Fun in the Snow

We went outside this afternoon to play in the snow. Claire has been asking to go out in the snow since the blizzard and it was finally a little warmer today so I said yes! After suiting up, we headed out to play!

Annual Holiday Photo

Each year my sister in law and I take the kids to a photo studio to get a holiday picture taken. We give copies of the photo to my parents, grandmother and a few other family members. It's a really nice family tradition that we started when there were just two little ones.

This was the photo we chose this year:

There were two other contenders:

 

Snow!

We had our first real snowstorm of the season. It began yesterday and continued all through the night in the form of a blizzard. Other areas were hit harder than we were. My husband (snowthrower extraordinaire) estimates we got about 12 inches in our neck of the woods. It was also terribly windy, so there were lots of snowdrifts. Claire begged to go outside when she got up this morning, but it was really too cold and windy. Later, when my husband went out to clear the driveway, he asked her if she wanted to go, but she said she wanted to go outside with me, coincidentally, I am the only person in our house who does not have snow pants/a snowsuit or boots. Needless to say, we'll go out and play in the snow when it's a little warmer.

Our Backyard

 

 

The wind blew lots of snow off of our patio and grass.

A Very Merry Christmas

We had such a nice Christmas today. We headed to my parents' house around 11:00. When we arrived, Claire went to the Christmas tree and marveled at all of the gifts there. She studied the gift tags until she found one that said "Claire" on it. We read the tag together: To: Claire, From: Santa. She was so excited that Santa had visited Grandma and Grandpa's house and left presents for her!! We let her open a few Santa presents and she was thrilled with the gifts she received. I just love experiencing the magic of Christmas with Claire!

Later, after my brother and his family arrived, we opened a few more presents that were nestled under the tree, then took a break to enjoy a dinner - filet, broccoli, rolls, potatoes and string beans. Everything was quite delicious!

The children were quick to point out that we still had more gifts to open...so we headed back to the family room. Everyone in our family must have been really good this year because there were tons of presents! After Claire opened a gift, she brought it to me and asked me to open it (for most of her gifts anyway). My dad had to help me with a few because they were wired into the boxes so tightly.

Once all of the presents were opened, it was time for dessert! I made Mr. L's cream puffs and I was eager for everyone to try them (They were great!). We enjoyed the cream puffs along with vanilla ice cream with my mom's raspberry sauce, panettone, cookies and chocolates. We always have tons of desserts.

I truly feel so lucky to have such a wonderful, fun, kind, loving family! Being part of such a family is what life is all about.

Christmas Eve

We had a great day celebrating Christmas Eve (and my birthday) at my brother and sister in law's house! They are such wonderful hosts and holidays (and regular days too!) spent there are always filled with fun, laughter and delicious food! Today was no exception. My parents were there too, of course.

Relaxing by the Christmas tree

Reading The Night Before Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa

Singing Happy Birthday to Me!

Snowman Cupcakes

I always have these grandiose visions of making artistic desserts, but they never come out as perfectly as I would like (I don't have the artistic ability or the patience!). I won't be winning awards for my baking anytime soon, but these imperfect snowman cupcakes that I made for Claire's holiday party at school are pretty darn cute.

Better picture coming soon!

Disney Part 6

12/19 - Epcot

We woke up über early this morning to go to the princess breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway (Epcot). Akershus reminded me of my grandparents' house -- wooden beams on the ceiling, ornate furniture, old world feel. Belle was waiting for us as we entered and immediately recognized that Claire was wearing her Belle princess dress. After a brief photo op, we were seated in a small room in the banquet hall, which felt more like a castle. Claire paraded around Akershus with the princesses and other guests, then we enjoyed our buffet breakfast and hot plate (eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage) as each princess visited our table. We loved visiting with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel (We had been searching all over for Ariel and this was the first and only place we saw her!).

Afterward, we rode Spaceship Earth, then went to China to meet Mulan who was very gracious, spending time speaking with Claire and posing for pictures. We thought we'd get two more "rides" in, so we hopped on the boat rides in Norway and Mexico.

