Apple picking

We went apple picking with friends Adina and Ari and their little Amalya.

Emily and Mina

11 months old!

Snuggling Big Sister Belle and then playing with Belle's art work.

Carrots!

Belle came home from nursery school last May with a cup in which she'd planted a carrot seed. About a month later, we transferred the seed, which had sprouted a bit, into our garden. We picked it this evening. Belle grew the carrot herself!

Nice wheels

Feeding herself

Emily can get food from her tray to her mouth.

Belle and Noah on the seesaw

Joy!

Belle took this.

Learning Football

Uncle Jeff, who played for the Jericho Junior High team, teaching Belle to hit.

Belle blowing the shofar

She really was able to make a sound thanks to Rabbi Roberts!

Craig and Emily

Seren and the girls

Watermelon Emily

Grocery shopping

Milestone!

Emily pulled herself into a standing position from a sitting position yesterday!  Emily was sitting on the bathroom floor just before the girls’ bath and she pulled herself up using the side of the bathtub.  Once standing, she cruised along the tub, walking back and forth.

And, later while sitting on her bedroom floor, it almost looked as if she was going to crawl.

So what if Emily is a little behind in terms of demonstrating these skills; better late than never!

The highlight of Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is not a celebratory holiday, but rather a contemplative one.  And yet, I had the unique opportunity to celebrate my beautiful family this past Yom Kippur.

Craig and I were invited to carry the Torah around the congregation immediately prior to the Yom Kippur morning Torah reading.  We accepted the honor with pleasure.  It turns out that the Torah honor was actually an opportunity to parade our family throughout the congregation.

We four went to the bimah when the ark was opened and the Torahs revealed.  I held Emily in my arms and Craig held a prayer book in one hand and Belle's hand with his other hand.  Both girls were quiet, though Belle got a bit antsy and twirled a bit under Craig's arm during the preliminary prayers (Belle held Craig's hand as she spun herself in a circle, ducking under her own arm attached to Craig's).  Belle's twirls made the cantor smile as he chanted before the open ark.

Then, the rabbi handed Craig one of the two Torahs before the procession began.  The cantor led the way through the congregation, followed by another congregant carrying one Torah.  Craig followed carrying the Torah in one hand and holding Belle's hand with his other hand (an impressive feat considering how heavy and valuable a Torah is).  I carried Emily and walked behind Craig and Belle, and the rabbi followed me.  We walked up one aisle, across the back aisle, and down another aisle back to the bimah.

I wasn't expecting the kind and complimentary reaction of the congregation to us four, and yet I heard wonderful compliments about my family throughout the walk.  People turned to each other to remark how cute the girls looked.  People told me how well-behaved my children were.  A few people commented that it's too bad we couldn't take a picture of our beautiful family because we all looked so lovely.  I was nearly moved to tears marching with the Torah on Yom Kippur because it was overwhelmingly warm and wonderful to hear so many kind things about my girls and my family while on parade during services.  It was really pretty unbelievable how many kind words I heard during the short walk through the congregation.

While the rest of Yom Kippur was meaningful in a different way, I often think of my favorite Live quote: "I don't need no one to tell me 'bout heaven; I look at my daughter[s] and I believe."

Some days, it truly takes a village...

Today, our friend Laurie drove Belle to school.  Our neighbor's au pair Jessica picked Belle up from school and drive her to Nadia's house.  After dinner, our babysitter (and my former student) Ariella came over to finish putting Belle to bed because Craig was out and I had to go somewhere.  Belle was cared for by her parents; Laurie; Ms. Roberta, Ms. Toni and Ms. Annmarie (her teachers on Tuesdays); Jessica; Nadia; and Ariella.  (Even Emily was in the care of us, Laurie, Nadia, and Ariella.)  Yup, some days it really takes a village.

"Two beautiful children"

The greatest compliment to me these days is to hear how lovely my children are.  That is why I beamed when I read the following email:

Everything worked out just fine! Emily stopped crying as soon as the car started, and started again as soon as the car stopped!  Belle is beautiful like her name, and said some really lovely things like, "We're following behind mommy because I love her!" And (unsolicited) "I love my daddy too!"  You have two beautiful children, and it was so much fun to take them to their places today.

The backstory: Craig had to catch a 7:15am train to Manhattan this morning, and I have to be at school by 7:30am everyday.  What were we to do with our daughters?  A friend from our synagogue, overhearing us lamenting our plight, volunteered to help us out.  She came over early this morning and used our car to drive Emily to her child care location and then Belle to nursery school.  This was no easy task: two small children; two different car seats; two different drops-off locations; two different requirements (bring Emily's infant carseat in with her; sign Belle into her classroom).  This lovely woman accepted the challenge, and then wrote me the above email to confirm that everything had gone smoothly.  How beautiful.

A beautiful day for a birthday party in Riverside Park

Belle and birthday girl Jenny

SO excited for her first ballet class!

Us girls :)

My return to work

I feel very lucky. Here are a few factors that have eased my transition to life as a working mother of two.

1. I really like my job.  I enjoy teaching English and Drama to high school students.  I enjoy directing the school plays and advising the drama club.  I like teaching.

2.  I work with great people.  I have warm, cooperative, kind, funny colleagues.  Some visited me while I was on leave.  Some contacted me Labor Day Weekend to wish me well on my return to school.  Some volunteered course materials to help me get back into the swing of teaching.  Everyone welcomed me back warmly, easing my return to work.

