There's Nothing Like Christmas

I never thought I would be so happy to leave December. It was a FaNtAsTiC month! But a busy one. To catch my breath is to regain sanity. All is good in the world now. And I have so many great new memories (and pictures) to look back on now that I have the time to look back. Not only were we so busy when we returned from our NY trip, but I was still overcome with the emotion of it. So many things to revel in and ponder about . . .

Like the addition of a family member. Although it wasn't Nathan's first Christmas, it was Lily's and the first Christmas that we spent it with the kiddies and the NY crowd. It was a fun as everyone says and so very special. Nothing like the first time. And there will be so many more firsts, at least in terms of more family members joining the annual festivities. New spouses and kids to look forward to. That family portrait is getting really BIG!

But I have to say there was a bittersweet tone to it all, at least in my mind. It was maybe the first time I realized that even though there will be more Christmas's, they won't always be like that. Our families will grow. People will move. Or die. Sorry, but that's life. Things will change and you never know how many more of anything you will have. I don't know why I was able to look at it from this perspective this time. And why I never saw it this way before. Aging and having kids changes things I guess. It made me sad to think that in 20 years our Kepler Family Tradition may be so very different. I just enjoy it so much that I want Nathan to   grow up with it too. I want him to be surrounded by his aunts and uncles and cousins and enjoy the same traditions we have established over the years. Hanging out, dinner, Muppet Christmas, Secret Santa, dessert. Playing in the snow if we are lucky. And more recently, having Christmas morning together for breakfast and another round of gifts.I know there will be other traditions and other people to share them with but it's this combination of people in my life that make it unique and fun. If I could, I would give Nathan lots of siblings so he could look forward to a house full of people all the time. It's when I'm happiest - when all the brothers are present. But, he will most likely NOT have 4 other siblings to enjoy.And while he will have cousins here in NC, there will still be others missing in other places like NY.

I don't want to make anyone feel bad who is not involved in this particular Christmas fun. I have an open mind and heart for new traditions to come. But what we have in NY around this time of year is very special to me in ways I may never be able to explain.

Not to get all sappy on you. Like I said, aging gives new perspectives.

Another cool part of the trip to NY was the day in the city. Greg, Danielle and I went off on our own (sans babies) to the city. The reason for it was because Greg introduced me to an amazing book that took place over a few centuries in NYC. We saw churches and streets and landmarks from the book and it was really cool to talk about it with a little more understanding of its' history. I always enjoyed NY but was overwhelmed by it. Now I have much more respect for it and want to learn more. Being able to roam around (although very cold!) was fun. And freeing!

During the trip, in addition to the regular visiting around town, we were treated to a wonderland of snow. It snowed a bunch in NC - the first time in 30 years and where are we?! But I couldn't be upset that we missed it since we got a healthy helping as well. It was awesome. Nathan had a great time and, again, having the uncles around to play with was a bonus. It made for nasty traveling for everyone once the fun was over - but still, I can't hate snow for that. It was worth it to see my little boy standing in the white stuff up to his hips!

We may be getting more of that soon - the white stuff. Though not much I'm sure. Besides, the magical part of it has past I think. It's super special over Christmas I think.

Now we are settling into new routines. MOPS starts up again next week and I enrolled Nathan and I into a fun music class that happens Fridays. Today was our first day. He wasn't super thrilled about it but we have several weeks to adjust. We have play dates to attend, parties to give and attend and other big events in the coming months. Mommy is even escaping for a night away from the family! We're looking forward to a great year. Life is good and we can't wait to see what else it brings!

Review in Pictures

We stopped in DC to visit with an old friend, Hadas!

Kickin' back with Uh Matt

Hat!

Gigi and Lily

Ghost Buster Fire House in NY near Greg's work

Trinity Church

Delicious lunch with Greg & Danielle

Sleeping Lily

Kisses with Grandpa Truck

It's all about the babies!

A Very Kepler Christmas

Aunt Jen and Little Lily

Grandpa Ed & Lily

Doot on my new best friend Bill!

