Growing 7 and 4

I hate that it’s been so long since I wrote some notes down about the kids, but life happens and instead of wallowing about it, let’s just have a list of random thoughts. 

• At bedtime, Emmett likes to sing a jumbled up version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” The words don’t come out quite right, but it’s crazy cute. Like a diamond so high."
• After that, he’ll give three goodnight kisses. One on each cheek and then one smack on the lips. Although, recently, he’s been telling us, “Only 2. Mouth is yuck.”
• For a stretch this summer, the kids decided to sleep in the same bad each night. I loved checking in on them, seeing them rest so perfectly with each other. 

• One day when Sharon (aka Bonkie) was over, Sophie was looking for her. She called into the room, “Bonkie?” And immediately he answered, “No, I’m Emmett.” It made us all laugh and has become a little saying of ours.
• Sophie now says “litery” when’s she’s trying to say the word, literally. I also like that she’ll occasionally tell us something happened during her day, and she’ll cap it with, “I’m not lying. That really happened.”
• This summer, Sophie brought back her love of playing Uno. She wants to play all the time, and she’s pretty darn good at it! We have to be careful, or else the games takeover dinner. That being said, the phase where she’s got into card games is great. It’s funny for the family to play. For a while, Emmett would "play," but mostly liked to slam the cards down and yell “uno skip!" Recently, we can tell he's been playing in school, because he's getting better with the actual rules and playing the numbers/colors.
• Emmett grew leaps and bounds as a swimmer. At the start of the summer, he was still holding onto us. By late June, he was telling us about how he was putting his head underwater. Come mid-July, he was starting to swim for a second or two on his own. And now, at the end of the summer, he’s swimming from one of us to the other. He is having so much fun, and it’s nice for us to be able to be hands off while still safe.
• This is late to post but, Sophie wrapped up Kindergarten and seemed to really enjoy her first year at the school. She’s learning Spanish, but is still quite early on a lot of vocabulary. She’s got numbers down very well, and it’s been fun to see her interested in adding and subtracting. Now that she's back in school, she's really starting to pick up on math and counting by 5s, then 10s.
• Over the summer, we made trips California, Dallas/Great Wolf Lodge, and Galveston. We were able to do lots of swimming, trips to the beach, visiting friends and family, as overall, give the kids some great experiences. 
• Over the spring, Sophie lost both of her front two teeth. It was quite the adjustment seeing her look like an old-school hockey player. Now that her adult ones are coming in, we get to explore the world of orthodontia. Hooray :| She didn't like getting the expander in, but she seems to be used to it now.

• Emmett can spell his name, and as his teachers pointed out, it's nice that he only has to remember three letters.
• One day, Soph came home wanting to do a lemonade stand. One thing about her is when she wants to do something, she makes sure it happens. That Sunday, we had a successful, very hot outside, lemonade stand. So many good lessons - making change, learning about material cost vs profit, marketing by “word of mouth,” and communicating to people to give them the lemonade.

• Birthdays: For Emmett, we once again just had a chill dinner with a handful of his friends. Obviously he's younger, but he isn't as focused on his birthdays as Soph is. She asked to have a gymnastics party this year. Over the years, we've had multiple park parties for her or backyard ones, so this time, we finally did one at a place. She had a great time bringing together her school, camp and pre-school friends.
• As I was adding this photo, I realized "Barbie" must've been the first move we all saw together in a theatre. 

In general, we feel very lucky with the way the kids are growing and enjoying life. As always, there are moments of incredible frustration, but those kids are so cute that it all dissolves away. I'll continue to try and hold on as much as possible, because it's really dawning on me that they're growing so much. The days are long but the years are short.

Grazie, Merci

I’m very thankful Amanda and I could return to our traveling ways at the end of August. Before going any further, a major thanks to her parents and all of our family that allowed us to go solo on the trip, as they took care of the kids. 

8 years after our last Labor Day trip to Italy for a wedding of Singapore friends, we went back to Tuscany for another celebration. This time it was to celebrate Gemma and Shavit, some truly amazing and thoughtful friends. 

Plane, Train, Taxi

We met up with Amanda’s parents in Dallas so we could pass the kids to them, as we went from Dallas to Rome. Nothing remarkable about the flight, but after our lost luggage in Auckland/Melbourne, I was just happy to see our bag come off the luggage belt.  

From the airport, we took a train to Florence as there were welcome drinks with the wedding party that night. When we told our taxi driver in Florence that we were from Texas, he told us how he loved American football and his favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys! The trip was off to a great start. 

Once we arrived at the “agroturismo” that our Parisian friend,  Ben, booked for all of us, we were stunned. It was a 19th century villa about 25 minutes outside the city in the Tuscan hills. It’s been remodeled to serve as a hotel, and it was a very cool experience. Ben arrived later that evening and the trip was underway for real. 

