Anna and Max Friedman

Visit with Grandma and Grandpa "Sunshine"

2010-06-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

This past Easter the kids and I drove to FL to visit with Dad and Jan. What a great trip we had and we are looking forward to getting back there soon.

For Dad

2010-06-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

So, my Father has a computer! Time for me to start keeping up on here. :)

First School Play

2009-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Anna and Max debuted in their first school play. What proud parents we were! They did such a wonderful job and we had a great time. The afternoon started with lunch and all of the children played together jumping on stage and running in circles around the room. I was so fearful that they would spend the entire time clung to us but I couldn't have been more wrong. They clearly love their school and their classmates. We were also blessed to have two sets of Grandparents join us!

The children recited the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear and were both the blue horse. You can mostly just hear the teacher in the video but the children all did a great job.

Where have we been?

2009-02-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

I will give an update tomorrow of what has been going on with all of us. But for now, I thought I would share a few pictures. I have many more to share but I need to get off to bed as tomorrow is a big day for us. Tomorrow Anna and Max will be in their first play, Brown Bear, Brown Bear and they will both be the Blue Horse along with one of their classmates, William. I am so excited to attend their play and will of course we taking a ton of pictures along with some video. I will share with you then.

Yes, Chris. Too funny not to watch.

2008-10-16T19:05:00.001-07:00

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Love Apple Farm

2008-10-05T19:44:00.001-07:00

Olivia "Livi"

2008-09-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

I am really sad to sad that Olivia passed away yesterday. We are really heartbroken over this and I just feel so guilty that we she is no longer here. She has Liver Disease and it was too late to save her. Livi, you will be missed.

Our First Hike

2008-09-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was perfect for a hike. We knew that we couldn't do too much with Anna and Max so we thought driving up to MT. Greylock would be enough. We would be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery (Legend has it that the beauty of this mountain inspired Herman Melville to write "Moby Dick"). and we wouldn't have two whiney kids. Well, as luck would have it the road to the top is closed until the spring. Now, we just spent an hour driving here, the kids are up from their nap and they want OUT of the car.

So, we went into the visitor building and the kids played in a little area meant for children and then we took a 2 mile loop through the woods. The 16 mile round trip to the top just was not an option for us. Now, Shar (she write a wonderful travel blog about travel with kids) has told me and written on her blog that picking a handicap accessible trail is a good idea and she is correct. We did not have one available to us and luckily the kids walked a good amount of the time, but there were many times that they were carried. Jon was such a good Daddy and even carried the two of them! Anna was so exhausted by the end that she slept in my arms for the last twenty min of the hike. I am impressed I was able to finish with her in my arms.

We had a great day and are looking forward to spending lots of time on nature trails with the kids. It really was fun.

Thank You Cousin Linda

2008-09-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

We love these outfits. The kids really enjoyed wearing them the other day. Jon's cousin Linda brought them all the way from Japan. They are beautiful!

Hard Day at the Office

2008-09-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thankful

2008-09-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would make a little note to you all that I am so very thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life. It really is the people that surround you that make life worth living. I am just so thankful that I get to be Anna and Max's Mother. There is nothing better than receiving love from your children.

CHI CHI is Found

2008-09-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, we have them. She finally decided to get up and get them. I guess she really remembered where she left them. Good thing I wasted twenty minutes looking for them! I even looked in the stuffed animal pile (which they were on the bottom of) a few times. She just never intermingles them with the common Teddies. At least we will all sleep tonight.

CHI CHI WHERE ARE YOU?????

2008-09-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, this isn't funny but Chi Chi is missing! It is bed time, the kids have had their bath, They have their milk, PJs are ready to go and Anna's Chi is missing. Not one but both. Now the best part is that they are not anyplace that I can see. I know they are both in this house and I am thinking that Miss Anna put them there because instead of freaking out when I ask where they are she is just looking at me. This might be one very long night!

It is now dark out and although I am 99% sure they are in the house there is no way that I will be looking outside for them!

Wish us luck please!

More Fun Games

2008-09-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

Anna and Max really just love to take things out and put them in another place. They amaze me because they truly do this together and they really put a lot of energy and focus into this activity. In the time it just took me turn the computer on and get this post up they emptied my pot cabinet and strategically place one in each corner of the table and then filled in the space between. There are two pots left in the cabinet that simply were too heavy remove.

