Happy Macarena New Year!

The girls are bringing back 1995!

Brittney & Jeanette go to the movies

Here is it New Year's Eve, and I'm home blogging about chipmunks. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way because I have such a tale of Mother's pride to share with all of you.

Earlier this week we took the girls to see the new Chipmunks movie, and I am serious when I say I couldn't be prouder of my kids then when they told me they wanted to dress-up like the Chipettes (the girl chipmunks) for our screening of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 - The Squeakquel.

Molly and Kelly spent the entirety of the morning prior to our early afternoon showtime prepping and primping like a bunch of gay guys off to see Madonna play Evita in the mid-1990s.

Here are the girls at the theater:

Kelly with her chipmunk ears

And the fabulous Chipettes themselves.

I think Molly channelled Jeanette (in the purple) incredibly well, whereas Kelly who is not always one to be the front man of the band, really seemed to step-up and make an absolutely believable Brittney (for those of you who haven't seen the film yet, she's the chipmunk in the pink).

At a pivotal point in the movie, The Chipettes perform a rousing rendition of Single Ladies, and here Molly and Kelly recreate it in the lobby of the movie theater:

Again, let me mention, prouder I could not be.

Just one of those days

Out of the many things on my "to do" list today, the only thing I was able to cross-off was "find Molly's bathing suit." Oh well, I guess that's better than nothing.

just overheard

molly, in conversation with her polly pocket, "these shoes don't go with this outfit. they don't go with any outfit."

The more things change, the more they stay the same

and below, my favorite....

Thanksgiving Day 2007

Thanksgiving Day 2008

Today is one year after the Tragedy in Mumbai

Despite being completely heartbreaking, I find this very inspiring. These are photos of babies named for the Chabad couple who were killed in Mumbai last year.

May their memory be a blessing.

Changes at Big City Mom

Today I made a big change and updated my profile description from "Life in the big city with 2 kids, 1 husband and a few million other people" to "Life just outside the big city with 3 kids, 1 husband and a few thousand other people."

I'd love to keep pretending I am a Manhattanite, but with it being over a year of me out here in Westchester, I guess my days as a city girl are over. How exactly I became an SUV-driving, suburban living, stay-at-home sham mom of three, I'll never really know. At least I can be whomever I want in my online avatar!

Life of Aaron

My mom felt badly Aaron didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch so she sent me this picture with this email:
"i cropped pic of aaron so you can superimpose on pump patch and tell him he was there!"

Aaron's new pajamas

For those of you who have asked, "What does Aaron look in his new plaid pajamas?" Here is the answer.... adorable! And like an old man!
If you need the back story, click here.

Lil pumpkins

Molly at the pumpkin patch with her uncle a little before her first birthday...



... and five years later.

At the same age second child Kelly of course had to settle for pumpkin headgear instead of a trip to an actual pumpkin patch though she seems happy enough with the substitution:
And here she is just past her fourth birthday:




And that brings us to baby number three, Aaron. Like Kelly, he made no baby trip to the pumpkin patch, but we did bring him back a bitty pumpkin. He was delighted to be remembered.


We gave him his own baby gourd too.

For pics of the girls and pumpkins last year, click here.

R.I.P. John Allen Muhammad

"In its effort to race John Allen Muhammad to his death before his appeals
could be pursued, the state of Virginia will execute a severely mentally ill man
who also suffered from Gulf War Syndrome the day before Veterans Day."

Go Phillies!

You look like you're dressed by yo grandma

email from my momma received today:

"Bought Aaron some plaid PJ's since U like 2 dress him in old men clothes
and he's in bed a lot."

you may also recall momma's sartorial email from last year:

"I got Kelly a Kenzo suede coat- I'm pretty sure she'll like it and it
will go well with her evening black bag and brown dog"

The Hairbrush

Today Kelly says to me "Mommy? I borrowed your hairbrush."
"Okay..." I reply, not really caring but to make conversation say chirpily "Which one?" as if the answer will be the most fascinating thing I've heard all day and she says equally cheerfully, "The one with all the white hairs!"
Thanks, Kelly. Thanks a lot.

