Belle's face painted

Dr. Grampy as the patient

Belle enjoys a birthday party

There will be large quantities of coffee in my future

Emily woke up at 4:45-ish, and managed to wake us all. Not long after I brought Emily down to the couch and got her back to sleep, Belle came downstairs (she was having a hard time falling back to sleep after her sister woke her). Now both little girls are asleep on the couch, and it is time for me to get ready for school. I'm tired, but I can't say I totally hated snuggling with the girls on the couch in the dark of the early morning hours.

SO excited for warm weather (and evening walks)

Chalk facepaint

Fun with Molly! 

Parenting in 2015

I leave the house on school days at around 7:15am, at which time Craig takes over as PIC (parent in charge).  Lately, I've been leaving the girls, dressed with their teeth brushed and their hair combed, on the couch watching "Sesame Street" while Craig prepares to tackle the day.  Often, I email, call, or text Craig when I get a break at school to ask how the morning routine went.  Was someone cranky?  Did the girls get off OK?  How was breakfast?

This morning, before I had the chance to ask Craig how the morning went, I logged into Facebook.  At the top of my newsfeed was a post by Craig seeking advice for, or maybe solace in, Emily's lack of morning appetite.

This is what it means to parent in 2015: morning reports may be acquired through Facebook, and then blogged.

Craig and Belle say kiddush at the Seder

Free cone day!

Driving around town

Happy family

Enjoying ice cream cake

Girls selfie

Craig's surprise

Craig surprised me with a Carvel ice cream cake, and a bunch of friends stopped by to help me eat it (prearranged by Craig who stealthy invited friends). Thank you, Craig.

Enjoying the backyard

T-ball practice

Belle starts T-ball in a few weeks. She practiced today. All dressed up in tights and patent leather shoes.

Success

My skin is as smooth as Belle and Emily's, and I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed.  Oh, and my cold is virtually gone. I can't wait to do this again to celebrate my 40th :)

A surreal experience

Was I in the sauna or too long?  I was using the water bubbler to rehydrate after a visit to three different saunas and I hear, "Seren?"  

A young woman who grew up in Westchester and now lives in Brooklyn organized a trip to King Sauna in New Jersey. They departed NYC last night at 5pm, and enjoyed their visit.  This young woman fell asleep and had the best sleep of her life, but can't seem to find her companions. She thought I was her Turkish friend Ceren.

Too many crazy connections: Westchester, the name, NYC, being in this Koean spa. 

Anyway, among the many places I generally hope to NOT run into someone I know if in fact the bathhouse. Luckily, and for the first time in my entire life, when the person said to me, "Seren?" she actually didn't mean me.

Celebrating my birthday my way

You can take the girl out of Korea,but you can't take the Korea out of the girl. 

Second annual post Passover bagel car picnic

Celebrating chametz in style.

"Look, Mommy, we did face painting!"

Cozy morning

At some point in the night, Belle came into our bedroom and curled up in the comfy chair next to our bed. Emily woke up unusually early, so I brought her into bed between Craig and me (which I nearly never ever do), and she fell back to sleep. When my alarm went off this morning, the morning of my 35th birthday, I found myself within five feet of my daughters and husband. That made it a wonderfully special birthday wake-up.

(duck) (duck) GOOSE

There's a goose on the roof of school guarding its nest. Crazy.

Celebrating 35

Craig and I celebrated my big birthday in NYC last night. It was a serendipitous night! The girls barely blinked when we left them with a sitter, and we easily drove to Manhattan. Craig quickly found a great parking spot on the street, and we were seated right away at a packed restaurant without a reservation. At the restaurant, we ran into a cousin and the rabbi who married us. Rabbi Sarna recalled fondly that ours was his first wedding that made it into the New York Times (though not his last). He also reminisced about my singing under the chupah. It was a fun walk down wedding memory lane, and an honor that he remembers such details. We saw a really fantastic show: the Roundabout Theatre Company's Off-Broadway production of Into the Woods. I loved it.

On our walk back to the car, we happened to pass the theater of the new Broadway show Finding Neverland just as one of the show's stars Kelsey Grammar exited the stage door. He opened the door and was greeted on the street by throngs of fans with cameras (well, phones) and great cheers. I joked to Craig that people should cheer more when I walk through doors as they cheered for Kelsey Grammar.

We didn't leave ourselves many hours between returning home after a really great evening and getting ready for another day, so I was a bit groggy when I walked through the doors at school this morning. My morning was a brightened when I recognized that four students smiled, waved, and greeted me enthusiastically on my 100-meter walk from the school door to my classroom door. I decided that Kelsey Grammar may enjoy his cheers, but I am satisfied with my warm greetings.

Playing!

Belle the make-up artist

This is how we play ball

In dress-up clothes, including wings (to help Emily jump higher) and three skirts (to help Belle on defense).

Got quarters?

Grandma Helene gave Belle this quarter-collector, so we emptied the piggy bank in search of state quarters.

Cousin fun

The four-year-olds: Belle with Cousins Owen and Noah at a Seder. What a pleasure to grow up with cousins!

Emily all dressed up with no place to go

Emily was under the weather so she and I missed the family Seders this year. At least she still looked good!

Sister love

Emily is a little under the weather. I was working in the kitchen while the girls watched Octonauts on TV. I heard Belle say to Emily,  "Emmy, do you want me to snuggle you?" I took a break from my work to see this.

Hitching a ride (and sharing pretzels)

We welcome spring!

LOVE

Emily and Rylea and Legos

We love baby Brody

Emily's magic trick

Three cuties

Emily,  Rylea, Charlie 

Belle is excited for March Madness (in April)