Hannukah, Berkowitz style

Passing down the celebration of Hannukah, Joe Berkie style.

We put on the same song every night and dance the night away. Charlie and Kate of course jumped right in with some jew moves of their own.

Adam was not igniting his inter-jew, and instead sat on our bean bag and read about gardening.

But Aunt Kate made up for Adam with some awesome moves of her own

Charlie dug through a xmas box in our dining room and dragged out this xmas apron for my dad for his hannukah present. I thought this summed us up well.

Here is another funny shot. Pa is helping Kate open up her Hannukah present in front of our xmas tree.

And if lighting candles, dancing together, and getting a present isn't enough, you also get to search around the house for gelt (chocolate coins)

After each coin he found he would yell: AAAA HAAAAAA. It was so cute.

Silly Pa

Adam managed to put down his book to help Charlie open us his gift.

He LOVES his crayon rocks and colors with them everyday.

I think it was the third night that Adam found his inner-jew, he grabbed a hat that Kate made that was too small for everyone as his yamaka, and stepped up to the plate...he was a natural, his only mistake was that he counted the middle candle as one of the main ones.

Charlie was so excited that he was big enough to hold the candle.

And when it was Kate's turn, she laughed while saying, "Happy Hannukah"

This good fun lasts 8 days. We have been switching off nights: One night hidden chocolate, one night a toy.

I have never felt so Jewish in my life. I am proud.

What we have been up to lately:

It has been an interesting few weeks. After 3.5 years of nothing but sweetness, my son has really started to challenge me, he has attitude, talks back, can fall on the floor screaming over what seems like nothing, and seems to spend the better half of his day teasing his sister.

I have heard and read a lot about 3.5 being a hard age, so I am taking everything with a grain of salt. Trying to start every day new, and really every moment. My mother gave great advice to another mother months ago: Love it out of him, and that is just what I am trying to do. Spend more time playing and less time cooking and cleaning. Involve him more in everyday tasks, help him name his emotions and explain one to one why talking back, calling people bad, and such is just not nice. We see a very smart, curious, thoughtful, and sweet boy everyday as well.

He has more energy than anyone I know. On our daily nature he can be seen RACING along the bluffs and back, and it truly reminds me of walks with Adam and the puppy, Lily when we first started dating.

Often we get back from a 1.5 hour walk in the rain and all he wants to do is play in the backyard. So I realize that between it being cold and wet, he is most likely not getting the exercise he needs.

My daily mantra:

This too shall pass, it is just a stage.

And

Attitude is Everything

The more I live in the moment without worrying about lunch, snacks, dinner, and cleaning this and that, the more calm and grounded my children seem. And then after I have put in my time building forts, playing cars, making puzzles, I can sneak away to prep dinner or prepare lunch.

And while I am having a tougher time with Charlie, Kate continues to be the sweetest, silliest, smartest girl ever. She says everything in complete sentences, including using words like, "I, me and you" correctly. she says things like, I do it my-yelf, and "Have charlie milk? That fine?

She can count to 10, sing her ABCs, and has a great sense of humor. She also has a strong will, has a definite opinion, and loves her daddy more than life itself. All day she cocks her head to one side, put her hands up and says, "Where MY daddy?"

As for me, I am doing well. Building life lasting friendships with women I admire. Knitting and purling whenever I can steal a moment away from the kids, tutoring, exercising, and being silly with the kids.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Kates been: snuggling with Rosie in Lily's new dog bed.

The kids: Play so sweetly one minute and then fight over a toy the next. Tip: Don't have your kids 19 months apart. It wasn't until Kate became 21 months that I realized that most of our problems would have been averted if I had my kids 3 years apart. sigh.

Pa and Aunt Kate continue to spend rich moments with my kids

I took Charlie for his first hot chocolate, he took a bite of the whip cream and said, mmm, then right after I snapped this picture he tried to pick up the whole cup with one hand and dropped it all. over. everything. Peet's was nice enough to give us another, but he didn't even take one sip.

My mom: has been reading to the kids giving me a good 10-20 minute break here and there. divine. She also plays cards, watches George, dominoes, hide and seek with Charlie during "pecial" mama-charlie time

My first waldorf doll, and definitely not my last

I can't stop knitting, doll making, needle felting. It is so much fun. Here is Rosie. Still some adjustments needed, but her first outfit is down. I sewed the jeans from old pants, and am learning as I go. Didn't mean to make them skinny jeans at all, old shoes that big Kate got Charlie when he was a newborn, I knit the sweater, and used Charlie's old hat that a good friend got him when he was born. Too fun, and very cute!

winter walks

As I mentioned in my last post it has been cold and wet here. We haven't played in the backyard all week, and only went to the park once. We were the only ones there and it was 41 degrees.