10 Years, One Moment 

Sunday night, we arrived at the welcome drinks and it was so wonderful to see the wedding couple again! The bride and groom each had a bar they were posted up at, so we started at the bride’s. All the drinks were named after sexual inuendos and the bathroom even had a stripper pole! That being said, it was all very tame and we just enjoyed seeing friends. The groom’s bar was much more straightforward, which definitely fits his persona. 

For both, I was so thankful that even though it’d been 10 years since I’d seen them in person, the connection was instant. I’ve often viewed our Singapore time as a second college experience, and that unique time in our lives created forever friendships. 

Where is the Castle? 

On Monday, we had a chill morning, and I took a walk outside our hotel through their olive and grape vineyards.  Then Ben, Amanda, and me went further south into a town called Panzano. This was a recommendation of our Deion Sanders-loving taxi driver. Our plan was to find somewhere for lunch, but it wasn’t quite the little town I was thinking it’d be. That being said, the driver was right in telling us that one of the world’s most famous butchers, Dario Cecchini, had his shop in town. If anyone reading this is a “Top Chef” fan, he’s the man that shouts “Carne!” We even got to meet him briefly.

After, we went through country roads to a restaurant in the hills. Boy, did Ben pick a great spot! The scenery was perfection. We enjoyed buffalo mozzarella, bread, wine and pasta. Amanda picked a little better than I did, but I was trying to adventurous and push my palette with a mushroom dish. To top it off, we had this delicious chocolate panacotta. It was like the texture of a flan with the comfort of a vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. It was one of the top things I ate in Italy. 

Following lunch, I wanted to go back into Panzano to see a castle I’d read about. I ended up disappointed when we realized the castle isn’t quite a full castle anymore. Part remains as a church, but there’s no tour or anything to take. The joke from then on was that I just wanted to see a castle. Boo hoo 😢

No big deal, as we had something even better ahead. Another great friend, Alex, had arrived into Florence and we were on our way to explore with him. With Alex in tow, we walked through the streets of Florence, taking in the Duomo, walking by famous sculptures, and crossing the Ponte Vecchio. 

By this point, we’d also connected with Beny, who was a friend coming to the wedding. Beny and I had just missed each other during our times in Singapore, as we left just as he arrived. Not shockingly, he’s very nice and easy to get along with. 

For dinner, Alex suggested going to one of the kosher restaurants in town, which was right next to the synagogue. From the outside, you can tell how beautiful the chapel is. While we weren’t able to make it inside on this trip, some friends showed me photos and it’s stunning.  For dinner, Alex and I ended up sharing a classic, the Florentine steak.  It was a big porterhouse, and it was really, really good. Amanda ordered a pasta carbonara, which we normally can’t have because it uses bacon, but this one used baked duck and it was very good. Another SG friend, Eli, joined us at dinner and from there, we all went out for drinks. It was a wonderful night with lots of good conversations and meeting up with other wedding guests.

The Lake Effect 

Tuesday morning was really special for me. The guys invited me to join them in taking Shavit out for a swim in a little lake nearby. As Alex and Ben were groomsmen, I really felt honored to be included in this.  We ended up walking down the wrong path to get to the lake, and thankfully, no one turned an ankle. Either way, we got there, and I was expecting the water to be freezing, but it was quite nice. We swam from one side of the little lake to the other, chatted, reminisced about old times, started making future ones. I had a moment where I really thought about lucky we were to be four friends in the middle of a gorgeous area. From there, we found a restaurant for lunch and really enjoyed having burrata and pizzas. While I was away, Amanda enjoyed a restful day to herself, taking in a day when she could sleep as late as she wanted, watched what she wanted and simply got to relax. 

That night, we had the wedding and I know the couple was a little sad it had to be moved indoors because of rain, but truly, it was still very beautiful. The service had a calm, warm and welcoming feeling. And afterwards, everyone enjoyed seeing the view from the gardens and the balconies. The reception was amazing - great food, wonderful dancing, funny speeches, an incredible cake presentation. Overall, it was just perfect. We finished the night with a rowdy rendition of the seven wedding blessings, and that might be one of the moments that sticks with me for a while. 

Impruneta for Instance 

After a late wake up, we took it easy and drove to a little town called Impruneta. We lunched at a cafe, walked around the streets and then rested a bit more. I took another walk through the villa’s land just to soak it all in. That night, the bride and groom hosted a large pizza party. This wasn’t a stack of pizza boxes type thing. No, no, no. There was a mobile pizza maker and it was awesome! I really enjoyed chatting with some of our Singapore friends, new and old, and then watching the sun set that night was gorgeous. It was hard to say goodbye to our friends, but I’m thankful we had this amazing opportunity. 

