Valentines

Tomorrow Samuel hands out his first Valentines.

I had totally forgotten about how we would make a Valentine to hand out to each student in our class at school.

We tried to keep it simple, so Samuel could actually be involved in the creation of his Valentines. The result - Steve and I cut out 20 hearts (out of the card stock we used to make our wedding invitations, I thought that was a nice touch :)). Samuel instructed us on which of his scissors we should use for the hearts* and he stuck a sticker of a "Valentine" Elmo on each heart. Now we just have to write his name on each one and we'll be all set for preschool tomorrow.And yes, he did get a haircut today

*You know, the kind of scissors that cut out borders

The Dentist

Samuel had his first dentist visit yesterday. Steve and I get an A+ for teaching good dental hygiene. I get a C- for my possible involvement in passing on teeth that are far too large for the mouth they were matched with.

On the other hand, I get an A+ for choosing possibly the most awesome pediatric dentist on the planet.

The toys and sports paraphernalia that decorate the office were expected, and I wasn't at all surprised by the clever use of flatscreen TVs that were hanging on the ceiling above every dental chair.

But the staff were amazing. They didn't just "let" or "encourage" Samuel to sit on my lap, but insisted upon it. Each time they brought out a new tool they showed Samuel how it worked, had him touch it, used it on his hands, and when he got scared, stopped and waited, and had him look at it and touch it again, until he was ready to have it in his mouth.

Ok, so when I first saw Dr. Kelly I had some serious questions about what decade he belonged in. All I can say is, he must REALLY REALLY have identified with "This is Spinal Tap". But I couldn't hold that against the guy. His chairside manner was amazing, and he put both Samuel and I at ease.

Yay! For our first successful dentist visit!

PS no mention of cavities or concerns other than the clear crowding of teeth and less noticeable overbite. sigh. definitely my genes on those last two... at least i can also (try to) take credit for his gorgeous hazel eyes

Superbowl Sunday

I am happy to report that we have such good friends that when at 5:30 (over halfway through the game) I asked which teams were playing, and which colors were which, no one in the room batted an eye, made a disparaging remark, sighed heavily, or told me to be quiet.

But I'm jumping ahead.

The day started with our Sunday shopping expedition to the farmer's market. In order to distract Samuel from bouncing off the walls while Shira finished her morning nap, I suggested we ride to the market. Samuel instantly made a beeline for the front door in order to prepare the bikes.By the time we reached the market, I had already forgotten that today was the Superbowl, until our local dairyfarmers/cheesemakers asked if the 5.5 lb block of jalapeno cheddar (dubbed "spicy cheese" by Samuel) that we had requested they bring for us this week was for a Superbowl party. I sheepishly responded that no, the three of us (no cheese for Shira yet!) is perfectly capable of eating 5.5 lbs of raw cheese before it goes bad all on our own, without sharing.

I'd say as a tally of our family members, Steve watched the vast majority of the game, with Samuel and Shira coming in a very distant 2nd and 3rd. I can't recall watching any of the game at all. I'd call that a successful afternoon for me :)

Clearly the company was excellent:
Mason graciously shared his toysAnd a big thank you to our hosts, Becky and Gil, two of our favorite people

Is this for real?

Or are we just staging this ridiculously happy family?

Friday Lunch at our house

Sebastian is becoming one of the active participants nowadays. No doubt he will be climbing onto the tramp in no time.

The trampoline was a big hit, and not just with the kids.
Sometimes it seems the inmates are running the asylum

Our new easel made its Friday Lunch debut today.
Four kids could paint at the same time without too much drama.
Art projects are becoming center stage with all of the almost three year olds.

When Samuel gets hyped up, he loves to be the daredevil. He was excited to show his diving off to anyone who would watch.

Parental Leave Pedal Boating

Samuel had a fever on Tuesday, so no school on Wednesday
Steve just started parental leave so he was home with us
What do you do with a kid who is recovering from a fever?
Why, you go pedal boating on the local lake, of course.Do you think Samuel is excited about going on a boat?Samuel tries to pedal... umm not quite big enough... maybe next time...
Daddy does it all
Don't you wish you lived here too? (not to be mean, FDR family)
Still a little sick...

Happy Birthday Sara and Lena

The Silberman family minus Daniel, celebrates Sara's and Lena's birthdays.

Why can't you keep your eyes open Steve? The Kafka picture curse.
When do you know you're not an inlaw, but a full fledged family member?
When you are handed a plate of food and told to cook it.
Food, for me? Uncle David, you are my new best friend.
Cousins
Samuel is blessed to have older cousins who can teach him the important things in life.
This year, Lena demonstrated the important tradition of how after you blow out the candles you need to remove each one and lick the bottom. Samuel picked up on it very quickly.