The Grandmas

It's cold

Yay Uh Greg!

It's really cold. But I heart snow.

Woah. That's a lot of snow.

Not a White Christmas - but close enough!

Captured in Pictures

Every time we return from a NY trip I feel like I do the same thing - re-live every day with who, what and where. This sounds boring if you're not there. But we do so much I don't want to forget the details. So, I will try to post more pics and captions instead. Lord knows I took enough to describe every day of our lives. Oh yeah and now I have a flip (thanks Mom & Ed!) so when I figure that out it will add to the Trendowicz Experience. Enjoy!

Seasons of Change

How December is here already I don't know. The days seem to fly by. Thanksgiving included. We had a nice day with everyone here. Kokers, Powers, Gleasons and Trends. A full house and lots of full bellies.

Before I was hungry for leftovers the next day I was putting up the Christmas decorations. I love having lights and ribbons and sparkly things all around me in the house. Yes, sparkly things. It's so festive. And a lot of work. But I still wish it was more than a couple months at the end of the year that decorations are all over the place. I guess I have to work on the holidays for the rest of the year as they come starting with Valentines Day. . .

In addition to the busy holiday season making the time fly, the days are busy with the daily routines. Playtime in the morning and work time in the afternoons (for mommy) while Nathan sleeps (hopefully).Our playtime has recently gotten better since I joined a group called MOPS (Mother of PreSchoolers). They are an amazing group of ladies who have equally amazing kids! The regular MOPS meetings are every other Tuesday and then the other Tuesdays are filled in with things like playdates, outings, brunches, etc ... I look forward to it every time and feel so lucky that Nathan and I found new friends. The ones I have gotten to know all live close to our neighborhood and have similarly aged kids (so many little boys too!). It really makes everyday better when you have fun stuff to look forward to with fun people. We even had a couples night out and the guys seemed to hit off too. You never know with the men - they would rather stay home and watch TV I think. But add bowling and beer and you have their attention.

 Anyway, they way our days flow are a nice arrangement that I am enjoying while I can. Things can change so quickly with a growing, changing toddler. The next change, the big boy bed? I question it because although Nathan has proved he can climb out of his crib a couple times, he has yet to do it one his own when he should be sleeping. I think it's only a matter of time when he is desperate enough to want to get out and brave enough to explore the dark hallways. I'm pretty sure it's just around the corner. Like in the next few nights. Nathan is super great about going to be but lately not so happy about staying there after a while. Last night he fell asleep on me in the living room (after going to bed ok and then screaming only half hour after he was put down) and then he screamed and cried in the middle of the night and ended up in bed with us most of the night too. I don't know how much more sleep I can stand being without so I plan to leave him in there regardless of the screaming since I'm pretty sure it's just habit now. He know how to get what he wants. So we'll see how badly he wants to join us. To climb or not to climb . . .

As Nathan gets older (in addition to being taller and better able to climb) he is more and more aware of his surroundings and the holiday has been especially exciting. It helped that we got some real snow to get us in the spirit (2" that lasted a few days!). He had a great time playing in it even thought he wouldn't keep his hat or gloves on long. He also loves the lights, the blow up Santa and Snowmen, and trees. He's a big fan of actual Santa's as well. We went with Mom and Ed to a Christmas Concert where Santa made his appearance. It was Nathan's first in-person experience and he was in awe. He    stared and pointed and practically ran after him. Sitting ON his lap was not really his cup of tea when the time came, but seeing his face while he watched Santa from afar was magical. It makes the holidays much more fun and brings back a little something extra that you lose when you get to be an adult.

I'm excited to share the rest of the holiday traditions with Nathan with the rest of the family too.We are all looking forward to our trip to NY coming up very soon. Our Christmas Eve dinner together with all the brothers (and now the babies!) is always my favorite part. And now we do Secret Santa gifts between all the Kepler Kids. A new part of the tradition I can't wait for!