So Nice to Visit Nice 

With Ben driving to another wedding in the south of France, we tagged along and had him drop us off in Nice. Our little road trip with him was really chill, getting to see the Mediterranean coast line at times, while also seeing beautiful mountains. I’m always amazed to see homes up there, and at times, there would be incredible looking churches at the top of a hill. We stopped and bought some sandwiches from a little place along the coast. My turkey sandwich was delicious! I think we might need to get a panini press back at home. 

Our hotel room in Nice was quite small, but it was clean and did the trick. The best part was it was a 5 minute walk down to the waterside. The water was SO blue! There was some teal water right by the shore and then deep blue after that. It was gorgeous. We walked along the Promenade des Anglais which is a large pathway right along the water. We did a free walking tour which is something we always enjoy. I didn’t realize the name Nice stems from Greek and was named after the Greek goddess, Nike. Which leads me to wonder, how in the world does the French football club, Nice, not have Nike as their kit sponsor??? Seems like a missed opportunity to me! We enjoyed trying a local dish called socca, which is a little pancake made out of chickpeas. It was nice, but could’ve used something to dip it in or pair it with. It was fun that a couple from the tour joined us in trying it, and we found out they had just gotten married earlier that week. 

On to Paris 

Thursday morning, I jumped up to go swim in the sea. The beach is all rocks, but thankfully they were smooth. I debated getting in or not and then thought, “This is your chance, just go for it.”   Once in the water, it was really comfortable, and I’m happy I did it. From there, we got on the train for Paris. It was nice to look out the window and go along the coast, and then go through farmland, including a few wind farms. 

Friday evening, we had a lovely Parisian dinner not too far from the Eiffel Tower.  Amanda really enjoyed a goat cheese salad, while I had steak frites, and I was pleasantly surprised with a peppercorn/curry sauce to dip the fries in. That was something new for me! 

After dinner, we found a different spot for crème brûlée before take an evening, river boat tour. It was very calming to be on the top deck of the boat, seeing so many beautiful buildings and the Eiffel Tower. When the tour was done, we walked to the tower to get a closer look. Amanda knows that I don’t enjoy seeing pictures of things before we visit them, but that’s somewhat impossible to do with a landmark like that. Even so, it was really quite magnificent, especially at night. 

On Saturday, we made our way to Le Victoire Synagogue, which is known as the grand synagogue of Paris. It was stunning with an almost cathedral like feel to it. The ceiling was so high, the design in the stonework was incredible, and so were the windows. It stood out to me that the synagogue had a choir that sang in quite operatic tones, which is definitely different than what I’m used to. One final note, I loved that the gabbi of the shul, who helps organize the service, wore a French style hat. It looked good on him, and felt very Parisian. 

After that, we followed a walking tour Ben had given us. It went threw really cool shopping tunnels and through some plazas. We were able to stop in at the Anne Frank Garden before having lunch not too far away. Afterwards, we took a free walking tour, led by a man named Pierre (which Amanda felt was totally appropriate 🤣). Through the tour, we saw the Hotel de Ville, the exterior of Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pont Neuf, a bridge that used to have the keypad locks of many loving couples, the Louvre and many other cool spots as well. After that was done, we hopped on a train so we could see the Arch de Triomph before having dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Bouillon Republicque. The wait to get in was quite long, but that’s because they have good food at very reasonable prices. We were able to each get an appetizer, main, side and dessert for the same price as the meal we had the night before. The highlight was the French onion soup Amanda got. I was more than happy to finish off the bowl when she was done with it! 

On Sunday, we went to the palace at Versailles. It was something both Amanda and I were keen to do from before the trip. And while it’s a bit of a trek out there, we really enjoyed it. To see the highly decorated rooms with so much art in them is incredible. We didn’t end up buying a gardens ticket, but, we were able to visit the park at Versailles after a half-hour walk. It’s impressive to see how large the palatial estate is, and I know we saw just a very tiny part. 

That evening, we went to dinner near the apartment we were staying at. The restaurant was right along the waterway, and it was a great evening to eat with a view. Instead of dessert, we strolled along the water while watching a beautiful sunset. It was a perfect way to cap off the trip. 

Overall, we had a wonderful time on our trip. I loved seeing close friends, exploring new areas, eating very good food, and honestly, just being outside with it not being 95 degrees. I don’t know when we’ll go back to Europe, but I’m sure we will one day, and maybe next time with the kids. 

Tractors in Trafalgar

Tractors, sheep, spuds and one heck of a wedding - this trip to Australia was unlike anything I’ve done before. 

