Category Archives holidays

Leaping into New Years

Dear NHL & JSL,

Both of you have been enjoying your new Chanukah presents over winter break. Of course, you do appear to have favorites. To celebrate 2010, we went to Nana & Papa’s house for breakfast. Before leaving, we packed up some items to take with us. Along with Piggy, JSL, you wanted to take your Pupberry (aka the LeapFrog Text & Learn). NHL, you immediately asked to take your LeapFrog Didj and games.

When breakfast was over, we decided to watch the parade on television. After a short amount of time, the two of you were pretty bored with the events. Sure it was beautiful, but it was not Disney characters like the parade on Christmas. NHL, you took your pillow and propped yourself onto the ground to play your Didj. JSL, you were a little copycat. You demanded a pillow and quickly took your Pupberry out.

The two of you were concentrating on your learning so much that everyone said it was a special moment.

Monkey see . . . monkey do

That signaled me taking out my camera. It was so sweet watching both of you together, quietly playing and enjoying your new toys. Hopefully, you will continue to enjoy these and other items together.

 Love,

Mommy

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The Year that was 2009

I remember it like it was yesterday, December 31, 2008. The boys and I were snuggled onto the couch. We were looking at a photo album from our honeymoon at Disney World. The boys were fascinated because we told them we would all be going there in 2009. That day we had officially booked our first big family vacation. Yes, in a few short months the boys would be going on an airplane for the first time to experience the magic of Disney. 

Disney honeymoon memories - 2001

The year has gone by in a blur. It is hard to believe that 2009 is just hours away from being over. Here are some memories from a year in my life:

January:

  • JSL learned at 19 months old that snow is tricky to maneuver in. We captured this life lesson on video.
  • Last year, I joined the anti-resolution craze. Did really well with this until things gradually slipped back and H1N1 killed it all.
  • Going back on Weight Watchers, I was obsessed with my Nalgene water bottle. I was constantly drinking that and living my life in points (heading back on this as well).
  •  Then 5 year old NHL showed me that Word Families can be rather fun thanks to the "-it" clan. My angel was growing up too quickly.

Mimi and her great grandkids

February:

  • Disney planning happened early one morning when I called in to make our dining reservations. This was huge and important for our trip that now included Nana and Papa.
  • We continued to battle for control over NHL’s allergies and breathing troubles.
  • A year passed from JSL’s first febrile seizure. A false sense of security from a year with no additional issues as I recalled the events from 2008.
  • We went to Sesame Street Live. This was the first time for JSL and Cousin S, NHL was a pro and showed them what to do.

Stretching before the second half

March:

  • Reality hit and I learned that simply doing Weight Watchers was not enough. I had to move it, move it and Leslie Sansone became my friend. Time to dust those off again for 2010.
  • We said goodbye to TechyDad’s long time car and bought a new one in the snow.
  • Everyone dressed up for Purim and went to the parade for some fun and games.
  • A weekend away for a family party = fun at a hotel pool.  It was also the weekend that we questioned where the adult-parent line is in certain situations.
  • 13 months had come and gone and nightmares returned as JSL had 2 febrile seizures in 30 hours.
  • With 4 years of physical therapy behind him (to improve low muscle tone), NHL learned to ride a bike. This was a HUGE milestone and he was so proud, so were we.

The boys on their way

April:

  •  For the first time in my life, I actually liked exercising and sweating. I walked and kicked with Leslie Sansone for miles each day. Leslie and I are going to be good buddies next week, asthma permitting.
  • Lots of preparations went into Passover and the Seders were fun. This year, NHL really got into it thanks to Hebrew School.
  • An early morning phone call on Shabbat from TechyDad’s parents proved to be bad news. Grandma had passed away. She was a beautiful woman who is missed greatly.
  • Flowers were planted for Earth Day. They were gorgeous while they lasted. Sad to say, the neighborhood bunny dug up the bulbs and they will not be coming back this year.

Struggling to get back up

 May:

  • Just in time for the trip to Disney World, I bought a pedometer. I tried daily to get in my 10,000+ steps. Need to get this puppy back out for the new year.
  • Lots of packing, errands and last minute items were bought for Disney World. This included a shopping trip to buy everyone a new pair of shoes for sunny Florida. I lived in my Teva while we were there and all summer long.
  • A week away from the computer meant scheduling posts for my blog. Right before we left a prize arrived with Mickey Ears. Check us out!
  • While at Disney, the little guy turned 2. Here is a look back at two years in his life.
  • Before we could blink, our week at Disney World was over. I wrote about a lot of the trip, but hate to admit I never finished. Our trip there, Chef Mickey in photos, Mother’s Day at Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom & Boma,  and Day at the Magic Kingdom.
  • This month also brought us EA Sports Active. Loved this, but my knee did not. An old injury came back to life thanks to a million lunges, squats and the like.