Phase In Week

2008-09-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Anna and Max just completed their phase in week at their new school. They will be attending Mon, Tue, Wed from 8:30-11:30 but this week they went one hour the first day and then added an additional half hour through Friday. I am very happy to say that they really like their school. Today they didn't cry or even groan when we left. Josephine and Anna (their teachers) are wonderful and I am so excited that it is a good fit. I think it is human nature to be afraid of change and changing a good thing seems pointless at times but to be honest I think this school is an even better fit than the school in MI. I just love the Montessori philosophy and it really works well for our family. This school goes through Kindergarten and I imagine Anna and Max will stay through then. Only time will tell. Anna and Max will be marching in a parade with their class in a few weeks. I will be sure to post pictures.

County Fair

2008-09-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Where is the Snow???

2008-09-05T06:31:00.001-07:00

Anna and Max received this beautiful sled for Christmas from Grandpa and Grandma Friedman. They really had a blast the other day being pulled around in the yard--imagine the fun they will have once it snows.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

2008-09-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Wildlife

2008-09-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before that we have coyotes living within earshot but I don't know that I mentioned any of the other wildlife that we see roaming our yard. Below is a video I captured of seven Deer grazing in the front yard including a buck. Unfortunately we scared them off when Anna and Max decided to chase after them.

Fun Games

2008-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Anna and Max have been spending a lot time this week playing with each other and making up new games. I get such a kick out of it and I am usually an innocent observer but Monday morning they thought it would be fun to include me! They took every stuffed animal out of their bucket and piled them on top of me. They were laughing and really working perfectly together. They even put all of the animals back when they were done with this game. Another fun thing they do is swim in the bath tub. Both of the tubs in this house are much larger than our MI tub and they really have a good time in there.

So Sweet

2008-09-03T20:12:00.001-07:00

Tonight I have Anna and Max sleeping in my bed. Max fell asleep before Anna and she leaned over and gave him two big kisses on the cheek. They really are lucky to have each other.

2008-09-03T19:34:00.001-07:00

Tuesday
The paragraph below brought tears to my eyes and I wanted to share it. I visited Jane's blog and am actually stealing this directly from her:

(I stole this paragraph from JK's blog about Tuesday. I thought it was too lovely to not share.
"The night after Tuesday was taken off the vent, I was holding her and we just stared at each other. I asked her if Angels had been watching over her and these huge tears started rolling down her cheeks. I can only tell you that the look on her face told me I didn't know the half of it."
You can go read the rest of her beautiful post here. )

Tuesday is such a strong little girl. Please keep your prayers coming.

The Big Move

2008-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well, where do I start? I think we are starting to feel at home after a month of being in the new place. We are very happy to be close to our family and old friend's but we really do miss our lives we left in MI. I miss the little things that you rarely take notice of day to day. I miss seeing Carol in the yard and our conversations, I miss the kids being able to run from yard to yard and playing with all of their friends (Heather, Natalie, Brandon and Aiden) without a planned play date. I miss seeing kids ride their bikes down the sidewalk. I even miss the sound of UPS/FedEx (for a court of seven houses we all had a ton of deliveries) truck driving by. I miss looking out of the windows at night and seeing houses, lights and I even miss my cats. We also miss our activities with Elsie and Reid. Anna and Max have been playmates with Elsie and Reid since they were four months old! I still talk to everyone but it isn't the same as seeing them all of the time. To all of you in MI, we miss you very much! Please come and visit us! We will be out around Christmas time.

Now, there are many things to love about NY, so please don't think we aren't happy to be here. The kids love being able to run around their 5 acre yard. I on the other hand am scared to death of the coyotes that I hear howling at night. I made the mistake of looking up online all that I could about them and I am now fearful that a rabid one will come after my kids! I need to learn to be okay in the country again. :) I do love how beautiful our yard is--just need to stop looking at woods as if something is going to come charging out at us. I love that Grandma's and Grandpa's can and do stop by often for visits with the kids. I love that Anna and Max no longer need time to warm up to their Grandparents and run to them with open arms. I love that we actually have so many friends near by that we have known since first grade! I love that I will be getting gas, shopping or just out and about and someone from my past will come up to me and say hi, Dawn (Maiden Name). That can only happen when you return to a place where you grew up. I am just so amazed that you can be away for fifteen years and come back and have it feel like home. It is a feeling that I cannot describe but it feels really comfortable.
Anna and Max start at the new Montessori school next week! They will go three mornings a week and seem to really like their new school. They had a Popsicle social last week to meet their new classmates and to also give the parents a chance to meet one another as well. They will be in a class with two to five year old students. We are very pleased that they will be here. What a hard time we had finding a school that worked for us!