They really should make a woof translator

Today, Kelly and I were taking a scenic stroll along the streets of Larchmont when we saw a lady walking two small and very cute dogs. Kelly and I both smiled at the sweet lil dogs.
And I said, "I love those kinds of dogs. I think they're French Bulldogs." And Kelly said, "So, they speak French?"
I immediately cracked-up.
Then I felt badly. I shouldn't laugh at a child's naivete I reminded myself sternly, and engaged Kelly in several minutes of inane banter about how French Bulldog referred to where the dogs' ancestors came from many years ago, and that these dogs lived here now, so they spoke the same language as their owners, and then I even threw in an example to illustrate my point that English sheepdogs spoke the language of whatever country they happened to be living in and not necessarily English, because again, the English referred to their place of origin and not what language they spoke.
Then Kelly asked, quite seriously, "Mommy, how does an English sheepdog living in France say "Woof" in French?
And I say it's the same as English - "Woof." And Kelly says, "But that is how those French bulldog just said it, so they are talking in French, like I said."
And I very quickly realized that I probably shouldn't have laughed in the first place. Kelly was right - I have no idea if French bulldogs speak French or English. Why did I think it was silly to think the French Bulldogs spoke French, and I had to be so condescending that they obviously spoke English!
So, I ask, does anyone have an accurate translation of "Woof" so I can settle this once and for all?

Molly and Kelly + Shofar = Internet Sensation!

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Kelly's Fourth Birthday

Last week Kelly turned four. Fun was had by all. Here she is with her face painted:

Her Birthday cake:

And her friends singing happy birthday!

Molly's Second Day of School

Today Molly told me, "Mommy, we are going to get a lot of homework. This is not kindergarten - this is first grade, so the homework will be really, really, hard. So don't be surprised if you find me asleep in my desk chair. Just pick me up and put me in my bed. Tell Daddy too. This applies to both of you."

Aaron

I promised the girls they could dress Aaron up when their dad went back to work. They took me up on the offer.

First up was the Eagles dress, enjoyed by his sisters as well. Then Kelly managed to find some fetching black patent leather party shoes, and to put them on the boy without him even even waking-up.

And last but not least, Aaron in cap and sock-shoes, with giraffe and purple hippo puppet.

Here are the girls hard at work with his next fashion change.

First day of first grade

walking to school with dad

photos ops with mom

a little bit of love from sis (who doesn't get to start school 'till next week)

Our last day in NYC

We spent a fantastic week in NYC this summer, an urban vacay while we awaited the little one's arrival (he came an entire week and two false alarms later, but whose keeping track).

Our last day in the City we took the girls to one of their favorite destinations, The American Girl Place, for tea and a present of their choice - which was from the baby. Molly choose to get a new doll, Rebecca, and Kelly also choose to get a new doll, Josephina. Everyone was happy.

Feeding the animals at the zoo

Pics of our trip to the central park zoo

Pre-Aaron, pregnant as can be, I took the girls to the Central Park Zoo. It was 95 degrees, and though it could have gone the other way, we all had a really, really fun day.

Mo' pics of baby Aaron "I speak for Moses" Cole

Aaron may have spoke for Moses, but Aaron's big sisters love to speak for their baby brother, "Mom, Mom? The baby totally wants to watch TV." Or, "Mom, Mom he really wants to go outside. To the playground. Now."

Aaron likes to sleep, but not at night.

Aaron likes to sleep, but not in his crib, in his car seat from Spencer. With his stuffed Stegasaurus.

Aaron likes the latest fashions:

... and his baseball shoes!

Big Brothers

My older brother L.E.S.ter suggested on his blog that my newborn son looks like Wallace Shawn. Now of course every time I look at my baby all I see is this:

Instead of this:

What do you think? Is Aaron a Wallace look-alike? Do I need to get him a pair of glasses for a true comparison?