And of course I'm dying to see the Beautiful Little Lily. I'm very jealous of all the NY folk who get to see her every few days and witness the change that happens with newborns. Can't wait to snuggle with my niece.

Such a busy season. I'm so very grateful for lazy Sundays made just for baking Christmas cookies!

Halloween

My last post was super long and I didn't even get to talk about Halloween. So here it is. Nathan had a ball!

Weeks earlier, Leo and I discussed what Nathan should dress up as. We tossed around a few ideas and I went looking on-line for some ideas. By some stroke of luck I found what I needed that fit the criteria. It came in the size I needed, a character he loves and it was on a super sale. A monkey it is!

When we got the said costume I tired it right away. Nathan was not pleased with this idea. At all. I managed to snap a few shots but he was uninterested. We tried a few more times and even tried to associate candy with it. We would give him a little bucket and tell him to say "trick or treat"and he would get something yummy. He just really liked to candy part. He would get a piece then want to get the heck out of that thing and fast. Halloween was coming and I was not excited. He won't even dress up!

Halloween arrived and so did the kids. After a few visitors, Nathan was running for the door to see who was there. I think it clicked for him. Oooohhhh . . . NOW I get it! When it was time to take him out to give this trick or treating thing a try he was all over it. We put the monkey on, gave him a bucket, went across the street and collected candy for real. I had anticipated just a few minutes of resistance and then Leo and I giving up. But he was out for a solid 40 minutes or so enjoying the neighborhood festivities. Now of course he walks around saying "Trick or Treat" when he wants candy. We had to hide the candy. Toddlers really do make holidays more fun. I can't wait to see his face on Christmas!


But Thanksgiving is first. Does anyone else feel like this holiday is kinda passed over? Everyone is all about Christmas already. I can relate - I'm really excited about getting our tree up. But still, Thanksgiving is an important one I think. But then again, we should be thankful every day for what we have - not just one where we stuff ourselves with turkey! Well, I am thankful that we will have a houseful. Mom, Ed, Sharon, Stan, Kerri, Rob and Logan will be joining us next Thursday. We are looking forward to having our first holiday here in our new home (which we are also very thankful for) with our close family (and our cute little boys). Yay for the holidays!

October

Aahhh. . . . you hear that? Silence. Just the heat and Leo watching poker on his computer, which is a pretty quiet  activity to watch. I approve. I can finally write in peace. Now you'll just have to excuse my typos as I am still adjusting to my new keyboard. This will be a long one . . . we've been busy.

October was non-stop. In addition to the State Fair we also enjoyed some other Fall Activities, of which there are many to choose from around here, like a local corn maze. Nathan was much more into picking up old pieces of corn than anything. We didn't exactly follow the path to look for all the hidden "stations" but rather cut through to the other side to see the cows. We were able to get right up close to see them. Nathan was amazed by all this real-life mooing. He tossed the corn in to the cows in return for the entertainment. He is so cute when he moos now, even if he is seeing a horse, goat or other four-legged animal instead of a cow. Nathan also loved climbing on the tractors that day. Give him anything with a steering wheel and he is a happy boy.

A few days later, Nathan and I went to another farm with a big group of people where the entire point of its' existence is to entertain kids. Hill Ridge Farms is the place to go. They have the traditional sand box, ducks and swings but they also have goats and chickens, an entire little structure for kids to jump in the hay and another to jump in kernels of corn. Nathan's favorite turned out to be the train. He wasn't so sure at first and didn't appear to enjoy our short ride around in it. But after we got off and he realized where that "choo choo" sound came from he was all about it. He ran in that direction and waved every time it came by. We took a hayride to where you pick out pumpkins and you can sit and eat lunch. I think he had fun and I know he was tired but the pictures I got do not reveal any smiles. He must has been concentrating on all this new stuff. Next year we hope to bring Daddy along.
Friday of this same busy week we were off to NY. October 22nd was Lily's due date, and although there wasn't much activity to indicate she would be coming out to party soon, I couldn't wait around until she was born. I had to go to NY! So on her due date, we ventured up, Nathan and I. My Mom was going too but in her own car. I called her to tell her we were on our way and she said she had already gotten a call that morning. Being 4:15 am there were few other possibilities; Lily knew we were coming to meet her! How perfect! We were anxious for news all day but in the end, Friday was not the day. She didn't wait too long. On Sunday afternoon I was there in the hospital holding my first little niece, only a couple hours old. She was born at 10:21am, 7lbs 4oz, 19" long and with the cutest little round face you ever saw. New mommy and daddy seemed to be naturals from the start and handled all the company in the hospital room really well. This little girl is so loved already - she had better get used to the company!