3.  I like students.  A senior asked me if I am new to school because he didn't recognize me.  I told him that I've been teaching at the school since 2005, but I am returning from a long maternity leave.  He replied with, 'Congratulations!"  I was impressed that a seventeen year old boy had the wherewithal of hear "maternity leave" and think to congratulate me.  I have met some really lovely teenagers at school.  

4.  My favorite part of teaching, next to snow days, is the opportunity for a "do-over" every September.  I feel really lucky that I was able to return from leave when everyone else was returning to start a new school year.  Would I have preferred to be with Emily until she turned one, as I was able to do with Belle?  Of course, but the chance to start at a starting point was invaluable.

I miss being with the girls tremendously.  While I am delighted that Belle loves school, my heart breaks a little when Craig (poor Craig) reports that Emily cries when he leaves her in someone else's care.  But, I know Emily is safe and I know Belle is happy and I am confident that they will both be OK.  I am exhausted and busy, but so far I can't complain about my status change from stay at home mom to working mom.

Belle chatting away at school

Belle enjoying her first day of school

Pictures courtesy of Grammy and Grampy

"Dada"

Last weekend, I was holding Emily while Craig was holding Belle.  Emily looked at Craig and said what sounded an awful lot like, "Dada."  Craig and I looked at each other, but it was Belle who said, "Emily called Daddy Dada!"  Emily hasn't called Craig Dada since, but we all witnessed Emily first word: Dada.  I think we have two daddy's girls on our hands here.

Ignorance of Santa Claus

Belle saw a Christmas card featuring a Santa Claus and she said, "Look at the funny clown, Mommy!"

Belle has no clue who Santa is.  I'm sure she'll find out soon enough.

Beautiful flowers from my husband

Always nice

My toes in the Pacific.

Belle's backpack

Belle picked out her own backpack. It has fairies, such as Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, on it. And, no, I can’t name by name another fairy on her backpack.

Belle asked me on Sunday morning at 9:30am what she could put in her backpack to prepare for her first day of school on Monday. She was so excited for school, and literally couldn’t wait to use her new backpack. I told her that she should fill her bag with school supplies; items she would need while she was at school.


Belle packed her bag with four stuffed giraffes, a Lego catalog, which she refers to as her magazine, and a book.

Addendum to my having a good one in Craig:

Craig does hair.  He grew up with two brothers but can comb, clip, ponytail, and bun our girls' hair.  You don't find that in just any father.

Belle's first day of nursery school as a 3-year-old

The report from Grammy and Grampy, who moved in for 3 days while Craig is in California for his high school friend's wedding and I start my new school year after a 10-month leave, is that Belle was excited to be at school and joyful while in the classroom.

Good Morning from Santa Barbara

My breakfast view. The cloud cover should clear soon. I'm thinking about what to do this morning.

The temp is probably in the upper 60s, and I'm comfortable outside.

First day of school breakfast of champions

I got a good one

The other day we watched a man interrupt his busy wife. Their toddler needed to use the toilet so the man called upon his wife, who dropped what she was doing to handle the task.  All the while, the man didn't appear to be doing much more than sipping his coffee.

This is not so in our family. Craig takes Belle the the restroom when necessary.  Craig changes diapers.  Craig helps sooth our children and kiss their boo boos and play with and read to them and put them to bed and wake with them in the night (sometimes).  Craig is a hands-on father.  Sometimes I forgot how lucky I am to have a partner pulling his weight in our child rearing adventure.  Sometimes it takes witnessing another mom not having as involved a husband to remind me that I have a good one.

Enjoying the last day before school starts

Belle is excited for her first day of school tomorrow

Some things don't get any easier

I have found mothering baby Emily to be infinitely easier than motherly first-baby Belle.  I know what to expect, I know what to worry about it, I know not to worry about much, and I know that everything is a stage and Emily will be running around and heading off to school all too soon.

But there are two aspects of motherhood that are not any easier.

The sleep deprivation is far more difficult.  I have two little ones stealing my sleep at night.  On those few nights when Emily didn't wake and ask for her one middle-of-the-night feeding, Belle had me up a few times.  I have not slept more than three hours straight in about a year.  Some nights I feel as if I am in a sit-com, as I attempt to crawl back into bed from tending to one munchkin just as the other little girl is calling for me.  I have begin relying on caffeine and wish I could take back all those times I likely refused a nap when I was a kid.  I'll sleep through the night one day, right?

Today is Labor Day.  A new school year begins tomorrow, and my maternity leave and stint as a stay-at-home-mom ends.  I have returned from maternity-leave before.  The start of the 2011-2012 school year marked the end of my year home with baby Belle.  Craig and I went together to drop Belle off at her new in-home day care the morning of the first day of school.  I cried hysterically.  Hysterically.  Huge, soap opera-like sobs with tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.  I was confident that Belle would be safe, but would she be loved and appreciated?  Would she be cooed over?  Would she get her picture taken when she did something cute?  And now, as I think about leaving both girl and returning to full-time teaching, I get a lump in my throat and my eyes well.  I will have to be brave when I drop the girls off tomorrow because Belle has a keen sense of what is going on and I don't want to worry her.  But I don't know that I'll be able to stifle my sadness when I get back in the car and head to my school.  I like my job and I enjoy the people I work with, so I am looking forward to getting back to work.  I just wish I could clone myself so my girls could be with their mommy and I could enjoy them all day while still pursuing my fulfilling career.

Can't have it all.

Emily rides on Daddy's shoulders