After a brief, frustrating snafu in the parking lot (Where the heck did we park?!?!?!), we had lunch at T.G.I. Friday's (a great, Claire-friendly restaurant) then went back to the hotel to rest and regroup. We spent our last night at Epcot. First we went to Nine Dragons in China for dinner. While sharing wonton soup with me, Claire mentioned how much she likes eating the "skeletons" in wonton soup. I'm glad she does, because I really don't care for scallions. After dinner, we waited about 20 minutes for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks extravaganza to begin. It was spectacular!!! It was the perfect way to end our vacation. We will definitely return for another Disney vacation in the future. It's magical!

Disney Part 5

12/18

It poured today! We slept in...very late! It was good to catch up on sleep after so many late nights and we were hopeful there would be less crabbiness as a result. We went to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping. We marveled at the Lego sculptures (Woody, a large dragon, an entire family and their dogs) and purchased a few souvenirs.

After we finished shopping, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. It was super-crowded! We went to see Mickey's PhilharMagic, a 4-D movie. I loved looking over at Claire trying to reach out and touch things that were being "thrown" out into the audience from the film. She was amazed! We went on the Winnie the Pooh ride (Eh!) and rode the carousel, the teacups and It's a Small World again.

When we first arrived, we passed Rapunzel and Flynn from the movie Tangled. The line was long, so we figured we'd come back later. We set off to find Jessie from Toy Story since Claire was dying to see her and heard she was only in the Magic Kingdom. Three different cast members told us three different places where she was and when we finally found her a little before 5:00, we were told that the line was closed. I argued that she was supposed to be there until 5:30 according to the schedule, but the cast member assisting Jessie said the schedule was incorrect and they were leaving at 5:00. Hearing this, Claire began crying. Real tears. She was inconsolable. A sweet, older cast member came over and tried to comfort Claire and this cast member couldn't understand why Claire couldn't just get a quick picture with her. We went into the little store where this cast member worked and she wrote out a little certificate for Claire to make her feel better. It was very sweet.

We ended the evening by going to see Mickey and Minnie's country houses in Toontown, then posing for pictures with them -- Claire was thrilled and it totally made up for the "Jessie incident of 2010." It ended the evening on a high note. We took the train back to Main St., USA, then headed back to our hotel.

Disney Part 4

12/17 - Disney's Hollywood Studios

We slept in, then headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios around noon. The first thing we did was see Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. It was fantastic!!! We also saw Playhouse Disney Live on Stage and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Claire fully enjoyed both. For lunch, we headed to Hollywood and Vine where we had lunch with Special Agent Oso and a few of the kids from Little Einsteins. It was a great surprise, since we didn't realize it was a character lunch until we were waiting for our table and we saw Special Agent Oso through the window. Claire was absolutely thrilled!

Later, we waited a little more than 40 minutes to see Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story. It was a long wait, but Claire's face lit up when she got to hug each of them and pose for pictures. She realizes that they, along with all of the characters, are in costumes, but she still loves meeting all of them. We finished our day at the Fantasmic show which was awesome - fireworks, lasers, Sorcerer Mickey fighting off villains. It was truly amazing and worth the 60 minutes we waited in the amphitheater to ensure we got seats for the show. Even at 60 minutes prior to showtime, 75%  of the seats were already taken! It is a very popular show!

We ended our day by having dinner in the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Boma, a buffet with an African influence.

Disney Part 3

12/16 - Epcot

Claire was so excited to see the large "golf ball" aka Planet Earth that she had seen on tv. We went on several rides including  Living on the Land (Claire really enjoyed this educational ride!), The Seas with Nemo and Friends and saw Turtle Talk with Crush. She loved Soarin' and Journey into Imagination with Figment. Mission: Space was spectacular and very realistic (In fact, I felt a little motion sick. I guess 2.5 Gs will do that to you!). I don't think Claire enjoyed it 100%. Next time we'll go on the "Green Team" for a "less intense journey."

