nap time is over

oh thank you Asher for sleeping for 3 1/2 hours and allowing me to squeak out one more that is a little bit shorter.

new skirt in progress and more to come

One of my favorite blogs to peek at daily is Soulemama and I was so excited by her recent post about making skirts when I discovered that I didn't have to rush out and buy the pattern but actually already had it so here is skirt #1 and be sure in true Jesica fashion that a dozen more will follow. Also a bit emabrassing to notice how messy that little corner of our bedroom is. This skirt isn't finished because it is lacking the drawstring and maybe a little detail but a peek especially for you who has so generously offered to help with the button holes needed for the drawstring. Oh and other Josie in Tucson.....could this be our new summer skirt? Start picking out your fabric!

I can't resist just one more....

Oh my little Asher. I think he is at least 24 lbs. and wearing 12-18 month and some 18-24 month clothing which means items that Emmit wears yesterday now fit Asher today. Asher is my Herculean baby with not only brute strength but a will of pure steel. Today we put both boys to bed at the same time together in the room instead of Asher first and then Emmit once Asher is asleep and it feels like yet another milestone. Now to just get Asher to sleep through the night. He currently wakes up once and again in the early morning and will either go back to sleep or entertain himself quietly until Emmit wakes up. Needless to say mornings have been coming a bit later as the boys ammuse each other and themselves with their singing and laughing for awhile. Asher gets into everything and grabs at everything which means that their are a lot of crashes and the sweeping up of broken objects lately. He absolutely loves Emmit and wants to get into everyting that Emmit is doing which is causing some new parenting strategies and frustrations on everyones part. I am so excited about how well my camera posts have turned out and now I don't have to drag the huge digital around anymore. Looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow! Oh and the comment option should really work now for those of you who have been struggling. I finally fixed the glitch so comment away!

I love my camera phone and our afternoon in the backyard

Nate and Ben joined us for a couple hours of worm digging, fort building, bubble blowing, sweeping, raking and general joy at being outside even if it can get a bit cold in the shade.

please come back to visit us again Nana

My Mom drove home with us from Indy and we had two full days with her in Buffalo which was not enough at all. She never gets to email so I won't lay my pleas here to deaf ears but we miss her terribly and hope she will come out again in late summer or early fall. Now that she has the three stop grandkid circuit down to a science I think it won't be long before she returns. Oh and the photo is Emmit finally getting to ride his bike outside for the first time since the weather has been crap since his birthday. It will take some practice.

Asher, Emmit, Nana and I tried out the pool at the JCC and Asher immediately loved it but got cold quickly and Emmit was not pleased initially with the cold but then warmed up to it and had to be dragged out. My two little opposites.

camera phone shots

Asher absolutely loves his Papa thus it was his firt word and it is who he is determined to be with at all cost and obstacles unless of course he wants some milk but my friend Emily and I both swear we heard him say Mama today but he refuses to repeat the words I so long to hear.

Emmit smooching on the cutest peanut ever and his cousin Hannah who is the biggest helper you could ever ask for!

Emmit showing his increasinly comedic side

Why is it whenever Dennis has a great idea to transform a unused space that I express such hesitance and doubt. Maybe a deep fear of putting down roots? Anyway our apartment has a backyard that was used by the first tenants for their dog and the latest tenants not at all so now we have staked our claim to the space and it is pure heaven to have our own little wild and very shaded yard. Okay I wish it got full sun but all the branches and dirt are pure kid heaven.

Here is a photo from today's playgroup. We have been meeting every Tuesday for almost two years and this was our first outside playgroup since before winter! We met at a local playground and the kids were digging for treasure in the sandbox. Emmit is the one with the orange hat who is still complaining about how cold he is. Poor kid has my genes but is surrounded by all these tough Buffalo kids who would be happy naked in this 50 degree weather. It has been in the upper 60's so today was unusually cold.