Lots of distractions

June:

  • Memories from my childhood visits to Disney World and a Figment bribe from my father.
  • We all celebrated a big birthday for my mother. Thanks to Aunt L, we had a nice party for her with family all there.
  • After the allergic reaction at Disney to walnuts, I went to the doctor and got my blood test results. New inhaler to help asthma and lots of vitamins were added to my routine. . . need to go back to those again too.
  • Shooting at the National Holocaust Museum brought back memories of living in fear of hatred that I have had as a Jewish American.
  • The end of Kindergarten for NHL was filled with fun events. There was Field Day, Cake Balls for the last day with the horse rides, and kindergarten graduation. NHL went into kindergarten with the goal to read and came out with that and so much more!
  • TechyDad and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary. Here’s a look back at our wedding.

Just the two of us - Animal Kingdom

July:

  • NHL learned to play tennis at a local tennis program. He had a lot of fun, and we hope to do it again in 2010.
  • I learned what was causing my intense stomach pains for weeks – SOY!  Our almost vegetarian lifestyle was turned upside down.
  • A long weekend trip to visit Uncle I, Aunt M and Cousin S meant a stop to see the Berenstain Bears at the museum. The kids loved entering their world.
  • Thanks to season passes, we had a lot of time at Six Flags/Wiggles World. NHL conquered his fear of characters, we drove in Big Red Cars, and followed the M&M Road.
  • A BIG event also came to our area. We were lucky enough to take the boys to see Walking with Dinosaurs. It was amazing on so many levels.
  • NHL learned to swallow pills! Nice to be able to give him a little pill than tons of liquid or chewables.

Just driving along

August:

  •  When the rain stopped long enough, we went to the park. JSL liked going on the swings with Daddy. Here they are having a blast.
  • In an attempt to relive the yummy memories from Disney, we tried our first stab at the Pop Century Tie-Dyed Cheesecake. This was in time for TechyDad’s birthday celebration
  • I also got my first pair of Crocs, some wedges that were really fun. Since then I have added 3 more pairs, including some boots.
  • NHL went to camp for the first time. He had a blast during the week long Dinosaur camp.
  • In the middle of the month, my first born turned 6. NHL was growing up before my eyes, so I showcased the past year for him.
  • The summer was filled with Wiggle Tooth woes. It actually required the Tooth Fairy to write NHL a note to encourage him to keep wiggling.
  • My knitting took on a new adventure as I tried circular needles for the first time. A baby blanket for my new nephew due in February 2010 is in the works.

Safety is important

September:

  • My best friend that I went to kindergarten with had her baby shower. It was so nice being a part of this special day for her.
  • A night away from the boys was a special treat as I went with my parents to see Cirque du Soleil while it was in town.
  • NHL got ready to begin first grade. A new adventure was waiting for him as he went back to school.
  • A beetle invasion in our house led to the discovery of termites in the basement below. A quick plan of action and lots of money invested led to at least the termites being taken care of.
  • We celebrated the Jewish New Year with family eating lots of yummy food of course.
  • A weekend away to celebrate my sweet niece’s 2nd birthday also included craft time with MY little brother.
  • NHL was off to a great year in first grade. He was reading a ton, getting perfect scores on spelling tests. Of course, a little fun and excitement at pick up happened one day when JSL landed head first on the concrete at school. Yet another ER visit for our family.

Cousins playing in the sand

October:

  • We took the boys to a pre-season hockey game. We had a blast and the little guy loved the zamboni the most.
  • After the hockey game, I started to feel lousy. Being a Mom, I ignored the symptoms until it was too late. A week later, a visit to the doctor confirmed that it was likely H1N1 (thank you ER visit). We left with my asthma being treated and a script for Tamiflu for the little guy just in case.
  • A 2:00 in the morning call to Nana and Papa required the Tamiflu being filled. H1N1 attacked JSL fast and furious.
  • While taking NHL to get his 6 year old portraits, we learned there is a great conspiracy involved.
  • TechyDad and I entered the wonderful world of texting. We dropped our cable phones, added texting and have never looked back.
  • Between sicknesses, we managed to get out to pick 35 pounds of apples. We had a blast with the boys out in the orchard.
  • During Halloween week, NHL was one of the 30% of kids out from his school with the flu. That same week, JSL had febrile seizure #4 while I was home alone with both of the boys. We still do not know what caused this one.
  • By Halloween, NHL was feeling well enough to head out to trick-or-treat at a few houses. Check out his costume here.

Good job . . . Mwah!

November:

  • Both of the boys are Wiggles Fans. We bought tickets over the summer to take JSL to his first Wiggles concert. He had a blast and could not believe what he was seeing.
  • There were several absolutely gorgeous days in November. The little guy and I took advantage of this and went to the park for some fun while NHL was at school.
  • LEGOs came alive in our house with a fun discovery. Lots of imagination and building have followed.
  • NHL has been learning Hebrew each Sunday at Hebrew School. He even made items to use at home for Shabbat.
  • Twas the day before Turkey Day and we went to visit the 1st graders. . . later that night we went to a fun filled hockey game.