We went to the World Showcase and headed to Japan for a late hibachi lunch at Teppan Edo. Our chef provided the traditional hibachi show. Afterwards, we went to France to meet Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Claire had a really nice chat with her. In Morocco, we waited for quite a while for Jasmine and Aladdin to return from their break, then met them. Claire was absolutely thrilled!!!

One of the things that really made the whole Disney experience great for Claire was how some of the princesses took the time to really chat with Claire (The costumed characters, obviously, did not because they don't talk.). An extra minute or two can really be so meaningful to a child. We were lucky enough to have so many princesses that were kind enough to do so.

Disney Part 2

12/15 - Animal Kingdom

We decided to visit the Animal Kingdom park today. The Lion King show was on our list of things to do, so we went straight to the theater. It was great!

Claire kept asking to ride rides (She had so much fun riding on the rides at the Magic Kingdom the day before that she wanted more, more, more!). We went on Dinosaur, a ride that Claire thought was a little too scary. The TriceroTops Spin was more her speed. We went on a safari to see animals in their natural habitat and walked through a trail to see lots of animals (fish, gorillas). We watched another show, Finding Nemo, the Musical. It was fantastic! Claire really seemed to enjoy seeing the story of Nemo adapted for this live stage performance.

The highlight of Claire's day was seeing so many Disney characters up close. It didn't matter how long the line was, she was willing to wait patiently to see characters. At first, we weren't sure if this was the best use of our time, but the excitement in Claire's face showed us it was. We were able to visit with several characters including Minnie Mouse, Chip and Dale, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eyeore. It really brought us such joy to see Claire's face light up when she interacted with each character. Later she would say, "Mommy, I think [insert character's name here] was just someone dressed up in a costume." Funny, but she never said that about any of the princesses we met later on our vacation.

Disney Part 1

We stayed in a beautiful villa at Kidani Village in the Animal Kingdom. Our villa had great amenities and the two room, two bath layout was the perfect amount of space for us.

12/14 - Magic Kingdom

When we walked into the park, Claire was immediately drawn to Cinderella's castle. She wanted to go inside, but there really wasn't an "inside" to go into (Since Claire loves to see others' bedrooms, she was disapointed that she couldn't see Cinderella's bedroom in her castle.). When we walked around the back of the castle, we happened to run into Cinderella's fairy godmother. It was exciting!

We went on lots of rides - Claire especially loved It's a Small World and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We rode each of them twice!

After spending a good amount of time at the Magic Kingdom, we left to search for some winter hats and gloves (It was unseasonably cold in the Sunshine State. One cast member used the words "freakishly cold."). Visits to Target and Walmart did not yield winter gear, but we were successful at Cracker Barrel.

That night, we returned to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Christmas Party which was billed as an "exclusive" event. We, along with thousands of other guests, enjoyed watching a Christmas-themed musical show performed on the stage in front of Cinderella's castle, then lined the streets of Main Street USA to watch a special Christmas parade. It even snowed!! Despite the crowd and the freezing temperature, Claire loved every minute of it!!

Christmas Party

I have been a member of a local moms' group since February '07. Joining the group was one of the best things I've ever done as a mom. We've met so many other great families through this group who have filled our days with playdates and park outings and our nights with parties and get togethers. It has really been great for us!

Last year the group hosted a family Christmas party for the first time. We were unable to attend, but we didn't miss it this year! Approximately 113 moms, dads and kids attended the party which was held at a local church's auditorium. The kids rode around on little cars and bikes while the parents socialized. There was a ton of food - both catered and homemade. Santa Claus himself actually came to the party! We clapped as he walked through the room and headed for the stage where each child was called to come up on stage to receive a gift. This was actually the first time Claire sat on Santa's lap and she jumped right up with a huge smile on her face! She was absolutely thrilled with her gift -- a Sleeping Beauty doll. It was the only princess doll she needed to complete her collection. How did Santa know?

Fattigman

One our our oldest family traditions is making fattigman for Christmas every December. My father made fattigman with his family when he was a child (My mother ate fattigman at relatives' homes, but she never made them at her childhood home.). I imagine that my paternal grandparents made them growing up in Norway when they were children. I'm not sure if the tradition goes beyond that, but it just might.

