It snowed a lot here and we had a great time playing in the snow! The kids loved it and it was so nice to just be outside enjoying the sun and the snow. We went to my parents house where they have a great hill to sled down. Max actually preferred to go down by himself and he did a great job. He was so brave and had no fear. He just went down. It was awesome!! Samantha was all bundled up and it made me think of that movie..THE CHRISTMAS STORY BECAUSE SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE COULD NOT EVEN MOVE BUT AT LEAST SHE WAS WARM AND HAPPY. So take a look at our amazing day! It is these kind of days that make life all worth living.

So it seems Miss Samantha has started to walk-she can take about 5 steps and then she drops and then she stands up again and tries again. It is so cute. She also has this obsession with standing up while holding different objects. She loves to hold her bottle and drink while standing. She also loves to hold dumbbells and work out with me in the morning. It is so cute because Max did the very same thing. Samantha is so proud of herself. She is full of love and full of fire. It will be a ton of fun when she is fully walking because she will be unstoppable.

Max has been doing amazing. His speech is doubling by the day and he now can use 5 words in a sentence. His teachers are amazed and so are we. It is so funny the things that come out of his mouth. He is also starting to use the potty. We have been asking for a while but he had no interest and then last week he went pee 5 times and today he went pee at school on the potty. Such a big boy.

Max’s party was an absolute success. We had so much fun and even the dad’s were having a blast. We had it at this bounce place and the kids jumped and bounced and just had a great time. It was funny to watch because all the kids hit a wall at 45 minutes where they were sweating and just plain exhausted. They were all ready for some food and yummy allergy free, egg free cup cakes.

I am glad the month of December is over and I am hoping for a great year. A year where I can learn to  let go a little more and enjoy the grace in my life. I have an amazing family, a new career path, and a good life. I am thinking 2010 will be wonderful.

Do your kids ever look at the camera? HAHA

We got hit hard by a snow storm-actually a snow storm that forced me to cancel Max’s birthday party on December 19th but we had fun. I think Sam will truly enjoy the snow next year when she can walk. Max did love the snow last year but I think he really got it this year. Sam was just cold and had rosy cheeks but we did get some cute pics..

Then Max was playing and playing…

And Max could not stop with the shovel..

But baby Samantha just wanted to get in the fun too but she was confined to her little car..

All in all the snow is fun but it is tough when they are little. Maybe snow is really nice when the kids are 2 and above but right now-it is just hard because it makes us more home bound and for us, we can only make allergy free muffins so many times, do play doh, draw, paints and play with toys..Samantha just could not stay outside for long and did not want to wear her mittens. I also did not buy boots for her because she is just so young so I am sure her feet were cold in her little shoes. They did look so funny-almost like that movie, “The Christmas Story” where the kids were dressed so tight that they could barely move-this is how they both looked all last week. These pictures don”t even reflect how funny they looked the day is was snowing hard because they had so many layers that they could barely breathe. Adorable.

I think I am finally feeling like myself again because Thanksgiving was just full of gratitude for my life, my kids, may family and my husband. This week my husband lost his uncle to MS-a battle that he has been fighting for years and he finally lost the battle and died last Sunday and the funereal was Tuesday and they sat Shiva (a Jewish mourning period) for two days. It was a long week but it was also good. It reminded me that every moment in out life counts and that we can decide how are life is going to be-half empty or half full. This year, after losing his brother, my husbands dad decided to cook Thanksgiving and damn is he a good cook. It was also a ton of fun because the cousins-4 included all under the ages of 3 had a blast playing. It was a great week full of death and life just like everything in the world-the yin and the yang.

It was hard not to be with my family but I also love my husbands family and so it was amazing. It was chill..tons of laughing and great food.

It has taken me a little to get back to feeling full of gratitude. I think the first year of a babies life is just hard on the mom and the family as a whole but we are all in our groove and it feels great.

I hope everybody had an amazing Thanksgiving full of love and good food.
and more food..

And Max’s first time eating mashed potatoes with butter!!

and he even ate some cookies hiding under the table..

and they both enjoyed sitting by the fire–sam looks so serious..

And then we all took some quiet time on the stairs..It was amazing..so full of grace..

So we went to  a party the other day and I got the kids dressed up in costume. Sam, the lady bug, looked adorable and everybody thought she was too cute for words, which she is

Then my little astronaut took off!

Then Sam looked a little dazed..must have been all the candy and cookies being passed around..

Then Max pinned the tail on the black cat!

So the kiddos had a ton of fun. max was a little shy until he ate two dum dum lollipops. I always have such a tough time at these parties with Max’s allergies. I know he should not have anything processed but sometimes it is just so hard. I feel like he eats 95% perfect for his allergies and then we have these days and I just can’t say NO. I should just bring my own candy and he would be so happy. It is just hard and lately I have been feeling overwhelmed by all of our allergies so this day did not help but he had so much fun eating the candy and enjoyed himself.

Sam is just such a little outgoing girl. She knows blows kisses, flirts with any boy and actually gives him the blue eyed look and then flashes her lashes. It is so funny to watch. She is growing up so fast. She loves to sing along with me when I sing WHEELS ON THE BUS AND TWINKLE TWINKLE. She actually moves her hands around and then says SH for what the momma says on the bus. She is such a little smarty.

I swear this season is flying by for me. I just cannot get myself to blog daily with my own school and well just life. I just dont feel like it at the end of the night but I am trying. I love blogging and I miss it when a few days have gone by..