We have baked cookies, painted, played with friends, decorated the xmas tree, played with the big train set, made more cookies, and more cookies, and more cookies and done everything you can do inside.

And then it dawned on me that people all around the world have much colder winters, and they probably just bundle up and get their butts outside, so we have been doing the same.

Everyday we bundle up (this seriously takes up to 25 minutes to do) and head out for our nature walk. We come back a bit cold, muddy, and wet, but refreshed for sure.

Nothing lifts the mood like being outside with the fresh air blowing on your face. Nothing takes away stress like a little exercise, and nothing makes you a better mommy than seeing your kids run wild with the happiest expressions on their faces.

What do to when your heater breaks

We are used to HMB weather around here. Foggy chilly days with some sunny days sprinkled here and there. 55 outside is park weather, sometimes even with short sleeves. 65 is bordering on too hot. But 40.....I repeat 40. That is damn cold. Especially when the heater isn't working.

So we did what any sensible person would do. We broke into Grandma's Christmas stash and stole warm winter coats and hats and wore them inside. Thanks Mama (what the kids call my mom).

This is how Adam was dressed inside, and his face says it all. He was not happy. A few times I couldn't find him anywhere and then I thought to look in our bed and found him under two big blankets, refusing to get up and play because he was too cold.

When the house temp dropped below 50 and even being bundled up didn't get the job down, we turned our daily dose of dress up up a notch:

I pulled out old costumes, a lion one Charlie wore two years in a row, and a nice big dinosaur hand me down that we were saving for when Charlie was 4 or 5.

This costume over their warm clothes did the trick, but as you can see by Kate's face, it made her scared. She heard Charlie roaring like a dinosaur and did her scared face.

Charlie was so incredibly sweet, he came right up to her and said, "Don't be scared Kate, it just me, Charlie. I not really a dinosaur. Look touch my hands, it is my hand not a dinosaur claw." It melted my heart.

I just sat on the kitchen floor and watched the whole thing, snapping pictures the whole time. She turned back at me as if to make sure I was on board with this not being a really scary monster.

And once Kate warmed up to the idea that it really was Charlie, she gave him a hug of relief.

And then the fun began. She kept trying to grab his "bum bum" or his tail, and then the three of us started laughing uncontrollably.

The heater is now fixed, but the costumes have their own home in the playroom and we play with them almost everyday. Yes, we are whimps. 40 isn't that cold, but when you don't own a warm jacket or gloves, when your kids have thin sweatshirts that are too short because they are from over a year ago, and when you are used to spending half your day outside....40 is just too damn cold.

Thanksgiving

I always seem to have little motivation to blog about holidays. I blog on a whim, nothing ever planned. It usually is a thought and then a post within ten minutes. But since this really is a record of all things in my life I am going to try to be better.

This year we got to celebrate Thanksgiving at Adam's family's house. It is always so clean, warm and cosy there. And the food is delicious. Throw in 5 kids 5 and under and you have chaotic fun.

This year every kid managed to stay healthy, until the last day we were there where Kate woke up with a fever and then both kids got very sick with croup. I am thankful that we didn't manage to pass this nasty virus on the cousins especially since sippy cups, forks

and slobber was definitely shared.

The kids all love this table (should have taken it home when it had my name on it :)

No, but I am happy this table is there, so cute to see a bunch littles munching around it non-stop.

There was lots of running around, hide and seek, play fighting (which was so frustrating for me, but hey boys will be boys, right?), jumpy housing and even a great long cold nature walk.

pies, cookies, and ice cream were doled out upon request.

There were lots of laughs, giggles and silliness, I think Kate loved having another little girl to run around with.

Such a classic picture, the boys interacting and Pam working hard behind them.

And although this man was not seen in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, he deserves big props because he was constantly watching and playing with all the kids. He was often seen in front of the house playing with bikes, playing soccer in the backyard, monitoring fort building. He keeps telling me 2 kids is just perfect for our family, but after watching him manage up to 5 kids with a smile on his face, I think he could handle another little.

Charlie had so much fun with Jackson and just this morning said, "Today I'd like to play with my big cousin, Jackson" When I explained that he lived in Arizona he said, "That ok, mommy, I go to zona, and I won't even play fight" :)

And Kate loved following Blake around, reading with him, giggling at him as jumping from the couch to the ottoman.

Thanks Pam and Mike for hosting. We are thankful to have a growing, healthy, and happy extended family.