoots. It really is quite cute and you find yourself saying "cheeeeeeeese!" for him.

Walking On Sunshine...

2008-11-11T15:12:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday, Marc and Elijah decided to take advantage of the sunny, warm weather and headed out on a hike, just the two of them. This is really the first time that Marc has taken Elijah out to do something special. They have hung out together by themselves a bunch before, but this was the first time that they have actually gone out and had a "date". They both had an amazing time. Marc loves hiking, much more than me actually, and so he liked getting out on the trail and exposing Elijah to the joy of hiking. By the looks of things, Elijah enjoyed himself as well. He told me over and over again about the dogs they met on the trail as well as the "dots" (aka trail blazers/markers) that he pointed out along the way.

Ooh...Baby, Baby!

2008-11-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

This past Monday we were treated to a visit by a wonderful little person and her mama. Baby Eleanor is the daughter of our very good friend Ryan and our new friend Deb. El was born just over a month ago in Idaho, so we haven't had a chance to meet her, despite cooing over many, many adorable pictures. I was so elated that Deb was able to fit in a quick visit to us so we could meet both her and El. What a doll! El is so delicate and tiny, the exact opposite of her dad! She definitely takes after her mom, physically, but there is also a tell tale sign of Ryan in her big blue eyes.

It felt so different holding such a tiny peanut after being used to the heft and weight of toddler Elijah. Even when he was a baby, Elijah never seemed too delicate or fragile. And, I think he outweighed 6 week El with his birth weight! But, it comforting and sweet to hold a newborn again. mmm...newborn smell is just delicious!
Elijah has been showing a huge interest in babies lately, especially since three of our friends each have had one recently. He loves to hold them, smell them, and kiss them and gets the biggest smile on his face when he can make the baby laugh.

Hopefully we'll have a chance to see El again soon!

Brand New Day!

2008-11-05T15:04:00.003-04:00

How exciting...you can feel the change in the air and for some reason I cannot get this big smile off my face. Everyone in our household is thrilled that Barack Obama will be the new leader of our country. It truly feels that this country is now headed in the right direction and it is, indeed, a brand new day.
Last night we went to our friends' Russ and Tara's house to watch the poll numbers come in. I did not bring my camera, so all pictures are courtesy of Tara!
Elijah & Sina watch the polls come in...

Elijah being all dramatic...

YES WE CAN!!!!

Yes We Can!

2008-11-04T09:44:00.002-04:00

A little PSA....

The Monster Mash!

2008-11-02T09:31:00.010-04:00

Last year on Halloween Elijah was content to stay home and help me hand out candy to all the trick or treaters. (all 5 of them!). We did walk around town for a bit, but more to show off Elijah's cute blueberry muffin costume to all our friends. This year, however, was an entirely different story. Elijah actually gets a huge kick out of dressing up, and proclaimed to all who saw him in costume that he was "A BAT!" while pointing to his bat head.

We started out the day enjoying breakfast with friends. Elijah got to eat breakfast with a witch and a cowgirl, much to the delight of all the other restaurant patrons. All three kids were really adorable. Later that afternoon we went trick or treating in town. Most of the stores in town open their doors to trick or treaters from 3-6 in the afternoon, so kids can trick-or-treat in daylight hours and be sure to see plenty of other kids all dressed up. Elijah had a fun time showing off his bat costume as well as checking out everyone else all dressed up. We saw everything from a red lego piece, clowns, animals of all sort, to various monsters and witches.
We started at A Child's Garden, where we saw Jen and her new baby Kason, in a Halloween onesie- so adorable!

This is where Elijah really started to figure out the whole trick-or-treating thing. If he opened his bag, shouted "trickertreat" he'd get some sort of treat. He doesn't quite understand that it's candy or that you eat it (and that is totally fine for now!) but still enjoyed having people put things in his bag.

We met up with our friend Meg and her girls Aviva and Liesl. While Liesl stayed warm and cozy in her mama's wrap, Aviva donned a kangaroo costume, much to her dismay. She wasn't quite sure that she was digging the whole Halloween thing.

Then she figured out the candy thing...

which got Elijah thinking.

But thankfully, he still wasn't too keen on eating any candy! When he does figure out the whole candy thing, we may take a page from our friends Lex & Lena and implement the Halloween Fairy!

Ill Communication!

2008-10-28T13:45:00.002-04:00

eek! We've been in the midst of some real ill communication lately. Our computer just busted last week (according to the specialist there was some corrupted firm ware...I have no idea what that means) and is waiting to be sent off to the land of apple where they will hopefully restore it to good health (but there is a hold up b/c the local store is having trouble saving our hard drive...ack! we may lose all our photos, videos, and documents...oy). So, in the meantime we bought a new computer on Saturday. However, this one is currently giving us trouble as well. While it will turn on and all the programs work, the screen is all messed up and goes all screwy (like mri machine style) with the slightest touch. So, off to the mac genius bar we go tomorrow to see what is up there. All of this just means we were without a computer for a bit, and we may be without one for a bit more. So...until then, the blog is on hold. I am so, so hopeful that I will be back soon with lots of great pictures and good updates!

You are the apple of my eye...