This was not an explorative trip of Melbourne full of museums and historical landmarks. Instead, this was truly a trip to the Australian countryside and the land of potatoes. 

We came to Australia for my sister-in-law’s wedding. Amanda’s sister, Melissa, married Jamie, who grew up about two hours outside of Melbourne in a town called Trafalgar. Melissa had told us how the home was really out in the middle of farmland, but until we really saw it, it was hard to imagine. 

Back to the beginning, the kids did very well through more than 30 hours of traveling to get to Australia, which included a missed flight and a long layover (I’m not going to drag down this blog with a whole ordeal about missing luggage, but that was also a factor on the trip). When we finally got in to Melbourne, we met up with Amanda’s parents, Steve and Marilyn. Amanda’s sister, Ally, was a real trooper, flying to Australia with us. That night, we crashed at a hotel in the central business district. After a nice breakfast the next day, we took a walk through the city before heading to the countryside. 

As we drove to Jamie’s family home, it was clear this was in fact, going to be out there for sure. Once we drove through a small neighborhood, we started to weave up and down a country road (in our 12 passenger van!), until we got to the house. It’s set amid grassy hills, beautiful sky, and well, nature’s glory. Some errands and a homemade pizza dinner later, we wrapped up the day.

Wednesday morning, we went for a wonderful stroll through a wooded fern gully area. It was great to be out in nature and take it all in. We’d just about fully built up an appetite when we stopped in one more area to see a strong waterfall nearby. From there, it was back to the house to have sandwiches on bread rolls. I loved the shaved carrot, along with beetroot, to go with shredded chicken. It was very simple, but very good. 

Later that day, I enjoyed getting a tour of Jamie’s dad’s workshop. He has so much metal machinery in there, which makes sense because he’s building these impressive structures. It just a totally different world to see, and I was gobsmacked. It was just a reminder of how everything gets where it’s going. Jamie’s family makes machinery to help potato farmers do their jobs, which helps get the spuds sold, and then they land them in the super market for us to buy.  We ended the day with a dinner at the local pub/hotel. Sophie especially enjoyed meeting Jamie’s niece who was the same age. 

On Friday, we started our journey to the wedding venue location in Dandenong. But first, we stopped at a mall near Melbourne. Shockingly, their malls smell and look just like our malls ;) The girls got their nails done, the kids went to a play place, we got a few items for the wedding, and then we left with a bag of burgers from Hungry Jack’s (aka Burger King. It was very underwhelming).  From there, we went to the Healsville Sanctuary, which was awesome!

We got to see some native, Australian wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, reptiles, birds, and even dingos. The kids really enjoyed it. While I’d seen kangaroos on our trip to Sydney in 2013, these were the first I’d seen up close like that. From the zoo, we got to the wedding town and had a lovely rehearsal dinner with the families. The pizza was great, but the company was even better. The kids especially liked playing in the random parking area (hard to describe it) behind the restaurant. 

Saturday was wedding day! Now, the morning was pretty unique for me. The ladies were getting their hair and makeup done in the apartment where we were staying. So, I was on kid-watching duty in the same room, which meant I kind of got to be part of my first bridal party! Of course, I tried not to intrude and had fun being a go between of the bridal party and groom’s party, carrying over gifts back and forth. 

As for the wedding, it was stunning. It was set in this beautiful garden, and it really was great. I was so nervous that the kids would struggle walking down the aisle as flower girl and ring bearer, but when the moment finally came, they turned on the charm and made it happen. During the ceremony, I did my absolute best to keep Emmett from screaming (snacks and a surprise toy helped). Melissa and Jamie delivered (pun intended for the family reading this) beautiful vows and the whole ceremony was really great. Right after, the photographer pulled off something cool. He got a wide angle shot of the entire group in attendance with the bride and groom. I’ve never seen that before! 

The reception was held at this restaurant called Sky High, and we could see Melbourne way off in the distance. The party was excellent. The whole wedding crew gave great speeches and the dancing, my goodness. Not only did the newlyweds have a nice first dance, but Melissa and Steve stole the show with their father-daughter dance. Steve’s got some moves away from the golf course, too! 

On Sunday, we made our attempt at doing some of the 1000 Steps Kokoda Walk. This is a cool nature walk that’s supposed to simulate what Australian soldiers had to do during World War II. I’ve gotta hand it to those fellas, just the very beginning was hard! And while I wasn’t carrying a rucksack, I did have an Emmett who didn’t want to walk. That night, we went back to the family home in Trafalgar, and this night was really special. Both families came together to make dinner, with homemade gnocchi, a beautiful salad, meatballs and dessert. I know this is the type of thing that means a lot to my mother-in-law, and I think we could all feel how special it was. I felt bad for Ally, my-sister in-law, as she got a virus that she just couldn’t kick and she mostly had to rest up in her room. 