I guess I have rambled on long enough and now that we are settled in, I hope to update you all more often. Below are a few pictures from our "moving day".

Oh, I have to give one quick mention to the story of the missing cats (Zoe and Olivia) in the hotel room and how we had to call an exterminator and a animal control person for advice. This actually delayed our move by an entire day and additional overnight in said hotel. Was this move meant to be??? I ask this because the morning our life arrived in the big semi truck we were greeted at our front door with two men telling us there was no way they could get the truck up the driveway and that we would need a "shuttle service" which meant more time and lots more money. Luckily, the driver wanted to get back to his family and he tried one more time from the other side of the driveway and came up full speed taking out one large tree limb. Oh boy did we scream with excitement and amazement over this joyous sight! Maybe just maybe the rainbow that greeted us near the New York State line was a good luck rainbow. Only time can tell.

Prayers for Tuesday

2008-07-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

A sweet little girl, Tuesday, from my Multiples group was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. I am asking that anyone reading this to say some extra prayers for her. Today she had surgery so she needs all of the support she can get. The photo below was taken last night and as you can see she is a beautiful and strong little girl.

A fund was created to help Tuesday and her family. It is called Tuesday's Fund and if you are interested in making a donation please click on the 'donate' button found beneath her photo on the sidebar.

Friend Award

2008-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

I got a sweet surprise from my friend Jenn! Thanks Jenn and of course Jane for starting this!! I am feeling honored as this is my first online award(actually only award!)!!

I was tagged with the "Which Friend are you?" quiz. Would you believe that I am Monica?? I know, total shocker.

Okay, so as Jenn has officially named this the Jane Award, I now award the following with a tag from me.....

Click here to take the test.

Moving and Homeless!!

2008-07-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

Okay, we just can't seem to win. I am leaving this one up to God because things do have a strange way of working out but can you believe the house we were going to rent is sold?!?!?! Yep, our lease was in the mail and the realtor and owners accepted an offer for purchase. Now, I understand why they wanted to sell it but they really never should have decided to work with us. The realtor was pretty sneaky at the end took her time getting us the paperwork for sign. Now because of this, the other homes that fit our needs are gone! I swear I am going to explode. There is one house in that may come through but if it doesn't we have decided to put our hands up and rent an apartment. Heaven help us but we would be able to save a nice amount of money over the course of the year and buy a home while continuing to rent our house in MI.

I am at a loss for words and I am feeling pretty stressed about this. How do you fit an entire houseful of furniture into an apartment? I guess we will need a storage unit and I am already starting to miss my furniture that may not be seen for a year! Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. The good news is that we will be closer to family and we will have plenty of friends to visit with to keep ourselves busy for the next year.

Have I mentioned that we are busy, busy, busy???

We are Moving!!!!

2008-07-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that we will be moving to Clifton Park, NY August 1st. As though we haven't been busy enough, I am getting quotes from movers, researching Montessori toddler programs (there is only one in the area), making Dr. appointments here to make sure we are up to date with everything, trying to schedule time with friends, traveling to Toronto for business and going to the Jersey shore for a week in July. Hmmm, how are we going to do all this?

Jon and I started to clean out all of the junk that we have accumulated along the way and I am happy to say we have done a very good job! I am pretty sure the garbage men weren't happy on Monday when they drove up and saw a mountain of junk awaiting them. At any rate we are leasing our home to a German couple. Ulrich, his wife and two sons will be moving here from Germany for two years for his company. The boys are four and seven and I am sure will love all of the kids in the area. I really hope his wife likes our house because he picked it out on his own and she will see it for the first time August 1st!

Tomorrow we have a playdate planned with Sheri, Elsie and Reid and Jon's parents will be here for the 4th of July weekend. I hope to get some pictures to share.

On another note, we ordered Anna and Max their big kid beds! Max's bunk bed arrived last week and Anna's bed will be here tomorrow. It is very exciting and so far Max really likes his bed. He is sleeping in bed at night (part of the night) and napping in his crib. Anna is sleeping in our bed for both naps (when she takes them) and at night. She refuses to sleep in her crib! So, we pray that come tomorrow night we will have our bed back and she will enjoy her new bed!

Once a Week????

2008-06-27T19:47:00.001-07:00

Okay, I think I may have actually mentioned a while back that my intent was to write at least once a week. Well, as we all know, I spoke too soon.