We have made fattigman every year since I can remember, sitting around my parents' kitchen table. My dad was the expert roller for years and years, but now my brother has proven to be a very capable roller himself. I have really just been a worker bee all these 30-something years, simply acting as a twister. My mom, brother and sister in law did all of the frying this year and what a superb job they did! I don't fry and my dad got out of it because Baby Peter was conveniently napping on him. : )

The Dough

Rolled Dough Cut into Diamonds

The Twisted Fattigman Chilling on the Porch

The Finished Product

Fattigman - "Poor Man's Cookies"

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Did you hear "they" added a ninth night of Hanukkah? It's the night when people pack in all of the Hanukkah activities they couldn't fit into the eight nights of Hanukkah. Ok, so there really is no ninth night of Hanukkah, but I had a five pound bag of potatoes sitting on my counter for over a week that was purchased specifically to make latkes and I just never got around to making them. So, tonight Claire and I made latkes. I figured if I enlisted her help in making the latkes, she'd be more likely to try one. I was correct!

Claire was by my side in the kitchen as I peeled the potatoes, then used the food processor to grate them. She helped by adding the eggs to the bowl and using the pepper mill to add the perfect amount of pepper. Claire also supervised the mixing and frying.

Once the latkes were cool enough, Claire tried a bite and liked it (I kept telling her that French fries are made of potatoes, so the latkes would taste kind of like French fries.). She ate a whole latke for dinner and said it tasted like...a French fry.

When my husband arrived home from work, he and Claire played dreidel. So...we were able to check the remaining two Hanukkah activities off of our list during the ninth night of Hanukkah: making/eating latkes and playing dreidel.

Hanukkah is officially over.

Hanukkah 2010

At 4 1/2, Claire was VERY into Hanukkah this year. Her face still lit up when my husband and I sang the blessings and lit the candles just as it did last year. For some reason, Claire played her triangle when we sang the blessings the first couple of nights of Hanukkah. Maybe she felt like that was her part since she didn't know the words for the blessings. It was very cute! Each night she took pride in taking out and lining up the candles in the menorah. She was also thinking about Hanukkah a lot as evidenced by a question she asked on the morning after the first night of Hanukkah and a statement she made the morning after the second night of Hanukkah, respectively:

"So, mommy, since tonight is the second night of Hanukkah, does that mean I get two presents?" 

and 

"We can eat gold coins (gelt) in the morning AND at night for Hanukkah."

On Friday morning the whole "Garden State Family" went to Claire's school. My husband taught the kids all about Hanukkah and I chimed in here and there. He even played a round of dreidel with 20 or so 2-4 year olds, many of whom didn't have the dexterity to spin a dreidel. It was a fun challenge! The children were all great listeners and they really seemed to enjoy the special visitor and learning about Hanukkah.

Claire drew this picture with the Crayola art kit she got for the third night of Hanukkah. Note the menorah on the bottom left and the dreidel in Claire's hands.

Claire got so many great gifts this year including a plasma car, Toy Story Barbie and Ken, the Tag reading system, a Rapunzel doll and a couple of DVDs. I will admit we kind of spoiled her this year (We still have Christmas coming up too. Yikes!!). 

 

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Fun with Friends

We've gotten together with a few friends during the last couple of weeks. There will be many more indoor, warm playdates to come during these cold winter months!

 Claire and Elton John (aka Oliver)

Claire and Thomas playing with Barbie and Ken in Barbie's new pool. 

Riding the plasma car with Mikey

Wintuk by Cirque du Soleil

Photos from the Wintuk by Cirque du Soleil website

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win five tickets to see Wintuk at Madison Square Garden (Thank you New Jersey Family magazine!). We headed into Manhattan with my sister in law and nephew for the 11:00 performance yesterday. We loved it! While the storyline was a little hard to follow (not very cohesive), the performers showcased their amazing talents during the entire performance which captivated the audience. Our favorite part was the very end of the show when it "snowed" on the stage AND in the audience!