Christmas Kids

Christmas Kids:

Don't mind me I'm just sharpening me teeth 

so that I can eat them up!

Sisters...

I always wanted one and now I have two!

 Baby's First Christmas

Jammies from Frosty on Christmas Eve

Random Christmas

Random Christmas Pictures

Isaac had his first grade program this year.  

I just love his face here...classic first grade!

We did homemade presents again this year but I only got a few photos.  

Georgie wrote and illustrated a book for Isaac called Isaac, Georgie, Juliet and THE OKAPI.  Speaking of random this book was it!!  They both chose to write each other a book but Georgie wanted to illustrate her own rather than make hers on the computer.  For Isaac we used Blurb's Booksmart Program and it turned out amazing.  He wrote a cute little story that they both love to read.  It's illustrations are all photos of the two of them.  We went through our old photos and he designed a story using those.  We did use a couple of pictures from Google images but the rest were of the two of them.  In all seriousness, after completing the book, Isaac said to me "I can't believe that I'm 6 and I've already written a book!"  I'm contemplating switching our tradition from making something for each other to writing a book for each other.  I think that tradition could get pretty darn fun and creative. What do you think?

Georgie wanted me to add this one...

A New Tradition Begins

 It all started with The Barenaked Ladies Holiday Album.  The kids fell in love with the songs "Dreidle" and "Hannukah".  After two years listening to them over and over and over again we decided that we'd better just start celebrate Hannukah ourselves!  So, on the last day of the 8 day calendar Hannukah we fried up some latkes and donuts, played some Hannukah music, read some jewish story books from the library and danced the Horah (sp) around the table (our own version of course...does anyone know what the Horah evem is?)  Now all we need is a Menorah!  Here's my little Georgie girl helping me in the kitchen!  

Georgie seemed dead set on making this special Hannukah dinner a secret.  Somehow, as a secret, it's more special to her.  "Don't tell anyone about this dinner, only the Merbacks can know."  And they've both been talking about Latkes ever since!  Who doesn't love a holiday that almost exclusively celebrates  oil and then fries things in it?  And I thought Christmas was delicious!!

A Visit with Mr. C

A perfect depiction of both their reactions to Santa... and yes, his beard is real;)

Georgie in all her whimsy!

Asleep under the tree (or at least supposed to be)!  

Christmas is REALLY here!

Cutting The Christmas Tree: My Favorite Holiday Tradition

Cutting The Christmas Tree:

My Favorite Holiday Tradition

I have fond memories of picking out our families Christmas Tree as a child.   The day after Thanksgiving my whole family would pile into the Suburban and drive into the country to what seemed to me to be acres of perfectly pruned Christmas Trees.  I remember how my fathers face and entire body seemed to inspect every tree, demonstrating to my child mind the eminent importance of our choice.  The smell of fresh cut pine still takes me back to specific moments of childhood Christmas'.  It's a tradition that is important for me to give my children.  But in my day these farms were huge and bustling with families.  We had to wait in line to have our tree shaken and wrapped in twine.  Enter the "fake Christmas tree".  Bustling, huge, hay ride farm= Out Of Business.  We've had to drive over 2 hours to find a farm the last two years but it's been worth it.  It still makes me smile and the whimsical shape of a real Christmas Tree is something that I love...and my kids love it too.  Joey has gently tried to encourage me to buy the fake tree arguing "sustainability" and "cheaper in the long run"  But I argue back with "helping those who would otherwise be out of a job", "family tradition", and "memories".  That shut him up! The great job my parents did of almost ritualizing the tradition make it impossible for me to buy a fake tree.  But i'll admit, after a spider infestation fell from this years tree branches I've considered giving in.  Man that was nasty!  But one time in 30 years of real tree experience I would say we're doing pretty well for ourselves!  I'm stickin' to my guns!

Here's Georgie, Bitty Baby in tow, racing/hiding through the branches.  She could've cared less to help with choosing our tree.  We hardly saw her the entire time.  But we were the only ones there so, nothing to fear!