Then came Monday and a special trip to Jamie’s uncle’s potato farm. After a wonderful spot of cookies and cakes made by his aunt, his uncle gave us a tour of the farm. Again, just seeing the process and the machinery of how this all gets to the market was really special. He also has a ton of sheep, and that was cool to see. The kids didn’t want to waste the opportunity to ride on some cool stuff, and they were in heaven. After, we went to a local bakery to pick up a variety of pies for lunch. That was our last family meal together before we headed off to the airport hotel. There’s not much to say about the rest of the night, EXCEPT that we got to see kangaroos in the wild from our hotel window. Sophie really liked that! 

Tuesday morning, we went to the airport and started our journey back. 

It was a short trip, but a really great one. I’m very glad that it wasn’t just Amanda that could go, as it looked like it might be at one point. It meant a lot to be there, and I really do feel like I got to add members to our family by meeting Jamie’s in Australia. 

With that, I’ll say, “How you going? G’day!” And I’ll be on my way. Cheers! 

 

35-3-Almost 6

With Emmett talking so much more, you’d think I’d have way more to write about. Well, I do, but I’ll just admit to being bad about putting pen to paper.

Let’s start with random moments of cuteness:

• Emmett is really starting to say phrases. Some I like : thank you, your highness, I love my poppy, can you ______ for me please, you’re the best
• Some I don’t: I don’t want to go potty, I don’t like you, No, I don’t need to, Leave me aloooooone
• I love when he plays lion guard and pins us down, saying “I Kion”
• His need to see the photo right after you take it. “I wanna see. I wanna see.”
• He laughs at shows in a way I don’t remember Sophie doing. Maybe it’s because she’s laughing, too? On that note, Sophie will just have these fits of laughing. And there are times when her laughing makes me laugh and the cycle continues
• Sophie likes to watch “This Girl is On Fire” by Alicia Keys on YouTube. She likes to sing along to “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” by Cole Swindell. Emmett likes the original from Jo Dee Messina.
• After their baths, when they’re wrapped up in their towels, I throw them over my shoulder and call them sacks of potatoes
• They’re still snugglers in the morning. I love it, especially on weekends.
• Daddy Slide - at night, I’ll prop my legs up on Sophie’s bed and they take turns acting like it’s a slide. I feel like I’m in an episode of “Bluey.”
• Party time has been pretty minimal, but I’m glad we brought back our Matzah Pizza party this year. And Emmett’s birthday was a nice, chill brunch with all his friends. We jokingly called it the Benjamin party because so many of his friends have the same name!
• Fun taking them to sporting events - we went to a soccer match and two baseball games and all were successful.
• Both kids have loved swimming this summer. They got to swim every day at camp, and also did some instructional lessons with friends. We definitely want them comfortable in the water.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Nighty Night

Whether or not we were ready or not, Emmett decided he wasn’t going to sleep in his crib anymore, so on came the big boy bed. He has the same one as Sophie, which leads to jumping across the gap between the beds! He seems to like being in the bed, but sometimes we’ll find him sleeping underneath the bed or at the end of it, or just on the floor next to the bed. As long as he’s sleeping, he can do what he wants!

The next big milestone will be Muggsy finishing potty training. He’s been going in the potty for a while now, but just this week, we have taken him out of pull-ups during the day (outside of nap time). He’ll still wear a diaper at night for a while, but here’s to hoping his accidents are limited and it goes smoothly!

A Momentous May

Sophie’s school year wrapped up with her becoming a PreK graduate. The ceremony was super cute, and seeing her in a cap and gown just sent bolts right to my heart.

Right before the graduation, she had her end of year ballet recital. Of course, we thought she was great in it! She wore this adorable pink tutu/dance costume, and she and her friends pranced around to a classical version of “Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music.

One negative, the fact that we only brought her flowers and not a stuffed animal/toy set her off. It was tough, because of our course we want her to be grateful. At the same time, I get how she looked around and wanted what others had. 

Good news is we got some smiling photos, and the J even used a photo of her dancing in one of their recruiting emails!

Sophie, The Reader

Starting in late June or so, we introduced Sophie to “Bob” books, thanks to a friend’s suggestion. They’re very good because as she starts to read, many of the words are repetitive, and so are the sounds used. Both grandmas were amazed when she started to read to them. It’s so cool watching the words form from sounds in her brain then come out.

We’re going to have to keep working with her on it, because once the books started to get more complicated, she didn’t want to push through. Day by day though, we’ll get there.