My three clowns

December:

  • My birthday arrived this month. I finally picked out something from my parents from last year and this year. I now have a gorgeous Pandora bracelet that has so much meaning behind it.   Oh course having a December B-day often means snow ruins plans. This year the snow, illness and a trip for NHL to the ER got in the way. TechyDad also got me a premium Picnik membership, so lot of photo fun has taken place over the last few weeks.
  • Chanukah arrived and there was so much going on. Here are each of the boys enjoying the special time of year.
  • A gingerbread house building party closed out 2009 in the first grade. The kids had a fabulous time. I was so glad to be home and able to watch this.

More hockey fun

Of course, these are just some of the major events that took place here in my world. Thanks to my blog, I have many other moments captured for our family. 2009 has had it’s share of good and bad moments. Even with all of the ER visits, scares and things I would not change the year gone by. If we did, who knows if we would have had our magical memories at Disney World and other fun family moments.

Thank you to my family, friends (both IRL and online) who have supported me this year. Another thank you to the wonderful PR people and companies that I have worked with this year. Eveyone’s interest has been crucial to helping TheAngelForever.com to be a success. I look forward to 2010 and beyond with all of you.

Happy New Year to all of you and your families.

TheAngelForever

 

 

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Hockey on Christmas

Since we are Jewish, Christmas day is just another day for us. The only difference is pretty much everything is closed. Thanks to this, we must entertain ourselves at home or with relatives until we get Chinese food for dinner. This year, TechyDad opted to go into work on Christmas and use the vacation day for another occassion. He figured he could get a lot of work done when everyone was out.

The boys and I were invited to spend the day with my parents. Nana and Papa made us breakfast. The boys loved their blueberry pancakes. After that, we played for a little while before we all watching the Disney Christmas parade. The boys loved this since they remembered so many of the places that were shown at Walt Disney World. Of course, it left me feeling a little sad. It was just about a year ago now that we officially decided to book a trip to Disney World for May. Ah, the memories.

Once the parade was over, the boys played while Nana made lunch. After that, Papa pulled out a hockey game that he had. The boys were pretty intrigued by this. At first they sat at the kitchen table with Papa to play.

Hockey time with Papa

Soon the boys packed up and moved to the dining room floor. They kept playing here for quite some time. It was hilarious to watch them interact. Everything NHL did, JSL tried it moments later.

More hockey fun

As fun as this game may be to play, the sounds can certainly grate on adult ears that have to listen for an extended amount of time. Here are the boys playing for a short segment. Please note the number of pucks in use.

Eventually, the boys stopped playing and it was time for JSL to show us his new Santa hat wearing technique. Apparently, he is into the western style of Santa hat wear.

Santa hat experiment

At the end of the day, the boys and I packed back up to head home. We met up with TechyDad and opted to order in Chinese food. Then, we had some delicious pie that hubby had gotten from work for being there on Christmas. Yum!

 TheAngelForever

 

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Gingerbread house building

Wednesday was NHL’s last day of first grade for 2009. To help celebrate, the kids all helped to bring in supplies for a tasty craft and party. As one of the room parents, I saw the list of items and immediately knew what they would be making. The class was going to construct gingerbread houses using graham crackers, frosting, lots of candy and their imagination. Of course, as a teacher, I knew that NHL’s class would need more adult hands on deck to assist with the group.

JSL and I went into the classroom. I was afraid that he would be all over the place. Luckily, he was content watching the kids, while munching on a few M&M’s.

Little guy and lots of candy

Meanwhile, I had fun dishing out extra frosting and supplies to the kids. It was interesting seeing those that had never made a gingerbread house (like my NHL) compared to those who were seasoned professionals.Here are some photos of NHL making his first gingerbread house. He was quite into it, but also asked his teacher numerous times if he could nibble on some of the candies. Needless to say, this was a common question in the room of first graders. 

Making of a first gingerbread house

NHL had a blast adding frosting to his creation and then putting all of the different candies it. Take a close look at his face above, there’s even some frosting on him. Here are some views of his first ever gingerbread house: 

The creation

Eventually, NHL stopped adding things to his house to go and read on the rug with his little brother. JSL was already surrounded by a gaggle of first graders!

Hugs from big brother

While they were on the rug, I went around looking at all of the different gingerbread houses. One of my favorites was made by a little girl. She had made many of these in the past. Check out the view from the front and back: 

Creation by expert classmate

So my question to you this week is inspired by the first graders:

Have you ever made a gingerbread house before? If not, you are not alone . . . I do not recall ever making one. If you have what are your favorite items to use as decorations?

 TheAngelForever

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An Island Life

Aloha #79

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