Anna and Max are doing well. They are really saying a lot these days and I would say that since they turned twenty months I am shocked by how often they are now using their words. I just love their sweet voices.

I really don't know where to start and although you would all love to see my little munchkins, it will be some time before I am able to post pictures. Life is a little crazy for us at the moment and we are really keeping our fingers crossed that life settles down a little for us towards the end of the summer. If all goes well we will be moving to NY August 1st. Our house has been on the market for seven long months and we have been getting a few showings a week and in the past two weeks we have received three offers to lease and three offers to purchase (two were from the same people). At any rate we are sitting here with a great lease offer in hand awaiting a counter from a pretty good purchase offer. Only time will tell and it is in God's hands.

I just wanted to let those interested know that Anna and Max are doing really well and that Jon and I are just too busy to keep the blog updated. Fingers crossed that life will get back to normal come August.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-05-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy around here and there has not been much time to update the blog. I wanted to hop on and let everyone know that Anna and Max are officially done with their bottles. It has been three days now and I give all of the credit to Jon. I would have let them keep their bottles until they were two, but he felt it was time.

As many have said it is much more difficult on me. I am a little sad about it and now my little babies are officially toddlers.

Bye Bye to the BaBa????

2008-04-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Anna and Max's eighteen month check up. Everything went well and our Pediatrician said that it was time to take the bottle away. I know many do this at a year and many others wait until around two but how does one put a number to when a child is ready to give it up? They just enjoy drinking from it so much; I just don't know if I am ready to take it away.

Eighteen Months Old!!

2008-04-17T19:19:00.001-07:00

Wow, where did the time go? Today Anna and Max turned eighteen months old. Although it seemed as though this day would never arrive, I fear that I am going to wake up tomorrow and they will be two!

Not so little anymore, my babies walk them selves to the car and can climb up into their car seats, they now open the door to the basement and go down when they like (we always follow), they also open the pantry door and help themselves to a snack, but they are still little enough to enjoy a bottle, snuggle with Mommy and Daddy, sleep in the fetal position with a stuffed animal and look at Jon and as though there are no better parents in the world. They are learning so much about the world around them and I feel so blessed that I get to watch them grow.

This is a picture from their first night home. We kept trying to get a picture without Jon's hand in it, but my favorite shot is now the very one with his hand. Look how tiny!

This is Anna and Max tonight before bed. Anna's jammy top says it all.

Anna loves her new undies and actually totes them around when she isn't wearing them. I think she likes the feel of soft cotton.

Max on the other hand could care less. Anna actually insisted on wearing a pair of his yesterday.
Here is a picture of the very first art projects they brought home from school! Each kite has a beautiful scribble. They have since pulled off every sticker!

Thank You Uncle Vinnie and Aunt Amanda

2008-04-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

My brother, Vincent, and Amanda went to a friend's wedding last week and pasted through Nashville, TN. They saw the cutest little guitars and just had to get them for the kids. Anna received a pink one and Max, a black one. They even came with extra strings and pics! I even took a little video of my little musicians. Thank you both very much--they are too cute!
Vincent and Amanda at Jay's Wedding
Vincent and Amanda with the Giant Guitar!
Anna and Max Jamming Out.

Max and Anna's House

2008-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to keep Anna and Max in our yard and decided to try and make our yard a little more enticing. We purchased them a playhouse and they really seem to enjoy playing in it. The only problem though, is that we have had rain or snow every day since we put it together! We managed to get about 15 min of play time on Saturday! I am not sure, but I might be more excited about the house. Speaking of new houses, we are lowering the price of ours yet again. We will keep trying to sell it but I am starting to think it will never happen!!

Finally, Pictures at Last.....

2008-04-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

As promised, the pictures that go along with the last few posts.

Anna knew I wouldn't approve of Godiva chocolate for breakfast, so she took it off of the dinning room table (yes, again) and ate it under the table! She was nice enough to share with Max, so I couldn't get mad.

The First Day of Spring--We had another snow after this one!Happy Easter!

Here are some pictures from our trip to VA. I love this picture of the four of them in the tub. Notice that the grass is green and these pictures are from a month ago!

