Wednesday, April 27, 2011

at the garden...

Anyone else need a dose of sunshine?



 Last Saturday, we made our semi-weekly trip to the Botanic Garden.


I'm in love.  I can enjoy the flowers and not have to think about watering or weeding.


Jason loves to run around.


Kayla?  She's just thrilled.  :)


This week, we had a surprise visit from Bubbe and Grandpa when we were there.




After a quick meal on the go, we were off to Gramma and Grampa's for Easter...  but that's the next post.


We're hoping that the weather will clear up this weekend so we can go...
I'm hoping the rain has encouraged the tulips :)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

auntie invasion!

There was no school on Friday.  Most kids thought it was for Earth Day.  Technically, it was for Good Friday.  But for us?  It was...

AUNTIE INVASION!!!

(that's the best pink i can do, staci :) )

Friday was a cold, drizzly day... and therefore it was perfect to bum around the mall and go out for pizza!  Jason was able to show off his mad running skills, play at the Disney store, and lunch with his aunties, Gramma, and Grandma D.  Kayla was simply a sweetheart, smiling and laughing, and falling asleep after a bottle watching Bulls highlights.  She also got a fabulous hat.


Highlights form the mall include Aunt Dani getting IN the ice cream truck, 



going up and down the elevator,


and getting cuddles :)


Then, it was time for family dinner to celebrate the end of the tax season.
Dad needed it.  And TOTALLY deserved it!
(and he had a coupon he's been trying to use for at least 9 months)

in additon to fabulous pizza at gino's east... we played with laptops,


inconspicuously threw poop away


wore tutu's...


fell sound asleep after a dinner of squash, applesauce and rice,


and vandalized.



the girls are in all week... so, so excited to play!

pancakes with bubbe

no, silly.

not real pancakes.

it's passover!

i'm not a fan of passover food.  honestly, who is?
but, i do have a few favorites.

i'm a sucker for kosher for passover jelly slices.
yellow in particular.


i also enjoy fried matzah and matzah pizza.

however, if i were to choose a favorite?

my mom's matzah pancakes.  they are the only food that she hasn't tried to make "healthier."  no substitutions of splenda, applesauce, or egg beaters.  they're made with real everything, and fried in oil.  (yes... i gasp too!)   the finished product is a fluffy, eggy pancake, that oozes oil when you bite into it (after you douse it with sugar and jelly, of course).  It truly is the only Passover food I look forward to, and my mom indulges me with it every year.  This year, it was the little man's turn.

thursday, i drove over to bubbe's house after work so jason could try his first matzah pancake.

first, we got to play at the park.

bubbe and grandpa's park is awesome.  it's old fashioned and wooden.


 there are tire swings, things to climb,


a long metal slide,


and swings!  


jason loves swings!


what about kayla, you ask?  well, she didn't enjoy the park.
it was still a bit chilly, and she was tired.
so she slept under a blanket.


but, she enjoyed her applesauce and rice cereal... and her jumper!


jason got to eat lox, eggs, n' onions (minus the lox), and enjoyed bubbe's pancakes!




i just LOVE how he's starting to participate in traditions...
i want him to grow up so he can participate more,
but then again i just want him to stop growing and stay this way forever and ever.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

around the dinner table...

big things are happening.

Kayla first...


look who's in a high chair!!!
peter's been feeding her fruit, vegetables and rice cereal.


 jason loves how easy it is to bother her.


she loves sitting up high and getting attention...




and is totally digging her food!  yay bananas!

Jason, on the other hand, is practicing.  


He poked that piece all by himself!

And, he's drinking from cups.  The process:


slowly, slowly sip.


oooh... more confident now!


DRIP!
oh, feathers.  :(


this water stuff is cold, mama!


eh?  what the heck.  isn't that what diapers are for?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

mah n'sh-tanah ha lilah hazeh?

(post title, english version:  why is this night different than all other nights?) 

(AKA:  the first two nights of passover)

 

 on all other nights, our dining room table is not in the living room.


on all other nights, we do not eat bitter herbs that look this phallic.

on all other nights, there are not very symbolic seders filled with mostly non-jews.
(we missed you, dio family!)


on all other nights, i don't safety pin matzah to sesame street stuffed animals.


on all other nights, jason and maddie don't have to think for their supper.


on all other nights, kayla doesn't get toys in her high chair.  


on all other nights, we're not dressed up and together.


on all other nights, we are not this angelic.  


on all other nights, we don't normally get to wear party dresses.


on all other nights, we're usually crabby by 6:00 in the evening.


on all other nights, story time is usually with our mommies and daddies. 


on all other nights, we're not this quiet.


seriously.  we're not. 


on all other nights, uncle brad doesn't deal with crying babies.


on all other nights, we don't get to play with cousins.


on all other nights, we don't play with cell phones.
(only on saturday and sunday mornings... when jason wakes up too early
and mama and daddy want to lay in bed just a bit longer.
awesome parenting.  i know.)


on all other nights, andy doesn't have matzah in his pants.


on all other nights, people don't tell you to grab stuff out of other people's pants.


 on all other nights, crackers aren't in sealed plastic bags.


on all other nights, you don't get to say things like:
BEHOLD!  THIS IS THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION!


on all other nights, you don't get a prize for finding a cracker.


on all other nights, you don't open the door for strangers.
especially invisible ones named elijah. 


this... yeah... 
this happens on all other nights. 

Happy Passover, y'all!