An Addedum to Previous Post

Cost Benefit Analysis...you decide.
3 hours - Total time invested kneading, waiting for dough to rise and baking cinnamon rolls.
2 minutes - Spent eating them.

Tinsel and Trappings

I can't even begin to guess how many hours went into researching and then purchasing Christmas gifts for the girls. At our house, Santa tries hard to find toys that will encourage creativity, inspire thought and problem solving, spark imagination and promote communication. And given the shear amount of toys out there for today's kids, Santa quickly finds him....er...herself lost in an abyss of options. They don't call it Amazon for nothing. Then there's Santa's least favorite chore...wrapping. Santa wishes it came without ribbons and came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags! Santa's heart feels three sizes too small when it comes to scotch tape and gift wrap. The hours put into our Christmas production seem immeasurable. And we pride ourselves on a small scale affair. Then the blessed morning arrives. We go downstairs around 7 a.m. and as the last piece of wrapping gets torn Jerry and I find ourselves sitting amongst a mountain of boxes, the aftermath of Christmas fall-out still heavy in the air...in disbelief that it is only 7:17 a.m. I guess this would be how a Macy's balloon must feel after the Thanksgiving Day Parade...that is if they could actually feel "deflated". It was seventeen short minutes of happy pandemonium. Was it worth it? You bet. It is pure magic.

Above are the girls at Macy's holiday window display.

Christmas came early last weekend. A letter arrived via Scout from Santa, specifically for our Ella. You could imagine our excitement. The letter gave explicit directions on how to get to a secret teddy bear work shop. You see, Ella has been wishing for a "rainbow, striped and sparkly teddy bear" for the last several months. Luckily Santa knew exactly where we could find a little guy like this. He truly is magic. Viv and Ella also spent hours at their new water table from their Mimi. Thinking this may be a new way to get dinner dishes done. Thanks Mom!

Scout is getting more brazen as Christmas nears. Here he was stringing lights in Ella's room while she slept. Later this week he decided to make snowmen in our kitchen.

The only way to survive the retail world the week before Christmas. Can't beat em? Join em.

She wasn't having it. Just five seconds, literally five seconds on Santa's lap so that Mom could get a picture. Look how he doesn't even break a sweat. This guy's got mad Santa-skills.
Later that day, Ella saw the Nutcracker with her Mimi, Viv got to spend some quality time with her Lolo and Lola and Jer and I went to a dinner party. Best yet, the dinner party was hosted by a stylish single couple. They had plenty of time to think up a superb menu with beautiful place settings. Ten adults in all, able to finish sentences, complete thoughts and nary a dirty diaper or chicken finger in site. Sunday night we hosted the first leg (appetizers) of a progressive dinner with our neighbor buddies. Fabo weekend overall...even with laryngitis and a sinus infection.

Aunt Jenny’s Sugar Cookies
1 Cup butter (2 sticks, softened) 1 ½ Cups sugar
3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla
3 ½ Cups flour 2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt
Cream butter. Add sugar gradually, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; add gradually to creamed mixture. Chill thoroughly (3-4 hours). On well-floured surface, roll to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut in shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool slightly on cookie sheets; remove to rack.
To make icing, mix milk or half & half with powdered sugar. Divide and add the various food colorings.

"Elf on the Shelf", where have you been all my life? The last seven days of December have been parental bliss. Our elf, Scout, arrived at our house over the weekend. He maintains a pretty hectic work schedule as he flies to the North Pole each and every night to provide a behavioral status report to Santa. Scout does not talk but can hear everything. This morning we found Scout in the fridge. I've caught Ella talking to him. She reminds him daily about her wish for a rainbow teddy bear with hearts, polka dots and stripes. I guess we'll see what happens. My fingers are crossed for her. I've decided to ask Santa if Scout has any more friends. Maybe a "Bunny on the Banister" for the Easter season or "Tattler Turkey" that would oversee the month of November?

Underage labor and a countertop filled with freshly baked sugar cookies. Perfect combo.

