So the weekend was great...

It went by so quickly, but was a lot of fun. The weather cooperated, and we had a great day at the beach on Saturday. It was really nice because both Eden and Sadie had friends there from their respective daycares, which makes things easier on us. Both of my nieces got their first taste (literally, I think) of the sand, and two of the three babies treated their parents to nice, needed naps at the beach (Eden wanted to part of that silliness, but thankfully, she stayed happy and entertained, in spite of being exhausted). It was a good start to the season, and hopefully, a sign of the great summer we're going to have there.

Yesterday, we went for a long bike ride (I am really stiff and sore today!), then met Evan's family for brunch at a new restaurant on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. Afterwards, we all took a nap (heavenly!). It was such a hot day, that it was really nice to spend a couple of hours in the middle of the hottest part, just snoozing in the cool house. it is rare that both girls nap, and at the same time, no less, so it was a nice Father's Day treat for Evan. Afterwards, we went up to my parents' house for a cookout. The kids spent hours in the kiddie pool and were completely worn out by bedtime. So worn out, in fact, that we all overslept this morning. At 8am when they were both still asleep, I asked Evan why they can't ever manage to do that on the weekends, and his response was that it takes us all weekend to wear them out enough.

Anyway, my SIL was kind enough to send some pix she took:

The three 2006 babies (and moms) on the beach.


Cousins


Riding home

My Luurvely Lunch Date

Isn't she adorable?

This is Sophia, my niece. We waited a very long time for Sophia to join our family, and she was so worth the wait. I hope we 'do lunch' again very soon!

The Ride

A coworker asked me yesterday "where's your car?" as he saw me wheeling my bike out of the office. When I told him it was at home, he then asked "so...you're just riding to work for the fun of it?" This is a guy (kid, really) who is 24, not married, no kids...so I just said "yeah, just for the fun of it" rather than try to explain what that glorious 25 minute bike ride home from work means to me.

The minute I am out of the office door and on the bike, I enter some sort of limbo state, wherein, I'm no longer a worker bee, answering to anyone, and not yet again a Mama...answering to everyone.

As I cruise across campus headed toward Larchwood Ave., I can feel all of the thoughts about deadlines, or annoying faculty members, or pesky code that I just can't quite get right just sort of melt away.

On Larchwood, I focus on the feeling of my legs working, warming up. On my breathing. On the sound of the wind rushing past my ears. I look at the enormous houses, each one a little grander than the next and the perfectly-manicured lawns. I notice the 'Rainbow Direct' playscapes in the backyards, that largely remain untouched by the youngest inhabitants of these McMansions.

Turning onto Berger Ave., my nostrils are filled with the supersweet scent of the blooming trees and bushes. I am warmed up by now, and the ride is just so enjoyable.

I reach Norwood Ave., and marvel, as I do almost each time I pass through, at what a strange place it is. A bizarre mix of Beverly Hills and Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. High end boutiques line the streets, interspersed with Kosher restaurants, and these ultra-hip, frummers
pop in and out of their double-parked, idling, BMWs and Escalades like busy squirrels on an autumn day. This stretch of ride is the least relaxed, for me, as I'm constantly aware of the possibility of a car door opening or a cell-phone gabbing driver not noticing me.

When I at last turn off the busy street and back onto the quiet side streets, I let myself relax once again. I wind through the quieter, back streets and admire the Spanish-style architecture that dominates the landscape. Again, the sweet smell of springtime blossoming greets me, though this time it is almost overpowering.

As I cruise through downtown Allenhurst, I think about the sense of community that I have to this place, even though we have only lived here a year. I pass by the art gallery that my neighbor owns, and the salon where my sister-in-law works and the coffee and pastry shop that has become our 'go to' place for treats. I look to the left and take a last look at the ocean, two blocks down, before turning westward, for the final stretch of the ride.

Winding through the ultra-quiet streets that hug the lake, I spot a number of pairs of geese doing their goose thing. The chirping of the birds is more noticeable now that there are no other noises to disguise them.

I make the last turn and can see our home. I cross Wickapecko and the neighborhood, in an instant, becomes more modest.

As I turn up our driveway, I see two little faces peering out the window. The little one, not yet articulate enough to announce my arrival, is waving her hands and shrieking. I can read the lips of the bigger one..."Mama's home! Mama's home!" The joy in their faces is palpable. The joy in my heart is indescribable.

Mama's home. Indeed.

Another Great One

I just love, love, love that exhausted but contented feeling you get on a Sunday night, after a thoroughly great, action-packed weekend. We had another one of those.

