Sunday, April 24, 2011

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!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

two under 18 months...

my little man officially turned 18 months old today.  
and sweet baby k is has graduated from newborn status
and is officially a baby... 
5 months on the 18th!

it's hard to believe.

Jason's stats:  

 
32 lb, 13 oz.  


 35.5 inches tall
(no, he can't climb stairs like this yet... but he sure tries.)

He has 20ish words right now:
mama, dada, 
ba/buh (basia, bottle, button, bubbe, banana)
muh (which we think is gramma)
up, down, open, close
jew (shoe, juice)
home, bye bye, 
ga (car)  mou (computer mouse), moon,
duh (bird)  and
BALL!!!!

he is such a joy.  really.  the doctor was actually getting worried
that he was too good, 
so he was happy when jason had a bit of an emotional breakdown in the office.
his curiosity is inspiring, his smiles are truly my sunshine,
and he's an outrageous flirt.
he's in a phase right now where he loves to run at you
and dig his head in your chest/lap.
(he's offically motorboated all of my friends.)
he only sometimes eats the crayons, has learned to color, 
and is tall enough to reach the door knobs. 
he thinks everything has a place.
(he threw his oatmeal bowl in the garbage today.  he hasn't learned about dishwashers yet)
he laughs when peter hugs me.
he (finally) gets really excited to read books.
he knows where all the elevators are in hawthorn mall, knows how to open the handicap entrances,  and enjoys a good subway sandwich.
he's learned to blow bubbles in his milk.  which just tickles me to no end.
he "helps" around the house... fetching things we need,
putting wet laundry in the dryer, putting folded socks in daddy's drawer.
his favorite game with his sister is to stick his finger in her mouth.
and then to put the same finger back in his.
repeat.  giggle.  repeat.
basia is his best friend.  however, i'm not sure the feeling is mutual.
he adores running around without his diaper on.
he got 4 pairs of shoes this week.  size 7 wide.
his legs are thinning out.  not as many rolls.  it makes me sad.
he gets shy very rarely,
and it doesn't take much for him to warm up to new people.
and he is loved.  so, so loved.

Kayla's stats:


17 lb 10 oz (85%tile)


26 3/4 inches.  (95%tile)

Kayla is continuing to sleep through the night.
(thank you sweetheart.  thank you)
She was doing this whole cry/whine/scream thing every night for about two weeks from 5:45 to 7, but hasn't done it the past few days.  
Her hair is still faux-hawk-esque, but new hair is starting to grow back in.  
Her daddy is on a mission to scrub off the pesky bit of cradle cap.
Kayla follows everyone with her eyes, and loves to smile and laugh.
She literally grabs life with both hands... she slowly reaches her hands up to grab something dangled in front of her, and then holds on for dear life as she gnaws away at the toy/finger/whatever.
We suspect she's teething.
(part of me wishes for her to have no teeth.  i hate teething.)
She's moved to the high chair, and LOVES it.  I think it's because she feels part of the action.
She's mastered rice cereal, and is now moving up on the first foods list.  This month, she'll be introduced to:
applesauce, pears, bananas, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, and avocado.
she's totally a daddy's girl.  
and daddy decided to graduate her from the sling in the infant bathtub.  she's getting her lean on, but she's basically sitting up on her own.
she just graduated into 6-9 month clothing.  so far, it seems she'll be ready a month before the clothes say.  that's fabulous.  i can actually keep up.
i can't wait to see her all dressed up for the spring holiday extravaganza we have coming up.   dressing her is my favorite.
i have to admit, she's been frustrating until about two days ago.  i'm not a newborn kinda girl.  but, these past two days, she's been fun.  (not just cute, but we can interact with her.  You know what i mean?) and i'm loving it.
another thing i have to admit.  she's totally smarter than her brother was at the same age.  
and she's loved. so, so loved.
(kayla, if you ever read this later, i know it sounds bad

my favorite part?  they're starting to interact with each other.  although she's a daddy's girl, kayla is enthralled by her brother.  and every once in a while, he'll give her attention.  





we're looking forward to summer... K will be able to sit up and start playing.  I have a feeling Jason will be so patient, and she's going to be early on all her milestones because of him.  

and can i say one more thing?  my husband and i have survived.  
we've lost patience with the kids... with each other... 
but mostly we've laughed.  and loved. 
we are so lucky.  
i am so lucky.