Merry Merry...

I think that this post is going to become an annual tradition, simply because I adore doing the "research" (to find just the right "holiday lights to music") YouTube video. Remember last year's? SO. FREAKIN. COOL!

So here is the 2009 video installment. For your viewing pleasure. Whatever you celebrate, hope you are with friends and family...and a great glass of wine.



PS -- much love this holiday season from Life with Lily and Anna!

Need I say more

This is, apparently, what happens when you leave your kids alone with your husband, unsupervised, for too long...

Sweet Child of Mine...

Although I'm sure I'll rue the day I said something so early -- this process took some 12 months with Lily -- Anna seems to be heading toward real live underpants at a break-neck pace.

Over the past 24 hours she's asked for, and subsequently used, the potty four times (as of 4:15 on 21 December). Each time she goes, her smile gets bigger and bigger. The last time I actually remembered to reward her, and while we don't have any M&Ms in the house, we do have some leftover Hanukkah gelt which did well in a pinch. Now that she knows chocolate is involved...well...she could be trained by week's end. She loves chocolate that much.

They say that the second trains faster than the first. And I know that we are FAR from being diaper-free. But I'm so happy that I could squeal. (a) I HATE changing diapers...hate, hate, hate and (b) being potty trained is a pre-requisite at just about every preschool to which we've applied. Countdown to fall has begun, and it looks like my baby is right on track!

All snowed in

Washington DC weathermen never -- and I mean NEVER -- get weather predictions right when it involves the white fluffy stuff. 9.9 times out of ten, they'll be calling for "the storm of the century" and, when all is said and done, a mere dusting of mush is all we're left with.

This time around I heard rumors on Friday morning that we'd get a few inches starting that evening. By late Friday afternoon the rumors were ranging from 8 inches to 20. Next thing you know, "snow-pocalypse" was the leading story on the nightly news. And, yes, this time they got it right. They predicted a lot of snow, and A LOT is what we got! Not sure of the final count, although I think it's just shy of 2 feet in our neighborhood.

My car might not make it out of the driveway before Spring; it completely disappeared inside of a snowbank. Thankfully Noah's SUV has 4 wheel drive as does our truck, which I hate 364 days out of the year...but am loving today!

During the actual "Blizzard of 2009":






Playing in the nearly 2 feet of snow with our next door neighbor Sophie:




Warming up after our snowy adventures:



Combating cabin fever (or trying to):



Our sad little empty house -- awaiting demolition whilst covered in the snowfall (let's hope the snow doesn't impact our demo date!):

It's beginnging to look at lot like....Christmas!?!

Somehow in the furry this fall of work, and work, the new house and, well, work, blogging has taken a major back burner.

Thanksgiving didn't make it online... It was fun. All three of our Thanksgivings that is. I'm sure that I have photos somewhere. Maybe. But take it from me, they were all fun. And highly caloric.

I feel like I blinked and it was the first night of Hanukkah. Thankfully we are Amazon Prime subscribers. Hanukkah sort of came at me out of no where, but with free two day shipping we were fully stocked when we lit the first candle on Friday night.

And because we're such great Jews, we hosted our annual gingerbread extravaganza -- far less blonde than last year, but oh so much fun. This was the second gingerbread house that Lily had decorated this year.

(as was the case last year too, apparently it's just not a gingerbread fiesta unless you're costume clad!)

Fear not, there are three more gingerbread house kits in our pantry. Seems as if it's the perfect activity to do on cold, winter days. Perfect "art project" for Lily. Perfect snack for Anna. Yes, she's the catcher as candy falls towards the floor. Turns out that the baby has quite the sweet tooth. Wonder where that came from...