Hanukah, 2017

 On Tuesday night, Hanukah started around here.  We have been very busy--every afternoon after the twins get off the school bus, there is a mad rush.  We have to choose the candles, Mommy!  We have to help make latkes, Mommy! (that was a huge mess, but sort of fun, too)  We have to read books about the holiday, Mommy!  We have to play dreidl and discuss what our friends have gotten as presents, Mommy!  (and onward.)

This is a pretty exhausting whirlwind, since we have to fit in all the celebrations and parties around school and work.... which is still happening every day. The reactions have been funny, too.  Each night, the kids get gifts.  Most nights, the gifts are small.  Last night, we got one story book, some colored pencils, coloring books, and wool socks.  This is, in the scheme of things, not a big ticket present, and cost is totally irrelevant to enjoyment, we find.  I had two boys busy coloring non-stop, and they were thrilled by new warm socks.  The book went into a pile; they would "read it later, Mommy!" 

My guys are at an age where counting the candles and putting them into the menorah is a fun math project.  Singing the songs they learned at school is fun.  Eating one piece of chocolate gelt per night is great, too.

One of my guys has scarcely unwrapped his gift before he wonders what he will be receiving the next night.  The other twin is very worried--what if there are too many great presents?  It might make his first night gift, a parrot stuffed animal that he really wanted, seem not as great? " Mommy," he says, "hold off on all the presents.  That is not what this is about."

All these photos are from old Hanukah posts on this blog!  Click here to read a fun (random) collection of stories from Hanukahs in years past.  (When I did not have twins yet, and when we threw big parties for 14 students from the Professor's lab, for instance...)

I hope you're having lots of fun celebrating, whatever you celebrate! 

late nights

I have been trying to post a bunch of photos of a month now. This isn't all the gifts and since I am typing one handed at 11 at night while a baby feeds,I suspect this post won't have any fancy links or anything, either.

I spend a lot of time like this in the middle of the night. These twins eat every two to three hours, day and night. I am awake and seeing 1AM through 5 AM more often since becoming pregnant and having twins than I ever did while in college or grad school. Babies sure do know how to make a noise in the middle of the night. It makes a frat party seem quiet.

OK, back to posting about knitting. Check out all these amazing handknits and handsewn flannel blankies! All sizes, tasteful colors and designs -my friends have good taste!

So far, we've been managing here with a hodgepodge of helpers. A few hours of paid help here and there. (not much, we can't afford a nanny or housekeeper although heaven knows one would be helpful about now) The professor has only been working a very little bit on school stuff. Instead, we've been working flat out on baby stuff and barely keeping up. A team of kind and thoughtful friends have brought over food, held babies, run errands and generally been so supportive. I can't believe how many people have helped fold our laundry, for instance. If you're one of those people...thank you.

The dogs are continuing to adjust well and do a lot to protect and support their babies. More on that another time, I guess.

In the daytime, the babies can both look very active, bright eyed and alert. I try to remember this when there is a lot of fussing. (and since one of the guys has problems with his digestion just now and is on medication, there is a lot of fussing...) That's the update for now! I hope thisfinds you well...I'll try to tell you more stories someday soon when I am not giving up sleep to do so. :)

Introducing...

Leo and Sam had their bris on Thursday morning and we announced their names to a gathering of about 30 family members and friends. Our local friends were fiber artists and crafts people, academics, biologists and folks from the Jewish community--a mix of the wonderful community of friends we've made here in just under 2 years. Each of the boys' names, first and middle, English and Hebrew, has significance and meaning but I'll leave that for another time.

The bris is usually done 8 days after birth but was delayed until Sam came home from the hospital and was big enough for the procedure to be done. Both boys are gaining weight like champs and now these photos are already out of date. Leo has topped 7 lbs as of his last weight check and Sam has topped 5. We're eating like it's going out of style around here.

The family members who came included 3 grandparents and a significant other and 2 out of 3 of our brothers. One of our brothers even showed up as a surprise! Wednesday night, there were 8 people and two dogs sleeping in 4 different places in our house. It was a busy time.

On Saturday, the last of the relatives left and the new "normal" commenced. (Normal means our household of two grown ups, two newborns, and two dogs) We do have some local friends visiting most days and other help coming by but it is definitely challenging keeping up with everything right now. I am very tired out as I am still healing and trying to nurse some and of course, getting up every 2-3 hours at night for feedings. This has made posting to the blog a difficult endeavor...sorry for the delays.

To add to our complications, Canada Post and Air Canada were on strike this past week. Luckily, my brother managed to fly here and home again on Air Canada...and my parents were happy to bring thank you notes to the USA to mail them via USPS to US addresses. There has now been a sabbatical from thank you notes as we try to figure out who will fit in times to write them, when they will be written and--whether we're going to send them via email or wait for the mail service to start again...stay tuned!

Leo and Sam have gotten some truly amazing knitted presents as part of the baby gifts. I look forward to sharing that with you in the days to come, as soon as I can spare a few more moments to sort through the photos and think of what to say. As my mom, a lifelong knitter, said, "Most people get one handmade baby gift at their baby showers. You've gotten more than a dozen. Think of all the hours of work and love that went into all those stitches!"

She is right. I am truly honored by this labor of love and am struggling with what to say. I guess the short version would be: Thank you.