Christmas Season 2013

The 2013 Christmas Season has come and gone in what seems the blink of an eye!

Amara was so excited to put up the ornaments on the tree.

Havana was more content to play with ornaments.

The girls talked their Papa into buying dresses. Havana wore hers at least half a dozen times. The time she didn't? Christmas Day! Amara, she only wore hers a couple of times (too itchy under the arms!)

 Making miniature gingerbread (or rather graham cracker) houses at a friends holiday party.

 Christmas Morning.

  5 a.m.

 The  girls were so excited!

 Mama & Papa were tired!

 But their energy was soon

 caught by us as we spent hours

 unwrapping presents and

 playing with all the new things.

 The girls insisted on getting this funny gift for their father!

Christmas dinner with Uncles, Aunts and cousins. 

Here Havana is with her cousin Aleksy, whom she just adores. 

Not That Long Ago....

Time doesn't pass as quickly and make such a difference as it does in the lives of babes and tots.

So much magic, so much transformation, so much change in such a short period of time.

Havana at her 2nd birthday party; 2011

Havana at age 4 1/2; 12/2/13

14 K

Amara had three things on her list for Santa:

1: A pair of size 12 boots (she is an 11 but wanted to make sure she fit them for while.)

2: Calico Critters (she caught me looking at them for Havana so she wanted them too!)  &

3: A pair of 14 K hoop earrings (she has long wanted to take out the earrings that she got pierced with. I told her she had to wait.  When we talked about what type of earrings she wanted, she said ones like her best friend. I had told her they had to be gold because of the need to reduce to the risk of an allergic reaction So it was 14 K hoop earrings.) 

The look on Santa's face when she said "I want 14 K hoop earrings" was priceless! But Santa came through and Ms. Amara got her 14 K hoops! She also got another pair of earrings as well. Drop pink hearts set in, what else 14 K!

Ms. Amara paraded around the house for hours in her new boots, new hoops and other clothing she got on Christmas Day. She had to Skype with Nana to show off her precious new treasures and when my sisters called she insisted I tell them about her new earrings! As she pranced about the house my heart was kvelling as I gave thanks that I could provide such wonderful mundane things for both my girls.

 

Let's Have Tea

 The girls threw a tea party.

  They invited a few of their friends.

  Some were old, some were new.

  They all got along so well.

  We made finger food;

   Snowflake sandwiches;

   Cookies and Muffins;

   And of course tea.

The girls all got hats which they decorated with feathers. It can't be a tea party without hats, right?                                    

 (top  left to right) Ava, Ardia, Kira, , Havana, Addison
(Bottom left to right) Juliet, Belen, Amara Maeve
 and Hana and Angie on the far left

That's Hopie, front center, with the rest of the girls once they sat down for tea.

Because we are not so traditional, after the girls savored a leisurely tea, we broke out some music afterwards so the the girls could shake their booties!

















It was my first attempt at a tea party. I was nervous all week but as always, it all came together. And the little ladies seemed to enjoy their Sunday tea.

Holiday Fun San Francisco Style

Another one of Mama's surprise; this time we are off to the city for a ride on the holiday cable cars and then to see Mr. Claus.

No matter how many times we ride on B.A.R.T., it still brings oohs and ahhs and "did you sees?"

Havana's first cable car ride.

It was a very  cold night. I was very thankful that we got a seat inside the cable car where we could shut the doors and see the sights from a warmer space! In between some interesting sightseeing information, we were surrounded with Christmas music. I am slowly discovering that there are some things about Christmas that this Jewish girl from New York likes. Like the lights and music!

During out ride, we got to see the lights on the Bay Bridge. They lived up to the hype but I was greatly disappointed to learn they cost $8 million dollars to build/design. Just earlier in the day, I had heard that some homeless people died from sleeping outside during the recent freezing weather. I couldn't help but to think that couldn't be have put that money to better use? These are the things I want my girls to think about too so I brought this up on the way home. I  also want them to know how fortunate they are to have so much when others have so little and to think about giving back when they are grown.

The Ferry Building at night.

We stopped for a break at the Fairmont Hotel. Once inside we got to see the giant gingerbread houses. I especially liked this one made for a dog!

Sweet Havana looked so forlorn. She so wanted to eat the candy off the gingerbread house and was told she wasn't allowed to.

Those eyes; they tell the whole story of her longing for the candy!









Once we got back on the cable car Havana's attention switched to Santa. She really wanted to pay him a visit so she could submit her Christmas list!










We made it back to Union Square with very little time to find Santa. Would we make it?.......

 

Frog & Toad

 The Frog & Toad books have long been favorites in our house. About a year and a half ago, the girls and I scored a complete volume for a dollar at a garage sale. Amara wasn't yet 5 but she read that book from cover to cover. And for many a month, when bedtime approached, the girls and I would cuddle up in bed, and I would read several stories from our treasured book.

I had long heard there was a stage version of the Frog and Toad stories but there was no show in our area. Until this Fall. When I discovered that the Bay Area Children's Theater would be producing A Year With Frog and Toad, I couldn't wait for tickets to go on sale. I asked our friends, The Haas-Jajeh family, to join us. During one of our outings with Roger and the girls, we came upon a copy of Frog and Toad. At that time they hadn't yet met the unique pair of Frog and Toad. Roger bought the book home and soon enough they too were familiar with the silly adventures of Mr. Frog and Mr. Toad. Our family was delighted to have their company for the opening day performance.

A Year With Frog and Toad was the girls first experience with live theater and it turned out to be most entertaining. The show as the perfect mixture of song, dance and story telling. And the timing, two acts at half an hour each, kept every kid there engaged.  When the show was over, we left with similes on our faces.

Roger, Angie, Ed and Hana