Fun Filled Week

2008-04-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am sad to say that Grandma and Grandpa Contursi left this morning. We had a wonderful week and enjoyed our first real Spring days! Anna and Max had a very busy week with Grandma and Grandpa. We managed to go out to lunch one day, out to dinner two nights and had a coffee break at Starbucks one afternoon. We spent our first day together at the park. It was so warm and sunny that we actually spent the entire day with the windows open, the door to the patio was open and the kids ran in and out as they saw fit. The next day, although not nearly as nice as the first, we went to the petting farm! We even had the opportunity to see a 720 lb pig!! I think I managed to get a picture, but I promise the picture will not do this animal justice. I was frightened by it and had to walk away. It was as big as a pony!!

The kids chased a duck around and had a wonderful time. Yesterday, we took Grandma and Grandpa to the Children's Museum in Ann Arbor and were able to sit in an Ambulance, see a Tornado and of course spent time in the preschool room playing with the water table, climbing up and down the stairs, building with blocks, sitting in the fire truck and just having plain old fun.

One thing to note is that Anna and Max now love to build with their Mega Blocks! Grandpa spent a lot of time showing them how to do it and now they can manage to get the tower pretty high. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for a wonderful week! We miss you and love you!

Gosh, this week had flown by! Last weekend Christy was in for a visit and the six kids spent the entire weekend together. The pictures honestly look like a daycare center, but they were all taken at either our house or Sheri's. It was nice to see the girls and see how cute all of the kids looked together.

First Day of School

2008-04-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today Anna and Max had their first day of school where I dropped them off and went on my way. I have to admit I cried and stood in the hall outside the door for about ten min. They both did so well that their teacher was impressed by how great they did on their first day. This school was really meant for us. I just love it and Anna and Max do as well.

When I came in to pick them up they were happily dancing with some other children. When they saw me, they came running over with big smiles and open arms!! No tears, just smiles. Today was also the first time in eighteen months that I was able to run some errands child free. It was strange to be able to get things done so quickly and not get two kids in and out of the car and car seats.

The three of us then went out to lunch and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in the park. We walked along a stream and saw two ducks that the kids quacked at.

First Trip to the Dentist

2008-04-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Anna and Max had their first Dentist appointment today and they did such a great job! Jon and I were both shocked by how little they fussed and we truly expected Anna to scream. The entire experience was great and I am so impressed with out well the entire staff handled the children. They each had an exam and a cleaning. Anna's teeth looked good and she has a few molars breaking through in the back. Max might be missing a front bottom tooth but they won't know for sure until their next check up in six months. They say it is genetic but I can't recall anyone in the family missing a tooth.

We came away with some new toothbrushes and toothpaste. The most shocking piece of information to learn was how bad yogurt and dried fruit are for the teeth. Minimally, the kids need to drink water after eating yogurt!

Anyway, nothing much else to report today. It was beautiful out so we enjoyed some time in the yard. I was so happy when we bought this house that our sub didn't allow fences but now that we have children I am finding it very difficult to keep Anna and Max in our yard! Our neighbors all have very nice playscapes that seem to be calling out to Anna and Max! I need to find a way to make our yard more inviting.

Have a great night. Yes, pictures will come. I just need to find the time........

Fingers Crossed - Healthy at Last

2008-04-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been very long for all of us! It started a little over three weeks ago with runny noses and led into an ear infection for Anna that took two doses of antibiotics to get over, a sinus infection for myself and Asthmatic Bronchialitis for Max!! Poor Jon is just now getting sick and I am not sure how he held out until the rest of felt better!

What should have been a very happy Easter week with Jon's parents turned out to be our worst week yet since having children. With Anna's fevers and Max having an ambulance transport from one hospital to another, we spent just about everyday with one Doctor or another. I am happy that we managed to have Easter breakfast but sad that we never made it to our dinner reservation. I have some very cute pictures of the kids and Grandma and Grandpa Friedman that I will post tomorrow. Luckily, Anna and Max started to feel better and were able to laugh and have some fun with their grandparents. Thank you Bob and Sally for helping with the sick kids, we appreciate it. We really hope that the next visit is much better.

There is so much to catch up on that I don't even know where to start. Since my last post, Jon has been to Vail. He flew out for a few days of skiing with his cousins and he had a wonderful time. Linda, thank you do much for the beautiful outfits. I plan to put them on the kids and post a picture soon! That was so sweet of you!

While Jon was in Vail, the kids and I took a road trip to VA in the new minivan to see Aunt Chrissy and to see what spring was like. We had a wonderful time and the kids spent a lot of time in the yard and at the park! Who ever would have thought that buds would actually be on the trees! Our last day in VA, Anna, came down with a high fever and we ended up in a walk in clinic. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and that was the start of our endless visits to the Doctor.