Saturday morning, my mom came over and watched the girls so that I could run a bunch of errands without them. What a treat! I got so much done, in such a short amount of time. Then, we all went out for lunch. Later, our friends came over, and all the kids had a blast together. I love that they're getting big enough to really be able to amuse themselves without us. We ended up having Margaritas and ordering pizza, so the rest of Saturday night is a bit of a blur, but I'm pretty sure I had a really good time. ;)

Yesterday, we took a hike at Huber Woods. Sadie did great, and even Eden was able to walk along for some good stretches. The highlight was seeing five deer come charging past us on the trail.

We did a little bit of work in the yard and after dinner, went in search of the ice cream truck (we found it!) and ended the day sitting out on our front steps eating treats. :) and, as seems to be the pattern after these busy weekends, both kids passed out well before dark. All in all, another really nice weekend.

Perfect Weekend

Easter Egg Hunts and Passover Seders, Oh My!

Just some images from the past week of 'festivities'

Weekend Recap: Just the Highlights

:: My in-laws are awesome - Friday night, they met us out for dinner, then watched the kids at our house (and put Eden to bed) so Evan and I could go grocery shopping. Who knew ShopRite at 7:30 in the evening could be so blissful?!?

:: I am awesome! ;) We took the 'dry run' bike ride on Saturday morning, and, while it certainly was work while I was doing it, it didn't feel any harder than a typical day at the gym. My legs were a little tired last night, but I feel fine today. I'm so excited to do this! I'll do it for real on Tuesday.

:: Our neighbhorhood is awesome :) Our neighbhor's held their annual Easter Egg Hunt/picnic on Saturday. It was a lot of fun--the kids had a blast. I'm so happy that we live in this neighborhood. Before we moved in, I was talking with someone I know who lives around the corner and he was saying how this little spot really is like "Mayberry." Having now lived here for over a year, I can 100% agree with him.

:: Progress made today in the 'must make new friends' front. We had one of Sadie's classmates, her mom and her baby sister over for a playdate. It was really nice, and she (Stacey) and I had a lot to talk about. The conversation flowed--we definitely have a lot in common. Hope to do it again soon.

:: My sister in law and her family arrived in town today for Passover. My in-laws, sister-in-law, her husband and their baby came over for pizza tonight. It was crowded, squeezing nine of us around the kitchen table, but a good kind of crowded, you know?

...and, with that, another weekend comes to a close.

Evening Bike Ride!

Ok, I foolishly didn't take any pictures, but last night, the Cotler family took our first family bike ride. The girls LOVED riding in the trailer, and Evan and I had a great time just pedaling around the neighborhood. We didn't really stray too far from home -- just as far as Deal Lake, but we meandered all around Interlaken and just had a great first ride.

Tomorrow morning we're doing a dry run on the route I'll be taking to work.

I see many family rides in store for us this spring/summer. :D

Lots of Thoughts

ok, stupid title, I know, but I couldn't come up with anything better. Cut me some slack...its a Monday morning.

Anyway, the weekend was good, though very busy. The highlight, for me, was taking Sadie to her classmate's birthday party. I posted a while back about how I am really looking to connect with some new friends here. So, the party was at Build-a-Bear, at the mall. While the girls were engaged in selecting, stuffing, fluffing, and dressing their bears, one of the other moms and I went to grab a cup of coffee. I'm so glad we did! We ended up just talking and talking and having a great time.

After the party, we (and one other mom and daughter) decided to take the girls over to the food court and carousel (no food at the party). So, the girls got to binge on McDonald's and play, and the mothers got some adult company. Win win! I now have a playdate--I mean, Sadie now has a playdate ;) --for next weekend.

After that, Sadie and I headed home and caught up with Evan and Eden and enjoyed the rest of the day together. It was nice to be able to be outside all afternoon (yay for spring).

Yesterday, Evan needed to get some work done, so I took the girls up to my parents' house. We took them to a playground and let them run around. After lunch, while Eden was napping, Sadie, my dad and I played outside (Red light, green light...tag...races). I am a firm believer that tired out kids make for happy mommies, so I was keen to keep Sadie running around. I didn't anticipate how tired out I would be! But, my plan worked, as Sadie was completely exhausted and asking to go to bed nice and early last night. And, I followed suit not too much after that. Which was a good thing, since Eden decided to wake for the day at 5:30 this morning...Happy Monday!