While the trip was centered around Danielle, Greg & Lily, there was much to do otherwise. By the way, in case you were wondering, Nathan did great in the car. I was really nervous about doing this alone. While mom was out there on the same road at the same time for support, I managed it fine on my own. On the way up Nathan slept on and off several hours, we stopped in DC to visit their small aquarium (yes, there is one there!) and we stopped at Greg's new house in Jersey before getting to Rockland. Nathan whined only a small amount compared to what I envisioned. Once again he made me a proud mama.
Saturday we visited with Greg & Danielle at their place (while poor Danielle was suffering from back labor!) and Nanni was hanging around with us as well. It was a full car as Joey and Matthew had come home from college in hopes of meeting Lily also. (Oh yeah, they wanted to see us too. Nathan has a way of convincing people to travel!) Little did we know that would be the last day we saw them as just a couple. After a short visit (and a quick mow of their lawn - you gotta do something nice, right?) we were off to the Nyack Halloween Parade. Back home I was missing out on a neighborhood Oktoberfest, so to do something else that brought back many memories made up for it. Nathan, at that point was not into his costume but I think he enjoyed watching the other kids all dressed up. He was very excited to spot an "Elmo" who also happened to be holding a monkey. I thought he was going to knock the poor kid out of his wagon he was so excited . . . and probably confused. The crowd got a little thick but Grandma Jo was able to get down low in the front to make sure Nathan didn't miss a thing - especially a GIGANTIC t-rex that swooped down to "take a bite". Fire trucks, dinosaurs and elmos -oh my. We had a fun night.

Sunday, as a I said, turned out to be Lily's Birthday. We got word late the previous night that they went to the hospital. That back labor was unbearable. When I woke up the first thing I did was call for an update. Thinking this may take all day we took our time enjoying the morning. But when we got the call around 10:30 we wished we were already there as Lily had finally arrived and we were all more excited than words could express. Matt came down to meet her, but Joey had to go. As I said, the room was packed with Martins and Keplers and even Nathan got to meet little Lily, whose name he can say very well, btw. I think he was a little unsure of the shift of attention that had most definitely taken place. This is a lesson we will continue to practice.

After the hospital visit, Tim & Jen came along with Dad, Jo, Nathan and myself. We stopped at a small playground for Nathan to monkey around with his uncle then we were off to Brooklyn. We saw Tim & Jen's apartment and then went out for a delicious dinner. Brick oven pizza, bread and yummy desserts with Nutella inside. A fantastic way to celebrate a great day. (In case you didn't know, Nutella is my new fascination. I sadly cannot get enough)

On Monday Nathan, Joanne and I went to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn where TJ (Tim's Jen) works. Since we were visiting the new Kepler Family at the hospital in the city anyway, going further south to Brooklyn again worked. It was super cool to get back stage VIP treatment. We saw fish, frogs,snakes and lizards all up close. She showed us the best place to sit and eat lunch (watching the monkey's and their babies play) and she gave us food to give to the cows, goats, sheep and alpaca. Nathan did well putting his hand out and feeding them. He was so cute taking it all in. Seeing as we are very into monkey's (in addition to Elmo's - more on that later) he really enjoyed seeing all the different types that were there.