Anyway, we enjoyed our first day of spring back here in MI with a beautiful snow fall and about six inches of accumulation! I actually took a picture and will post that tomorrow as well. The real shocker is that we actually had some more snow a few days ago!! We just can't seem to win.

Lets see, what else???? Anna and Max start Montessori school this week. Today was their first day of the adjustment period and they did very well. I just sat in the corner and they went about their business. They jumped right in and seemed to have a great time. I tried to leave after an hour but Anna didn't think that was a great idea and she screamed bloody murder. Tomorrow is the last day of the adjustment period and I am told that she should be fine by the first day of school without me. As of right now, they will go for a few hours on Tue, Wed and Thur from 9:00-11:30. It is just so cute to see them in that setting. They now can point to most of their body parts and they are learning more words each day. We just started to count and they try to say ten for the number of fingers that they have while holding them up.

Our house is being shown but we still have no offers. Only time will tell with this. The only other news that we to report is that I am doing some consulting work for the company that I worked for before having the kids. I am giving it a try and plan to do some work while the kids are at school and while they are sleeping.

Upcoming visitors to MI: This weekend Christy, a twin Mom from the twin group I am in will be staying with Sheri and we plan to have the 6 kids play together over the weekend. I am really looking forward to seeing Christy and the girls again and I know the kids will have fun. Of course, I will post some pictures. Then on Monday, Grandma and Grandpa Contursi will be here for a visit!

Gosh, we really are very busy here at the Friedman household! I hope you are all well and I plan to post pictures tomorrow. I am just way tooooooo tired at the moment.

Trip to Carnival Cuts

2008-03-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Max was such a big boy yesterday and sat by himself during his entire haircut! He was very sweet and seemed to enjoy it. I had planned to take him for a hair cut this week but yesterday morning when he brought me one of Anna's hair ties and insisted that I put it in his hair and it actually stayed, I knew I needed to make time to get it done ASAP! Max now has his very own hair wax and we can either spike his hair or brush it to the side. Here are two pictures of him in the chair. I tried to have Anna's bangs trimmed but she screamed and I fought so much that I decided it just wasn't worth it. I guess my decision as to bangs or no bangs has been made. She has let me keep her hair back the past day and a half and I hope she continues.
It was so nice out yesterday that we were able to play with the neighbors for a little while before dinner. I had to post the last picture because they actually sat down in their seats to eat! I think they are getting tired of standing. Well, I can hope.

Big Post - Many Pictures

2008-03-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that the past week has been filled with water and playing with friends. Because of the colds that Anna, Max and some their friends came down with, we had to cancel a few play dates. We luckily played with Elsie and Reid early last week at our house and today we played with them at Jungle Java and had lunch out. Anna and Max have been to Jungle Java a lot these days and the older they get the more fun they seem to have there. Jon and I took them over the weekend and we spend a lot of time running around on the top two levels and going down slides with the kids. Today we met Sheri, her Mother, Elsie and Reid and the thought was that the kids would have fun in the big kid section but unfortunately every child in the county was there today. It was a little overwhelming and we mostly stayed in the toddler section. Poor Elise missed her nap and was pretty much ready to go once we arrived. Anna and Max had a very tough morning and needed a morning nap making us a little late. Things are never that easy!

All of you reading this from the west coast or those of you that live down south may not understand this, but yesterday it was sunny and even though it was only 40 degrees outside, the kids had fun playing outside. They pushed one of their lawn mowers around and they had a ton of fun in a mud puddle. I just could not say no to them. These poor children have been tramped in this house for way too long and they were having so much fun. I even set up a water table for them to play with in the house. Spring, where are you????

Over the weekend we took the kids sledding on the big hill at the elementary school. I think Jon and Max had the most fun and it will be nice next year when the kids can actually walk themselves up the hill. I regret that I didn't have the camera with me but I am sure we will have another chance to go again this year. The snow just keeps coming.

There are some random pictures and videos below. Max and Anna now make muscles and grunt. I didn't get a great video of it, but it is still funny to watch.

This Past Week.....

2008-03-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Anna and Max have had a very busy week and we all ended up with a bit of a cold! They still have stuffy/runny noses but that hasn't slowed them down too much. I will be updating the blog tomorrow with pictures and a recap of their exciting week!

Catching Up.....