I remember being small enough to lie down on the kitchen counter, towel underneath my neck, hair draping into the sink as my mother maneuvered the sink nozzle to wet my hair. What followed was a meticulous hair cut...usually inspired by whatever gymnast or popstar I was trying to emulate. And aside from one small mis-step (aka Kristy Phillips haircut, circa 1984) my hair looked good. I don't have any memories of a hair salon until I was in college. I love that my mom is continuing the tradition with my daughters. She knows how to move swiftly with the scissors without maiming...great for a busy one year old. Here is Viv at her first cut. We decided the hair co-mingling with her runny nose was not her best look. Hooray for bangs.

Giving Thanks...Albeit 5 Days Late

I will go on record to say that this year's Thanksgiving ranked as one of my favorite of all time. I've come to terms with Thanksgiving not being a quiet, relaxing and peaceful affair. I've divorced that notion with the birth of our first child. My acceptance of this fact has left me infinately happier. The scurrying, the crowds, the road trips to far off lands (Plainfield). With over a week of festivities, I've narrowed down the top ten high-iights of this year's celebration.
1. Thanksgiving nearly a week early at Tita Cora and Tito Joe's house. The table full of chafing dishes held the traditional goodies: Pancit, deniguan and italian beef. The dessert table was piled high with ensaymada and siao pao all made by Jerry's "crazy" Tito Joe. I've never met someone that can tell a dirty joke like he can and then turn around and make the sweetest, lightest pastries. It's truly a gift. It also turns out that he is quite the videographer. Old home movies playing on the tv revealed my mini skirted mother in law and Jerry's aunts and uncles dancing with infants on their hips. Confident smiles, knowing that even though they had just immigrated to America, that they had each other. And here we are, Jerry, Jon, Joanne and I, kids on our hips, looking a bit less stylish (speaking for myself of course) and realizing just that same. We have each other. Also realizing that maybe we need a video camera. Our next big purchase.
2. An afternoon with the Muppets. I was crying in the theater it was so beautiful. Kermit took my breath away.
3. Once again sitting at the "kid table" for the Thanksgiving feast at my moms. I hadn't been there for over twenty years. The kid table used to be where all the fun happened. This year it is where four hungry adults wolfed down their Thanksgiving plates in time to wipe sweet potatoes off my shoe and head off a one year old before climbing on the glass coffee table. The last time my family was around a house full of little ones, MC Hammer was too ligit to quit. Bless my family for their enthusiasm over my kiddos. I couldn't talk them into swapping places at the kids table though.
4. Tea at the Ritz - an annual tradition with my mom. This year my mother did not have to endure the company of a sleep deprived, unbalanced mother of a newborn. I think we had a much better time this year, right mom?
5. Watching Ella and Viv in their Thanksgiving program at their daycare. Jerry, sweating through his clothes after a gallant sprint from the train station. His meeting ran late but his determination to be there for the opening number was what makes me so thankful to be married to this man.
6. Catching moments like the ones above. The kids creating memories with each other. And creating such happy memories for us.

I Wish She Was Just Singing

This kid gets an "A" in the drama department. Woe is her.

Movember

So glad November is drawing to a close. In honor of men's health awareness month, Jerry attempted a beard and mustache for two weeks. Above is the end product. I couldn't even recognize him ; )

Alliances are Made

And some are solidified.

I come to your rooms each and every night. I can't go to bed without doing so. Every evening, I gently kiss your cheeks or run my hands over your hair as your night-light looks on. Every night I say a little prayer over your quiet, sleepy heads. Seeing you still lets me take in the small details that often get overlooked in the daylight hours as we rush off to the next thing. Your chapped lips, your soft hands, the smell of your breath. One last "check-in" with you is the last thing I do before I go to bed myself. Here you were tonight.