Tuesday we visited with Grandpa Truck in Orangeburg. He was prepared with the great idea to go to a local playground where there was not one or two but at least four different play sets to explore. Nathan enjoyed this  as his spidy, climbing skills are quite impressive. We saw ducks in the pond and I enjoyed the amazing leaves all around - it was definitely the peak of leaf season that week and it was so amazing! We returned for lunch and then off we were to our next destination. But not before he passed out in the car not five minutes after we left. He slept for a solid three hours. We did it Truck - we wore him out!

Later that day I went shopping at good old Shop Rite (Which took me forever. I'm so used to my own grocery store. I felt very lost!) to get items and made dinner for Dad and Jo. I think they were pleased to have dinner waiting for them. Dessert too - Pumpkin Pie!
Wednesday was another visit with the Keplers. I was very much looking forward to holding Lily for a bit longer and enjoying the company of my brothers and sisters (in laws!). I wasn't thinking much about it then but now I realize how cool it is that we were all sitting around with another little new person, in Greg & Danielle's new place . . .  when did we grow up? And aren't we so lucky to be so close and enjoy each others company so much. I would have liked to stay all afternoon but someone was once again feeling a little left out. Nathan didn't have things to keep him entertained and the poor kid kept getting yelled at only because he's curious in a non-baby-proofed home. We had to get out of these before we both went crazy so we made a quick stop at Hunters office to say hello (I always have a list of people to visit, even for a quickie) then off to Grandpa Trucks again for dinner.

Babci and neighbor Faye were there as well. Nathan was happy to be in the spotlight again as he received gifts from the moment we got there. He got a Halloween goodie bag from Faye and from Truck he received his first Elmo. He was super excited and so was I. I was beginning to feel guilty he didn't have one to snuggle. Fortunately, his grandparents pay attention. When we got home later that night he got his 2nd Elmo from Pop and JoJo and yet another from Gigi when we got home from NY. He has a cute little family of Elmos, all different sizes. And he loves them all! We had a quick visit with friends Jay and Kerry as well. (I got to see her baby bump. I hate missing all this stuff in NY!)

Thursday was a day of leisure as I wasn't sure if I was going to stay or go. But Pop decided to take the drive back to NC with us and we were leaving on Friday together.  So my long-time friend Suzi came over and we enjoyed a few hours together. Much more than we have been afforded in several years. I miss my old friends dearly, so the time together is always cherished. We went to Rockland Bakery to get some good stuff to bring home (I wouldn't have been allowed to come home without bagels) and then Nathan and I went to Twin Ponds to feed the ducks and enjoy the weather and changing leaves.

Friday Dad, Nathan and I left by 5am and got home at 2pm exactly. That's the trick - leave early! Dad ventured off for a few hours then returned for a nice dinner at home. We went wondering together (with Leo!) the next day too. Pop and Nathan enjoyed trains and just being together. I was so sad to drop him off at the airport on Sunday. But being together for over a week was just the thing we needed. A little taste of home, time with our growing family and new adventures to show my little man. It was well worth the long drive up. And we get to do it all over again in December!

Kinks

I had hoped that today I would be able to sit and fill you in on the last few weeks. A blog has been requested and I try to deliver when someone has asked something of me. 

But I'm a little annoyed. I got a new laptop. This is not the annoying part. I love it and I'm super excited about it. But my spacebar is a little temperamental. Or I'm  just not used to it. So when I just type normally everyword seems toruntogether like thisand it's really a pain to slowdown and/ or goback to fix it. So I'm annoyed that basic typing is a challenge for me. 

And Nathan loves me. This is also a wonderful thing. But he only appears to be happy when we are practically attached to each other. I deal with it during the week but by the weekend I expect to get a bit of a break with Leo around. But no, Nathan is only completely ok in the world if he is sitting on me, touching me, playing around me (loudly) or a combination of these so that there is little I can do. And so I am annoyed at that too. I need some room to breathe and someone to listen to me when I say "STOP!!!!" a billion times. 

So stay tuned. When I work out the wonderful kinks in my life, I'll update you.