2008-03-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

I think I am caught up for the most part with the life of Anna and Max. As mentioned in an earlier post, they are learning more words each day and are really enjoying playing together. Here is a picture of them playing with their Little People animal zoo. It is one of the things that they really enjoy playing with at the same time and I find it to be very sweet. They love to ask what the animals are and can now say some of the animal names and make noises like quack, moo and roar. Although, most of the animals appear to make the roar noise if you ask Anna or Max.
This morning while reading a book to Max he pointed to the sock in the book and then touched the sock on his foot and said "sock". I was so excited that he not only said the word but made the connection that they were the same thing. Another exciting new word and connection came from Anna when she picked walked to garage door (they each get to put their own dirty diaper in the garbage after changing them) with her dirty diaper and said "garbage". I know that all children will learn to talk but it is just so exciting for me to watch the process.

Enough of the Camera

2008-03-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

I think that Anna and Max are sick of me taking pictures of them. They seem to have had enough. Here are two shots of them walking away from me taking pictures. I managed to get a quick shot before they could get away.

Alternative Uses

2008-03-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Anna and Max received a ball popper for their birthday and they have enjoyed playing with it since then. They have fun watching the balls coming out, pushing the button to make the music play and dancing along. Well, last week they discovered yet another use for this ball popper. They love putting anything and everything that will fit in hole into it. They have discovered that plastic pizza will not fit into the hole. They have tried many times to get it in, but have finally accepted that it will not. Here is a photo of some of the stuff they enjoy putting in it.

Healthy at Last

2008-02-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

Max is finally back to his old self. Last Friday was the first day in over a week that he did not sleep most of the day. Anna and Max napped at the same time I actually had some time to myself. They have been very sweet and are learning new words! They now say cook for cookie and walk over the pantry door. Max can even open the door half way!! It might be time to get a lock as they could make one heck of a mess in there.

Here are some pictures from the week. We managed to sneak in a trip to the Children's museum and Friday we made it to Toys R Us for a new basketball hoop! We even had the two Daddy's join Sheri, Elsie, Reid, Anna and I at the museum! Nothing too exciting to report, I am just glad to have both kids healthy and napping together.

My Helper and Budding Artist

2008-02-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

Since Max spent most of yesterday in bed, Anna and I needed to find a way to spend our time. They really don't know what to do without the other one around. It is very cute and when we have one on one time, they usually just follow me around. At any rate, I needed to change the furniture arrangement in the living room so that the kids could no longer get up near the mirror (It weighs over a 100lbs) and Anna thought it was a great idea to help. Since I was moving the furniture it made sense to do a little dusting and she helped with that as well. What a good little girl. I feel bad that Max missed out because he also loves to help me clean.
Anna Moving Furniture:

Anna Dusting:Anna's Artwork: Maybe I am a proud Mother, but this looks like a person sitting down thinking..

First Ear Infection

2008-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Max woke up yesterday morning with a fever and just wasn't himself at all. He slept most of the day and we had trouble getting his temp to come down. This morning he seemed to be his old self and was very happy but then around noon his temp reached 104.5. Since the Doctor's office was closed, Max and I ended up spending 5.5 hours at the hospital trying to get his temp down. After running many (in my opinion excessive) tests, they discovered that he had his first middle ear infection.
Max on couch between naps yesterday: Max's hospital band and Max handing it happily over to Daddy:

New Fun Things....

2008-02-21T20:01:00.001-08:00

2008-02-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

I believe I lost the first battle over the kitchen table with Anna and Max. They proceeded to get up on the table this morning. It was a fun game with lots of laughing on Anna and Max's end. It went something like this....

They pull the chair out.
They climb up and stand on the chair giving me the look that means nothing good is about to happen.
I say please get down.
They crawl onto the table.
I take them down and push the chair in.
Repeat all steps above.

Maybe I am not smart enough because I really thought that my persistence and patience (I have plenty of both to go around) would be enough. But, I admit I was wrong and this battle is won by them. At any rate, the only thing that I could think of was to put the two chairs they climb on in the family room. We have already moved two of the chairs to the garage but Jon and I do need to sit at meals. So, here is the new (temporary) spot for the chairs. All I did was prevent them from getting up on the table. Didn't stop the climbing. And they even discovered a new fun game of turning the light on and off....

Other than climbing on the table, Anna and Max had a very nice day. We went out to lunch with an old friend and the kids had fun drinking their first drink box. The straw came out a few times but overall they did a great job and it kept them busy throughout lunch. Oh and the biggest news is that they both slept through the night last night!!!!!!!! It has been a while since that has been the case. They each have a lot of teeth coming in right now.