Back to School

I’m writing this part on the day before Soph starts kindergarten at her new school! This is an exciting, but also nerve wracking time. There is a lot of newness that is going to be thrown at her, from new school to new classmates to, new routine. She'll even learn a new language as she enters a Spanish-English program. As a parent, all I want is for her to be happy and to set her up for success in life. Amanda and I are both expecting there to be a rather large adjustment period, but who knows, maybe Loaf will surprise us. She has such a great personality, and up to this point, she has always handled transitions well.

Emm will be back for another year at the J, and thankfully, he’s in class with most of the same kids he’s been in with for a while. I am excited to see the steps he continues to make and the words that are sure to come out of his mouth!

Travel Roundup

Way back in January, Amanda and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary by having a staycation at a bed and breakfast in Midtown. It was a perfect little night out to wear nice clothes, eat classic Italian food, and be kid-free for a night. From bowling to breakfast, we had a wonderful time.

In February, Sophie got to go to Disneyland with Amanda and the Rude fam! It sounded like they had one very go, go, go day. Sophie really enjoyed the thrill rides, which is funny, because that’s not Amanda’s style! She did not like the dark, loud rides though. Those were a little too scary.

That same weekend, Muggsy and I went to Florida to see my brother David and his family. We got to dip our toes in the Atlantic and enjoyed some nice cousin time!

The next month, we had a great family weekend going to Camp Young Judea for a cousin’s Bat Mitzvah. It was so nice to be outdoors, and had camp flashbacks by staying in a cabin.

In April, we went to Dallas for Aunt Boopie’s wedding to Uncle Wes. We enjoyed seeing them have a really nice ceremony. At the steak dinner, the kids had oranges, cheese bread and fries hahaha. The good news is that they weren’t running around too crazily.

In May, while we didn't travel, Amanda's mom, aka Girl Mamp, came in to co-lead our guest bathroom remodel. Amanda and her did an incredible jump bringing the 1960s bathroom into 2022.

Just last weekend, we had one last hurrah before school, going to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine with a couple other families. I loved watching the kids run around with their friends at the water park. Like I mentioned before, I’m so glad they are comfortable in the water. It made the whole experience that much better. I think that Sunday was one of the best of their lives. After a nice brunch, we went to Legoland, and then had 5 hours at the water park. Not too shabby. We bookended the trip by staying with my parents. I loved watching them with the kids, especially going to the pool.

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There are so many other things I’m sure I’ve forgotten,  but at least this is a nice little recap of this last couple of months!

The Fall Blog That’s Now a Winter Blog

Since Emmett’s birthday, there’s been a couple big changes!

Birthday Girl

Sophie turned five. Five! Everyone says time flies, but for some reason that number makes it stick. For her birthday, Amanda organized another amazing party, this time with a rainbow theme! We got a little inflatable pool, a rainbow inflatable waterfall type thing, and overall, had a great time with a backyard party. The cake is where Amanda truly outdid herself. She made a multi layer rainbow cake that when you cut into it, M&M’s fell out of it. It was so professional!!!


RosenOgre

At the end of August, I started a new job with a local electricity management company called Energy Ogre. It was a big career decision, but when the opportunity came, it was too good to pass up. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it.

I’m still in marketing and am using video production to help tell the company’s story. It’s been very interesting to see how the business world is different than the tv one. The work life balance was a big reason I made the switch, and so far, that’s been a good move.

Terrific/Terrible Twos

Emmett is definitely going through a bit of a phase where he can get angry FAST! As soon as he turned two, words started falling out of his mouth. We could start to really get a sense of what he wanted. On the downside, like all kids, he wants what he wants when he wants it. This can be an issue, because sometimes what he wants doesn’t line up with what Soph wants. And that is a recipe for crying and shouting. I truly think we’re just in a little phase and he’ll grow out of it soon. On the terrific side, it’s amazing hearing him put these phrases together, seeing him be more assertive, and showing his own identity.

Some favorite phrases: “Sophie, Baka scare you?” “Hold you, hold you” “I wan you sit wih me” "Ow-wet"

Up In The Air

Halloween weekend, Amanda and I went up to Chicago for our first solo trip since the pandemic. Amanda’s aunt was amazing watching the kids, and we had an excellent time. We went for a fraternity brother’s wedding and it was just a great weekend seeing old friends.

The next weekend, we were back in the airport, this time headed to California. Another AEPi was getting married and since it was in SoCal, we took the opportunity to have the kids see their grandparents. It was a tough decision to have them travel with us, but after looking at Covid case numbers and talking with our pediatrician, we chose to have them go.

Amanda and I left the kids in LA with her parents while we went to Dana Point for a gorgeous wedding. It was so much fun to see the crew and be amazed by the gorgeous views. After a quick visit with our friends that moved from Houston to San Diego, we went back and rounded out the trip in LA. The kids had such a fun weekend!