Two Weeks Notice

Dear Family,
I am tendering my resignation as head chef and personal shopper. There are only so many times you can hear "I don't like that" before things start feeling personal. So before I loose my cool I hearby announce that Trader Joe's freezer section will take over all duties relating to food preparation. Gone are the home-made beef stews and pasta sauces. Even my homemade pizza received jeers. That night I played around with garam masala? A distant memory. Basil? Boo. Goat cheese? Gag. Cumin? Are you crazy? Ella and Viv your wish is my command. Frostbitten chicken tenders and canned creamed corn are your siren song. I simply cannot compete.
Love,
Mom
p.s. Karma truly is a "b"...so sorry Mom!

My love for on-line shopping reached new heights yesterday. Ella and I had just finished seeing "Pinkalicious" at the Water Tower Theater. High off of her first play and trailing four of her gal pals, we braved the mall crowds to get to Mity Nice Grill for a post-play luncheon. There, standing guard at every entrance was an army of evil, so insidious, so sinister yet so irresistibly cute. American Girl Doll officially had Ella and I held hostage. For one second I found myself holding Ella up in front of a case of over thirty dolls with varying eye, hair and skin colors asking her which one she thought was the prettiest. Bi-racial kids fear not...there is a doll for you! A $100 dollar doll. I was actually considering the $30 "fiesta picnic set" because who doesn't need a 1 1/2 inch pinata? Luckily, the girls we were with were seasoned veterans to the American Girl scene. We would have simply self-combusted with magic, the whole entire mall, were they newbies like us. I plan to continue with my holiday shopping on Amazon. No lines, no snippy sales ladies and no ambush marketing tactics aimed at the innocent (and their mothers). Ella's narrow view of the world of toys was pried right open yesterday...still awaiting the fall-out. It's been over eighteen hours since the last mention of the dolls. I hope it will be much like the Halloween candy, forgotten in two days. Although she did ask for a "kitty cat" aka Kit Kat today.

"Mom, I wish I could put Vivi in my heart because I love her so much".
Ella, 10/28/11

If trick-or-treating were an Olympic event, Ella would have come home with the gold. She leapt over the weak, boxing out the competition at the door. Her agility, even in costume, would make Lovie Smith watch in rapt attention. She was down right elegant. The "younger sister in the ice cream truck" schpeal was perfected by the third house as her fist jammed in the bowl for seconds. One thing Ella isn't is selfish. Viv, smart kid that she is, sat in the truck in a nest of blankets and mounds of goodies as her sister did the dirty work. We were so glad Viv came around because she clearly did not like the idea of being an ice cream cone this morning. The costume was completed with two creepy, cocktail swilling Good Humor employees. Hey, we aim for authenticity. Happy Halloween!

First Official Sleepover

She was up till 10 whispering in the dark....to herself. Love to the best story-teller and flashlight holder.

Collecting Leaves

Halloween is quickly approaching and our costumes are nearing completion. We've let the girls run around in their alternate costumes for the last few weeks. Here is Ella as the "Princess Ghost". She has been talking about being a princess ghost for the last month or so. Not sure what it is about this old pillowcase that makes it regal...but it's working for her. I guess it must be a continuation from last year's "Princess Clown" get-up. Jerry and I have been busy the last few nights putting the finishing touches on our actual costumes. As we sat on the kitchen floor, cutting out foam core after a long day at work I made a promise to myself for next Halloween...embrace the prepackaged costume.

In a word, the weather around here has been PERFECT. Sun and temps nearing 80 almost daily for about a week. It seems that everyone has realized that this is the last Mother Nature has to give us for a while. This weekend we hosted a smore party for our neighbors. Flames, metal skewers and a non stop supply of sugar was dispensed as worried parents sipped mulled wine. Later that weekend we packed a picnic and went the lakefront. Should have realized that large concrete slabs jutting out into a choppy Lake Michigan was not the perfect venue for a determined toddler. Jerry and I nervously unpacked our picnic and tried to entice Vivian to sit still for some curried chicken salad....ha. Moments later Ella had us running back to the car. The need for a toilet was immanent, as it always is with a three year old. Jerry and I learned long ago that only fools dilly dally. We at least were able to blow a couple of "wishers" before we headed home.