2008-10-21T16:42:00.007-04:00

This morning we went apple picking at Outlook Farms in Westhampton. Despite it being a bit overcast, the sun peeked out a few times and we had a blast picking all sorts of apples from Golden Delicious to Ida Reds. As I type, some roasted apple butter is simmering away in the oven. yum!
Elijah had a fun time running between the trees, picking apples and being silly.

No Sleep Till Brooklyn!

2008-10-20T08:49:00.005-04:00

This past weekend we headed out of the Happy Valley and drove down to Brooklyn, NY. This was Elijah's first trip to the city and he loved it. While we had thoughts about checking out Manhattan proper, we never stepped foot out of Brooklyn. But there really was a ton to do and see. In addition to all of our wonderful friends that we saw, we checked out the Children's Museum, Prospect Park Zoo, a few playgrounds and ran around in Prospect Park as well. We also made sure to eat at some really wonderful restaurants while there. Elijah had a blast eating sushi, thai, brunch, and his favorite - Mexican! We all had such a wonderful time, and Elijah became really close to all our friends while we were there which was incredibly heartwarming. We can't wait to go back, and maybe this time even venture into the actual Big Apple...

Fun water play at the Children's Museum

Making music at the museum

Checking out the fish at the museum

At Prospect Park

Say Cheese!

Make Believe

2008-10-15T15:12:00.004-04:00

Lately, Elijah has been really getting into make believe play. I'll be doing dishes in the kitchen only to come into the living room to find this waiting for me:

He had gotten my sun hat and donned himself in the Mardi Gras beads we had gotten at the Big E. He had dragged his chair, and sat at the coffee table, rearranging his Eric Carle animal flash cards. He was talking to each one, and singing a soft song to himself as well. I watched for a while until he spotted me and gave me a big grin. I love being able to catch him in such creative play.
The other day we bought Elijah a tea set and this has allowed the imaginative play to explode. He sets his little table and puts his bear and monkey in seats, and gingerly serves the tea and...(scones? cookies? goldfish crackers?). He pours the tea, helps them drink it and chats them up. I'm not 100% sure where he grasped the concept of "tea party" from as we never really played it before, but it's quite sweet and lovely to watch!

Country Livin'

2008-10-12T09:05:00.005-04:00

Autumn in New England is also festival season. Pretty much every weekend there is a different fair or festival to enjoy. Last weekend we headed into the hills to enjoy Conway's town festival. We truly were enjoying country living for a morning. Hannah and Sina joined us and we were so happy to spend some quality time with them.

It was actually pretty chilly the morning of the festival and Elijah got to show off his new fleece jacket and warm hat.

There were a lot of fun activities at the fair, including a small petting zoo. Elijah and Sina had a blast petting the sheep, goats, and bunnies. There was also a kid sized tractor that was a ton of fun to try out.

Then the weather warmed up and the kids clapped danced along to the sweet tunes of Katryna Nields. They loved the music and were happy when a familiar song from Hootenanny was sung.

So Sorry

2008-10-10T14:51:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement. The spirit of the holiday is to reflect upon the past year and ask forgiveness from anyone you may have wronged, and pledge to never do it again. So, to anybody out there that I may have unintentionally hurt, please accept my forgiveness - I'm sorry!
I used yesterday to take a moment to reflect upon my recent adventures (and misadventures) with Elijah. These toddler times definitely have their share of ups and downs, and it seems that each are amplified more so than ever. When we have a great day, it is phenomenal, wonderful and amazing and I go to bed with a smile plastered on my face, wondering how I got so lucky.
However...the bad days can be pretty gnarly. Nothing remarkably horrendous has been happening, it's all really quite simple - Elijah is exercising his right to be a toddler. And, while I learn to grow along with him and realize that the way I reacted to Baby Elijah won't work now, I wanted to take a second out to apologize to Elijah, in case I have let my frustrations get the best of me in the last few weeks. We're both learning how to navigate this time and I think it's working. It just has been a bit different, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

Let's go out to dinner and see a movie...

2008-10-10T14:37:00.004-04:00

We won't have to go too far, as Mel Gibson and his crew have been around town filming for a new movie, Edge of Darkness. While we haven't see any movie stars, we have seen tons of traffic. Just another reason I'm thrilled we live in town and it's easy to walk in whenever we want to. Earlier this week, while on our walk in we saw some filming being done at a local bar.

Duck Tales

2008-10-05T22:17:00.003-04:00

The day after Rosh HaShana, Marc had off work and we decided to get outside and start our new year by appreciating what nature had to offer us. We went to a local park and had a great time. While the weather wasn't so great, we made the best of it by feeding the ducks, walking around the woods and fields.

Sharp Dressed Man

2008-10-02T21:14:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday we headed to synagogue to celebrate Rosh HaShana, the Jewish new year. This really is a perfect time of year to "start anew". There is a crispness in the air, the leaves are starting to change and we get to add an extra layer or two when we head out. We all got dressed up for services, but Elijah looked super sharp! He had a fun time dressing up and showing off for the camera.

What made me even happier was how much he enjoyed services. Elijah was mesmerized as the Rabbi chanted prayers and was enthralled with the blowing of the shofar. We're hoping to check out the family-friendly Shabbat services at this synagogue soon, and hopefully we'll all enjoy it as well.

Shana Tova!

2008-09-30T21:18:00.004-04:00

Just a quick pop in to wish all who celebrate - a happy new year - may it be filled with health, happiness, laughter and love!