A Relaxing Thanksgiving Weekend

On Friday morning, Clara and Emma enjoying their ride-ons and extra help from Daddy and Grandpa Frome. Clara and Emma enjoyed a Friday with all four grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Gornstein came to visit and everyone went to the Dobbs Diner for lunch. Clara had to go to the doctor with Mommy to make sure she didn't have an ear infection... she didn't. On Saturday, Clara and Emma enjoyed some more playtime with Grandma and Grandpa Frome before they headed back to Maryland. Emma practiced her new dancing skills with Grandpa and Clara made sure to get in one last book. Clara and Emma tried on the sweaters that Grandma Frome is knitting for them and seemed to like them!

Sunday was an indoor day for the Gornsteins as it flurried and rained most of the day. Clara and Emma spent the day in their pajamas and Mommy and Daddy got them back on a schedule. The ladies took a nap at 10 and another at about 2:15. It seems to work better for them, so that is where it will stay for now.

Emma continued to say "no" and shake her finger, like Auntie Alyssa taught her on Thursday. She and Clara also demonstrated many of the hand motions for "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and Emma said "Itsy." Emma and Clara still need to get some saline in their noses, but it is funny now because they both take the bottle and try and stick it up their own noses- but if Mommy or Daddy tries, it is a struggle. Emma is standing on her own a bit more and takes a step or two when she isn't realizing that she is doing it.

Thanksgiving 2008

Clara and Emma enjoyed a long period of awake time this morning. Mommy and Daddy decided to try again with keeping the ladies up until 11 and then putting them down for a nap.

Clara wasn't interested in breakfast or lunch, but Emma ate enough for both of them! Clara and Emma enjoyed rummaging through all of the ads in the paper and searching for great deals. Emma climbed into the drum from the Bee Bop set and enjoyed seeing that she could fit her tush in! While Daddy played with Clara and Emma, Mommy and Grandma Frome worked on preparing Bob the Third, now a tradition.

Clara and Emma slept until 12:45 and were happy to see Auntie Alyssa and Michael. Daddy went to Long Island for a quick visit with new nephew/cousin, Michael Ryan Gornstein. Clara and Emma enjoyed playing with the beads and reading their new favorite duck book, while entertained by all the guests and of course, football on the television. Auntie Alyssa decided it was time for an accessory for Clara's curls and put her hair tie in Clara's hair. Mommy went upstairs and got a pink barrette and switched it with the hair tie. Clara looked adorable. Mommy will wait a bit to put one in Emma's hair since it is still a little short.Well, the nap thing didn't work so well because Clara was a mess by 4 ish, right in time for dinner with the family. She went to bed at 4:50... oy.

The Climbing Sisters

Mommy kept Clara and Emma out of gym yesterday to give them an extra day away from germs. It was a day spent indoors.

Mommy was quite suprised when she came into the room and found Emma sitting in her toy box. Clara tried to climb in as well, but found pushing Emma out first and then climbing in worked better. Later in the day, Clara decided to try climbing on the couch by putting on leg up and then pulling up. It worked and she was quite pleased with herself and kept doing it over and over again.

In the late afternoon, Clara and Emma sat in their own toy boxes and played with Grandma and Grandpa Frome. It was very cute. The ladies also enjoyed the book, "Five Ducks" which not only features their favorite animal, the duck, but also has something they can press that makes the "quack" sound. Grandma and Grandpa Frome also read "Teeth Are Not For Biting" but it didn't work, because Clara bit Emma again! Oh well.

Mommy and Grandma Frome gave Clara and Emma a bath and kept them up until 6:15. Mommy is trying to figure out what is up with Clara and Emma's naps. Somedays, they go down easily at 9:45 and other days, they don't. Well, it is Emma that sometimes isn't interested in a nap, even though she is showing tired signs like pulling her ear and rubbing eyes. Also, somedays they aren't taking their afternoon nap even though they are yawning and rubbing eyes. Mommy thinks it may be because they are sleeping so well at night. Yes, yes, this is really a good problem to have, but Clara and Emma are so cranky when they don't nap that Mommy wants to figure out something that works for them. Mommy isn't sure if they are trying to go to one nap a day, but if they are, taking it at 9:45 isn't going to work and they have a hard time staying up later.

Clara and Emma are also pleased to share the news of the arrival of new cousin, currently known as baby boy Gornstein. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz at birth and arrived on Tuesday morning.

Today, Clara got to play alone with Grandma and Grandpa Frome while Mommy and Emma visited with the development evaluation person for EI. Emma enjoyed playing with a baby Elmo and feeding it and the baby a bottle. She liked coloring with both hands and putting the puzzle pieces in the right spots. She also took some steps! According to Grandma Frome, Clara said the word "juice."

Emma didn't want to take a nap, but Clara took a nice long morning nap. Mommy and Grandpa Frome took the ladies on a drive and Emma fell asleep by the time Mommy pulled out of the driveway! Clara and Emma enjoyed being entertained by all the family, especially since Daddy came home early. Daddy put each lady in the storage boxes, one at a time, and took them for a ride - they loved it. What they didn't love was the ravioli for dinner. Oh well...