Oral Hygiene, Rubber Duckies and Pigtails

2008-02-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today wasn't too exciting. Just an usual day in the Friedman household. Other than going to the car dealer to look at minivans, we spent the day in the house. Anna and Max didn't take any naps at the same time so I was actually able to spend some nice one on one time with each of them. Anna really tested my limits today and was sent to her time-out spot three times. My sweet little Anna just can not resist climbing on the kitchen table. She knows that she isn't allowed up there but she does it anyway. Sometimes, she even waits for me to look directly at her so that I can see the entire thing.

Anna and Max love to brush their teeth. Honestly, they just love to suck the toothpaste off of the toothbrush but they do it often enough that they must be cleaning some of their teeth.
It isn't a pretty when the time comes to take the toothpaste away and they are not ready....

Today is the first day that Little Anna has had Pigtails in her hair. I can't say that the part was straight but I thought she looked cute and she left them in all afternoon!!
Max really loves rubber duckies. He is mostly fond of the yellow ones and will walk around yelling duck. He loves to hug and kiss a large rubber duckie that Sheri (Thank you Sheri) gave him. It is a big hit.

Nine Years ago Today

2008-02-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago today Jon proposed to me in front of a roaring fire. I remember it like it was yesterday and I am so happy to be where we are today. Here is a picture of us on our six year wedding anniversary. The very next anniversary I was pregnant with Anna and Max!

13 Degrees Fahrenheit

2008-02-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

We were off to the petting zoo today with Elise and Reid when the reality of just how cold it was sunk in. We quickly changed plans and played at Elsie and Reid's house. The kids had a great time. Below are a few pictures from this morning.
Anna and Max this morning: Little Anna: Big Boy Max:
The boys fighting over the vacuum: Elsie and Reid in the tunnel:

Warmer Days

2008-02-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

I was just looking at some older pictures and I came across a few that I love of Jon and the kids. It also brings some hope that warmer days will soon be here.

Competent Problem Solvers

2008-02-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Anna and Max turned 16 months yesterday and this morning they astonished me with just how sophisticated their problem solving skills are.

After breakfast, Anna and Max, scurried along to the family room to play with some of their toys. Thinking they were content for a few moments, I snuck away to basement to check email. Seeing as I had not one new email, I was only gone for a short time.

I came up to a very quiet Anna and Max and was shocked to see that they managed to get a box of Valentines chocolate that Jon gave to me off of the dinning room table. Now the interesting thing is that they not only got this big red heart box from the dinning room table, but that they brought it all the way to the family room, put it on the white couch and actually opened it and ate the chocolate!! Yep, both of them with mouths full of dark chocolate (the only ones left as I do not eat dark chocolate) chomping away. I wanted to run down and get the camera but I was so afraid that they would choke. Anna had a large caramel filled piece in her mouth and Max a toffee filled one. Thank God I caught them when I did and that I was able to pry the pieces out. They were in chocolate heaven for a few brief moments.

I guess oatmeal wasn't going to cut it and in order to have chocolate for breakfast they needed to use their newly acquired problem solving skills. The next few months should be interesting.

Two Little Monkeys

2008-02-17T14:41:00.001-08:00

Time to Cook Dinner???

2008-02-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

While making meatballs and spaghetti with my Grandmother's homemade sauce recipe, Anna and Max played nicely in the kitchen sink. I needed them to stay busy and all they wanted was to be up with me. So what was a Mother to do. We came up with a make-shift water table. This little trick actually worked long enough to make fresh meatballs and sauce!

Finding the Time......

2008-02-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can see finding the time to get posts in has not been a priority for me. As more and more of my friends are using blogs to keep in touch, I decided to take the time to post. Going forward, I will try to keep everyone interested, up to date with the goings on in the Friedman household.

Anna and Max enjoyed their first Gymboree class yesterday. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday morning with Mommy and Daddy. These will occur every Saturday morning until they no longer enjoy the classes. It was wonderful to see them in a more structured environment and to see them actually go along with what the other children were doing. They are just so much fun these days and I am amazed by what they are capable of doing.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Anna and Max took their third flight with us to visit my Father and Jan. Uncle Vincent and Aunt Amanda came to join in on the fun and so far we are having a wonderful time.

The flight was okay but started out a little rocky. Being stuck in a tiny seat isn't any fun for an adult but is even worse for the thirteen month olds. Anyway, this is my first blog and I hope it will make it easier to keep in touch.
-Dawn