We went to Dallas for Rosh Hashanah and that was really great. We enjoyed seeing my parents’ new place and the kids loved the pool. We also went back for Thanksgiving as well, and the kids loved it. This time, we stayed with my parents. Sophie LOVED playing with Babka, while Emmett was scared of the puppy. You’d think since we have Bali, he wouldn’t be scared of another dog. However, we think he might just be so used to Bali since she’s always been there, maybe he doesn’t see her as a dog? Maybe just another part of the family?

It was also great to see so many family and friends. We’re so lucky to be loved by so many.

Channukah Funnakah

It’s obvious to say, but Channukah is just really fun with the kids. We loved having them dress in their holiday jammies with their cousins, going to activities, and of course, lighting the candles. Muggsy doesn’t understand why he can’t hold the candle on his own, but he got better at lighting while we held the candle together.

Overall, I’m thankful for the return of family time and a bit more normalcy. A new variant, shakes things up again, but we'll just continue doing the best we can in the moment. 

Terrific Twos and Coming Up on Five

 This blog is waaaaaay overdue. S & E are well, a lot older than the last time I wrote, and plenty has changed!

Emmett’s First Words

Emmett started with a few words such as bye, shoes, socks, ball, hot. Now, he’s progressed to combine a few words. “Dadash, apen, alp, plis”. Which I’m sure you understand, “Dad, open, help, please.” In the last couple weeks, the combinations have really started to increase. Not a combo, but one of my favorites expressions is, “Heyyyyyyyy” whenever he’s not happy with what you’ve done.

Bali’s Favorite

When it comes to meal time, Bali is planted firmly next to Emmett. Not only is there an occasional drop, but Emmett definitely feeds her on purpose. He has no shame in it either. We say no, his palm opens and food drops straight to Bali. Like her sister did, Emmett enjoys filling Bali’s bowl. It’s super cute watching him waddle with the bowl in hand and put it down carefully.

Pause!

When the kids are done with their milk, they exclaim, “Pause!” Then, they so nicely go over to the sink and drop in their cup before running back. It's not some life changing moment, but we like it.

Cuantos Besos Quieres?

One of my favorite moments of the day comes when putting the kids to bed. We ask Sophie how many kisses she wants and she’ll reply with an amount for each cheek. Then, she’ll ask each of us. The max is five per cheek and so naturally, I often go with five and five! Recently, she’s started counting backwards and saying, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 …blastoff!” It’s the cutest. It’s just so nice, and I know she’ll eventually grow out of this, so I’m savoring each one. Emmett having now watched this scene play out over several months will proclaim “TWO” and then give a kiss on each cheek.

Sophie Reading to Herself

Speaking of good night routines, Sophie now wants to read a book a night. Before reading, she often reminds us that her words are a little different than ours. That girl has some imagination! She can come up with a whole novel off the smallest picture. And it is also one of her ways of delaying bedtime. One book can easily go 20 minutes.

On the book front, we learned Eric Carle is Emmett’s favorite author! We knew he liked Brown Bear, Brown Bear, but he also likes The Hungry Caterpillar, From Head to Toe, and Watch Out, Giant!

First Haircuts

At the end of May, we decided it was finally time to get these kids haircuts! Neither kid had ever had one. Sophie's long hair wasn't really an issue, but Emmett was getting some crazy long curls. We really wanted to make sure he got to keep some of them, and thankfully he did. You can tell in the photo, the haircut wasn't his favorite!  It took me a while to adjust to his new look, but I've come around and he definitely looks handsome. 

End of School, Start of Camp

We wrapped up the school year, and I’m so thankful we were able to have them do in-person learning the whole time. The teachers and staff did everything possible to keep the kids safe and keep them on track. This summer, Sophie is taking swim lessons which is great! I really hope by the end, she's able to put her head under the water. I've tried teaching her in the past, but it hasn't quite worked out. On the weekends now, we get to practice a bit when we go swimming at a friend's house. Emmett is a big fan of the pool, splashing and getting on a floating raft. 

Frozen

I’m not talking about Ana and Elsa here, but this is the first time blogging since the February Freeze.

I won’t go into all the details about 5 days without spotty power and limited water, but it made for some interesting times for sure. Thankfully, we didn't have any damage to the house (that we know about so far).

I’ll always remember the four of us and Bali cuddling up into our bed to stay warm while we slept. 

The one good thing, Amanda's parents had visited the week before, which was nice. I'm glad they didn't get stuck coming in the storm. 

Vacation Time

Amanda and I each took our first flights in a long, long time. I went to Miami for my niece’s Bat Mitzvah, and Amanda went to Arizona for a trip with her mom and sisters. I think we both felt weird about flying, but then somewhat normal once it was done. This was also fairly soon after we were fully vaccinated. Stepping back into the world was strange but nice. 