no new pictures but soon

Thanks to all of you who are so good at reminding me when we get lazy or to busy for the blog. We had a great trip to Indy with family and we were able to do the drive there and back in one day which was a huge accomplishment for all involved and especially the littlest two. It was so good to see family and let all the cousins hang out and meet our newest cousin Karishma who is 6 weeks younger then Asher but 10 lbs. lighter. She is a peanut! My mom drove back with me and the kids since Dennis had to fly to get back for work. We are all still a bit teary at saying goodbye to her last week and hoping she will make a return visit in the late summer or early fall. I got leveled by a horrific stomach/intestinal bug. I must say that having two kids makes lying in bed and being doted on impossible for either Dennis or I which rather sucks. Poor guy spent all weekend with the kids and is now feeling like he is getting sick. He only has 2-3 weeks left before summer break so that is the light at the end of the tunnel. We are grappling with a lot of long term questions about our future which I don't dare write about here since who knows who reads this and some things are best kept from his job. On a bright note, it was beautiful and sunny all weekend and Dennis staked his claim on the backyard which has always gone with the downstairs unit (thus it has always remained unused). So now we have a little backyard and Emmit is obsessed to put it mildly and the very existance of this yard has created a whole new slew of parenting issues as he completely melts down when it is time to come in or if he can't go out when he wants to. He at least can express the challenge, "I can't wait, I just can't do it, I need to go in the backyard". The Waldorf Parent Toddler Program that I have been working for a year and a half to get going in the city just had its first class last Friday which is full with a waiting list. It is wonderful to see my own kids and family getting to enjoy the benefits. So as I write the house is getting cleaned, the mice are plotting their next enterance, Asher is sleeping, Emmit is probably dancing with Dorothy at the JCC and Dennis is sniffling and plotting his quickest return to bed. Photos will come once we take some!

Spring Slowly Returns

Well the sun has been shining and not a flake of snow has fallen today so this is something to celebrate. Emmit reached a major milestone today in that he totally caught me skipping pages while I was reading to him. I admit that sometimes I skip a page or two and he didn't catch me at the time but when he woke up from his nap he came and showed me exactly the page that I hadn't read and asked me to finish reading the book. I just had to read that one page to satisfy him but I couldn't believe that he busted me! Emmit is going through a little bit of a defiant and talking back faze which drives me crazy. "Emmit please don't run over your little brother with your bike" which sometimes gets the response, "But I want to run over Asher with my bike". You get the idea. I think we are all experiencing some severe cabin fever and even the hardy native Buffalonians are starting to whine as loud as I am about the weather although one friend ever so sweetly pointed out that one year they had snow on Mother's Day. I swear that I will pack the car up and drive away if that happens. Asher is now threatening to walk and dangerously holding on to things with one hand and furniture walking which results in numerous falls and today a scraped nose. He is fearless and determined. He isn't even 9 months old!!! Dennis just walked through the door and Emmit greeted him "I need a flash for my camera". On Thurs. we drive to Indianapolis for a family reunion which we are all so excited about. No photos to post today just a little glimpse into our day. Thank goodness for my Munki Munki Pj's that greet me at the end of the day.

Happy 3rd Birthday Emmit

If these posts had a soundtrack it would be about four different versions of Woodie Guthrie's song, "This Land is Your Land" because that is Emmit's current favorite song which used to mine so we all get great pleasure belting it loudly. I am totally tone deaf remind you so poor Dennis just smiles and pretends we sound amazing. It is hard to believe that last week we were enjoying warm sunny weather in the 60's and now we are back in the 30's with snow. Here are some glimpses from our morning as we celebrate Emmit's first day being three. He really wasn't born until 7:59 pm. Asher is now standing and barely holding on to things which also results in a lot of falling over backwards. His first word is without a doubt "Da Da" which he says with the softest and most endearing voice. Emmit loves playing along to music and singing. He has been quite into the Passover song Dayenu and for some reason he tends to belt out mostly Hebrew songs while playing the guitar even though he knows more then just Hebrew songs. Dennis and Emmit are off on a special afternoon together to have lunch with a friend, get a bike helmet (can you see the new bike in the background of one of the photos? There is a great photo of Emmit on his new bike but of course it is vertical and I can't figure out how to turn it so Dennis will add it later to avoid unnecessary neck strain to you our viewers). I need to make a birthday gift for our dear friend who is also turning 3 tomorrow!

Emmits 3rd birthday party