Isaac, ready to cut

I caught sight of her again.

and again.

After quite a bit of deliberating, Joey butted out and let Isaac choose;)  

(We'll regret it later!)

Baby's First Christmas Tree Shopping...

can they put that on a onesie?

Just a side note...if you have a tall tree in your yard, google search "air Pogo"  

This thing was cool!!

Happy with his choice!

There's our beauty...let's hope she doesn't fly off on our three hour trek home!

Remember when I said we'd regret Joey butting out to keep the peace??  Well we had our "National Lampoon" moment when we unleashed her in our front room!  WAY to big for our tiny living room!!  We had to lop 5 inches off the top just to get the star on and we could forget about having a fire in the fire place!  Major safety hazard.  Remind me to get a skinny >7ft tall tree next year!

Christmas tent

Trial run with Ashley's new camcorder.  This is Ashley's creation for the kids on Christmas.  Boring unless you are a grandparent.

Hi, I'm 4 months old

Hi, My Name is Juliet and I am 4 Months Old!

Juliet is becoming such a little person, no longer a newborn!  She reaches for things with her hands, burries her head down into my chest when she is hungry (she knows where the food is:), beams from ear to ear when she sees Isaac after a day away at school, fusses when we put her to bed because she wants to be "social",  spits by blowing through her lips and talks to us with coos, shrieks and giggles all day long.  It's soooooo fun!  I used to think I didn't like this age so much.  I'd said before that I wished we could jump from the newborn stage straight to 14 months.  What was I thinking!!??  Who would want to skip this?  (unless you have a colicky baby, of course;)

 Is she sweet or is it just me??!!

ooooo I just want to eat her!!  throw her in a soup!  

As a side note I said that randomly the other day and Isaac laughed his little head off.  We've taken to calling her Joop Soup now.  He squeezes her little hand, puts his face suffocatingly close to hers and say, "I wanna put you in a soup!!"

On the downside I'm finally feeling the effects of having two children vs three.  I no longer have the "I just had a baby excuse" and Juliet doesn't sleep all day anymore.  Needless to say, I'm not getting much done.  Some days I just throw my hands up and say....oh well.  The house will just have to stay messy, or that project unfinished or there will be no side dishes at dinner that night.  And somedays I just plop down and watch a movie.  Most days I can live with that.  But somedays I want control over my life again.  I've been working out early in the mornings and late at night, getting out of the house without any children and that has been crucial for me.  I hate getting all mushy or "braggy" in a public sphere where my husband is concerned but since this blog has become more and more just for our little family I feel comfortable saying how grateful I am for Joey.  Some days I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!!  Joey is so hands on and helpful with the kids.  He truly understands the plight of stay-at-home mothers.  (it's not always a plight but lets be honest....sometimes, IT IS!!)  He doesn't ask if I need a break or how I'm doing, he just walks in the door and takes the baby.  He knows me well enough to know that I hate to put people out, including him so if I say, "no, I'm fine, I can hold her" (and most of the time I really am fine) he doesn't let me "be tough".  He just takes her.  He makes time to be home with the kids so that I can get out every once in a while.  He calls before coming home from work to see if I need something from the store.  He does all the laundry and if I'm in a bad, snippy mood he lets it roll off his back (he understands bad moods;)  Overall I'm most appreciative of, in awe of and even surprised at his ability to understand me so well...without any words from me.  He respects what I do and more than that, the frustration that comes with what I don't do.  And that understanding goes miles and miles for me.  Marriage is no cake walk, it can be so hard sometimes!!  But just like everything that has its opposite, it can be so blissfully fulfilling as well.  It really does seem to get better, richer, and deeper with its age.  Was that mushy enough;)  That's  for you Isaac, Georgie and Juliet to read one day when we're dead and gone..."Dad really was so good to Mom!!"...he deserves that credit!  I love you Joey!!  oh!?!, was this supposed to be all about Juliet?:)  Well, I guess where one is concerned all of us are!!  I love YOU Juliet!

xoxo