Fast and Furious

that pretty much describes the weekend we just had. Woosh! Flew by in the blink of an eye. One moment is was Friday afternoon and I was getting out of work early (snow day, early dismissal - woohoo!), the next thing I know, it is Monday morning and I'm frantically trying to jump in the shower in the seven seconds I have while Eden is occupied with her banana and Sadie is still asleep.

So, what happened in between?

First, some waiting around for the tree service guy to come out and give us a quote for taking down a couple of trees. Waiting around in vain, I should say, as he called (my work #) to reschedule.

This exciting activity was followed by a trip to the grocery store (not fun - Evan and I foolishly thought going at 11:30 in the morning would be a fine time, and both kids ended up hungry and cranky).

Unpacking groceries, lunch for the hungry kids and a nap for the most-tired Eden came next.

Sadie and I had an afternoon "date" to go see a showing of Happy Feet at my work. It was cute, and we had a good time getting out together, but we didn't make it through the whole movie (she got frightened by the scene with the seal). Still, it was nice to have some time for just the two of us. We don't get much of that these days.

Sunday, I took the girls to Chuck E. Cheese, so Evan could get some work done. Yes, I really did. I should get some sort of medal of bravery for that one. I did manage to lose Sadie within our first 10 minutes there, but that incident aside, both kids had a blast.

Then, my parents came for an afternoon visit and birthday (Dad's) dinner.

So, it was a busy weekend and now here I am, back at work. Time to start thinking about the next one!

Love is in the air...

Did you have a romantic Valentine's Day?

We...did not.

Wednesday saw a huge ice storm hit our area. "Oh, that's romantic!" you are probably thinking, "Being holed up and cozy inside, watching the miracle of nature in action from the comfort of your couch." Yeah, not so much. I mean, I did get the day off, due to the weather, and so, it would have been nice to kick back and watch the storm. Except.

Except that Sadie was in the throes of this virus that rendered her unable to do anything but lie on the couch, cry, vomit, nap intermittently, and demand that I bring her juice. Or ice-pops. Or coloring books. Or a different movie. Or tissues. So, my day centered around caring for her.

And, the icing on the cake, so to speak, was when my parents, who had been without power (and therefore heat) all day showed up to stay the night. Don't get me wrong. I was so glad that we were there, and could give them a comfortable place to stay. And, it was nice having them. It kind of reminded me of the long weekend visits they would make to us up in Massachussetts. We gave them our room and we slept in the den. This was probably a good thing, as I was up and down out of bed all night helping poor Sadie.

Anyway, I would not call this one of our most romantic Valentine's Days.

A Weekend Away

We took a trip down to visit Evan's sister, brother-in-law and our newest niece, Kayleigh over the weekend. In spite of the FREEZING temperatures, we had a good time hanging out, cooking, eating, and visiting the Children's Museum.

On the way back, we stopped at the spectacular Longwood Gardens. What a gorgeous place! The kids loved walking around the conservatory, and Eden was adorable stooping down to sniff the flowers.

Sadie had a blast looking at the room full of "spoinky plants" (cactuses, to the rest of us)



and finding the bananas growing way up high in the trees. We will definitely be returning there, in the spring or summer when we can enjoy the outside attractions.

Sisters

Growing up, I always wanted a sister. Someone to share secrets with, to fight with in that way that only sisters can, and someone I knew I'd be close with my entire life.

Well, I never got that sister, though I do have an amazing sister in law. But, I think I have something even more wonderful. I have two daughters. And they have eachother.

As Eden is getting bigger and becoming more of a real person, it is so amazing to watch the two of them interact, play, squabble.

I know that there will be fights and petty jealousies and times when they don't like eachother very much. But I also know that they will always have eachother, and this makes my heart smile. Here's to sisters!!!

One Year

This week is all about getting ready for Eden's birthday party on Sunday. We're having about 30 people -- the first real big gathering at our house since we moved in. I'm excited, but also kind of nervous.

It amazes me that a year has passed already since she came into our lives. Unfreakingbelievable. I have a hard time thinking back to my pregnancy with her, because it was so filled with doubt about whether I really wanted or could handle another baby. I had no idea what an absolute joy she would be. I often hear about how a baby can "complete" a family (as in, once you have them, you know you are done having kids). For me, in many ways, Eden is the piece of the puzzle that actually made us a family. When it was just Sadie, I think Evan and I were very much a couple with a child. Somehow, Eden changed all that. I can't, for a minute, imagine our lives without her now.

Happy New Year

2006 was...chaotic, to say the least. Having a baby and moving into a new house all at once, really kind of set a tone of chaos that lasted for much of the year.

I'm looking forward to an incredible--yet more mundane-- 2007, full of love, family, and fun.