Two Great!

Emmett just turned two and Amanda whipped together a really nice Brown Bear, Brown Bear themed birthday party in the park.

Emmett’s classmates joined for some doughnuts and watermelon. It was great a few family members could make it. The next night, we did a family zoom birthday cake call for his actual birthday. That boy licked all over that cake! He was going to make sure we didn’t steal his pieces.

Wrapping this up and everything is pretty good. We’re figuring out our late summer/fall travel plans. Will check back in after Sophie’s birthday!

4 Years and 16 Months

Ask any parent, everyone says “enjoy it while you can. They grow up so fast!” What’s frustrating is that even though we know that’s true, there’s really nothing we can do to slow down time. And so, here we are with a 4 year old, and a boy that’s a year and four months.

Wiggle While Ya Walk

Muggsy started walking about two and a half months ago. It’s incredible how fast it goes from his first little steps, to drunk wobble, to speeding right along. He also likes climbing on things like the bench in front of the fire place, the little mini trampoline in the back, and has fun sliding on/off the couch and bed.

One big difference between him and Soph is Emmett is happy to touch everything. He opens up cabinets, takes things out, puts things back. At this stage, she did a little of that, but he goes full bore.

Long Hair Don’t Care

The boy has some serious curls! I don’t want to cut it, because if we do, I’m scared they’ll be gone for good. My parents always talk about how curly my head was as a toddler, but after getting my first haircut, they never came back.

Funny enough, I’m growing my hair out at the moment, and it’s plenty wavy! At the back, it even curls up a little bit.

Sophie’s hair is just getting longer and longer. She wants it to be as long as Rapunzel’s! We shall see.

Missing All the Baby Things

It’s impossible to put all of this in, but Emmett has these mannerisms we’ll miss. Whether it’s playing peek-a-boo or the way he pulls our faces in to give a kiss, it’s just amazing. On top of that, I am addicted to his laugh. For Sophie, I think at this age, she just has tons of great phrases. Her vocabulary is increasing, and she says such cute things. I do have to be careful though, because recently she said, "Oh damnit." Hmm, where'd she hear that?!?!

Sophie Turns 4

At the start of lockdown, Sophie’s birthday in late September had been a benchmark for me. "By then, surely we’ll be back to normal," I thought. Well, we kept getting closer and closer, and it became clear that wasn’t the case. We organized to have her classmates over for a backyard party. But, the Thursday before her birthday, we were notified a kid in her class had tested positive for Covid-19. That made us change our plans, as we wanted to be super safe. We ended up doing a drive by party. While it wasn’t perfect, we know Sophie felt special.

On her actual birthday, she ended up going golfing with Amanda and me. Soph loved going in the golf cart and pushing the pedal, while Mommy steered.  We had crayons for her, a set of mini clubs, and plenty of snacks. It’s something I hope to remember forever.

She finished her big day with zoom calls with her class and family to celebrate!

Bike Rides

Since about May, Sophie knew what she wanted for a bike for her birthday! Luckily, we were able to get a family hand me down, and it’s worked perfectly. She needs help sometimes,  but overall, she rides like a pro. Emmett is in the stroller alongside, and we’ve loved the walks together.

Dancing/Soccer Star

Soph started ballet classes in late July, and she so looks forward to it every Thursday.

Then, she started soccer in early October. What a busy little girl, right? I’m coaching her soccer team, and that’s been way more fun than I expected. The team is so great all dressed up in their jerseys. We don’t play games, just practice with little activities. The goal is just for them to enjoy the sport, and of course, to get their energy out!

High Holidays

Shockingly, the 2020 high holiday season was different than previous years. We were very fortunate that the weather was excellent during that time. I rented prayer books from the synagogue, and each day would pray a little bit outside. Even though it wasn’t traditional, it still felt special. We had a very nice time building our sukkah, and then eating in it. Sophie was the driving force behind it, and I think both kids really liked it

Visit to Dallas

To me, one of the hardest parts of the pandemic is not getting to see family in person. My parents both got Covid in late September, and it was difficult to feel so helpless. Thank G-d, they’ve both recovered well, even if they’re still feeling the effects. Thankfully, they got it in September and not in March/April or this could be a very different story.

We’re just getting back from visiting them for the first time in 9 months. My mom said it was like “a jolt in the arm” seeing us. It was special for me too, especially getting to see them with the kids.

One Last Note

My grandpa passed away in late August. I could go on and on about him, but will only say, he was an incredible role model. He was the smartest person I knew, and will always be a person I try to be like. 

That'll do for now. I'm excited to see what the kids do next!