An Audience Favorite

It started off promising. Ella was so excited to put on her new purple soccer "unicorn". She sat in line, paid attention to the coach and even got a goal. That was the first five minutes. The rest of the time was spent scowling at her parents in the middle of the game. She would throw her hands up in disgust and proclaim, "They're not sharing!". She is clearly like her mother, not destined for team sports. Sharing the spotlight is the absolute worst. It doesn't help that she is half the size of the kids on the field. I tried to skillfully explain that she doesn't need to share on the soccer field...undoing three and half years of work. It was like tap dancing in a mine-field. She then immediately got back in the game and stole the ball from the second weakest link...on her team. Sorry Mia. No hard feelings?

Sweet Viv

The intention of this blog is to document the important moments of the girl’s early years. And to not mention one of their beloved foods would be criminal. This post is dedicated to the Filipino favorite, chicken adobo. As an honorary Filipina, I’ve learned that every batch of this comfort food is different. You can add ginger for a little zing. It’s one of those recipes that does not need to be written down; although I’m sure there are tons of variations of the recipe in the webosphere. It’s one that’s been handed down. Most claim that their mother (or father) makes it best. But I can say that in all truth, my in-law’s adobo reigns supreme. One day, while at their house, I grabbed a pencil and paper and took notes, hoping that I could replicate. Here’s what I observed:

Combine 2-3 pounds of chicken (dark meat), 2 cups water, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons peppercorns, 1 bayleaf, 1 head garlic and 2 tablespoons soy sauce all in one pot.
Cook on medium/high and cover.
Cook until liquid is concentrated, about 25-30 minutes.
Unveil and devour over rice.

Sunday night, after an evening with friends sipping whiskey cocktails, this was the perfect hang-over prevention. It’s even better the next day. So here you go girls, your Lolo and Lola’s Chicken Adobo. Masarap.

Random parking garage fun - holla!

I'll be the first to admit, I'm cheap. Frugal, as my mother-in-law would say. I don't want to fork over the money for the girl's school pictures. So here you have it...Fall, 2011.

The Class of 2026 and 2028

Ella (the monkey with the mismatched pumps) will be graduating with the princess on the left (Elsa) and the giraffe in the middle (Will). Vivian and the cutie pie in stripes, all the way to the right(Jackson) will follow two years later. We took a picture of the neighborhood kids so that we could blow it up poster size and be all annoying middle-age parents when we throw the kids a joint graduation party. Raise the roof Forest Avenue!

So Long Sunflowers

It's seems like just yesterday we were planting sunflower seeds. This weekend they were harvested. So long sunflowers. So long summer.

It Takes a Village

Any successes that Jerry and I may have with parenting has almost everything to do with our parents. The rest is shear dumb luck. They love our kids so much that they reclassify even their most annoying states of being; "determined", "boisterous", "passionate" and "exciting" (read: stubborn, annoying, annoyingly stubborn and diagnosably hyperactive). They revel in their messy hands and sloppy kisses. They could not adore our kids any more...and Ella and Viv know that. Kids have a way of assessing adult's hearts. I can tell by the way their eyes light up when they see their Lolo, Lola and Mimi that they know how very much they are loved. Thanks to the three of you for your unending commitment to your grandchildren and their fledgling parents. We love you infinitely. Happy Grandparent's Day!

She wore this get-up almost twenty-four hours straight. Thank you Lolo and Lola for the kind souvenir from China!

Weissbluth, Feber, Eat Your Hearts Out

I'm a firm believer in the power of healthy sleep habits. Sleep promotes brain develpoment, increases one's ability to focus and attend and leads to more pro-social behaviors. Too bad Ella is not in agreement. Photos taken during nap time from my bedroom in between scoldings... "head on the pillow Ella". Perhaps Pandas don't nap? I call the first photo "Pensive Panda".