181/365: baby hamstrings

Look at this flexibility! It is amazing that we all start off being able to suck our own toes, then we can barely straighten out legs to reach down and touch them! Thank goodness for baby hamstrings

180/365: labels

Sam's writing has really evolved over the last few months and he loves writing his letters and asking you to spell new words and names for him, but he also likes to be independent and gets mad if you correct his reading or writing. He can write our names all by himself, so he likes to go around the house and label every one's things...while Jay was in the shower this morning, Sam "labeled" his pajamas. If he keeps this up, he may have his own organizational show on HGTV, Little Labelers or Straightening Up with Sam. Thank goodness for labels

179/365: pirate day

Yo ho ho...shiver me timbers, it's pirate day at Camp by the Sea!! Luckily, we saved this "get-up" from Sam's pal, Sean's birthday party and both boys were so excited to see each other in the same garb! Sam enjoyed the camp-wide treasure hunt and I loved hearing him talk to Luke in pirate baby talk before he left for camp. Thank goodness for pirate day

178/365: making raspberries

It is so amazing how you have lived through one child's milestones and savoring every one and you think it will be similar when you go through it a second time, but then you are pleasantly surprised! Sam had his cute little things he did as a baby that we remember and Luke is making his own...like this one! He has discovered how to "make raspberries" which doesn't seem that unique, but he has a way of sticking his tongue out just one side of his mouth and it makes Jay and I flip....it is SO adorable! Not to mention that he seems to do it at the exact right moment, like when Sam says he has to poop, when a telemarketer calls, when Jay teases me...thank goodness for making raspberries

177/365: anniversaries

We celebrated 6 years together! We are certainly seeing how "for better or worse" and "good times and bad" really play a part in a marriage and the real "thank goodness" is that we really do "get" one another. Two people from two different upbringings, families and values is sure to be a little challenging, but the support for each other is what gets you through and we have it! Now we can laugh about my meat spoon going into the dairy pot and Jay's attempt at laundry resulting in a lot of purple clothes...we have a wonderful little family and it all started at a Hillel Shabbat dinner with Jay asking me what part of Pennsylvania I was from! Thank goodness for anniversaries

176/365: creative surprises

Luke was psyched to hit the beach today...that is until we got there! He had a hard time napping there which was a challenge but the weather was beautiful and the ice cream man arrived quickly so all in all, it was a great afternoon! It wasn't until I reviewed the pictures, that I picked this one for the blog because of its fun hidden creative surprise...can you see it? Yep, the photo-crazed mama can be seen right in Luke's sunglasses! Thank goodness for creative surprises

175/365: Sam's first Phillies game

Tonight Jay took Sam for his first Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park! Sam was so excited! He lasted 7 innings at what Jay said was a pretty boring game without a lot of base hits. His favorite part of the night? The Philly Phanatic, of course! Thank goodness for Sam's first Phillies game

174/365: a little pool freedom

Sam had a half day at school and it was so hot outside so when he came home, we had some pool time which is a little tricky since Luke is still little and Sam isn't totally comfortable in the pool on his own. I told him to stay on the step and I would sit with Luke but when his toys floated away, he sat in the turtle to go get them. It was so nice to enjoy the pool outside and have Sam be able to do a little more in the water safely with me watching from the sidelines. Thank goodness for a little pool freedom

173/365: nectarines

I feel like every time I buy summer fruit, it is taking a chance...plums, nectarines, peaches...I love them all, but I never know if I pick a good one until that first bite. Today, I hit the jackpot! This nectarine wasn't too hard and wasn't too soft and was the perfect color and taste inside! I love summer fruits and I remember being pregnant with Sam and after having two nectarines one night I asked Jay if it was crazy that I wanted a third! Thank goodness for nectarines

172/365: Pez dispensers

Sam was a big helper at the market with me, that when he saw the Cars pez dispensers and wanted one at the register, I let him pick one out to take home. It's a shame the pez candy barely made it home because Sam ate it all! He thought the candy looked like vitamins so I tried to explain that he only has one vitamin a day. Maybe I am watching too much American Pickers, but I am thinking that Pez dispensers would be a neat thing to collect! Thank goodness for Pez dispensers

171/365: Camp Mimi

When the kids have interim week, I try to pick a day to bring the boys to be with Max & Lola so they can have a fun playdate and I can help Mimi manage all the kiddos...not an easy job! Today, we tried to plan fun activities to get us through...playdoh time, story time and no they are not all in time out in this photo...Mimi found toddler yoga on-demand, which they enjoyed for a bit. No doubt the kids love being together. Thank goodness for Camp Mimi

170/365: dads

It isn't hard to become a father but it takes a lot to be a "dad"...not sure who is luckier me or Sam & Luke!?! Probably the boys....they have a great daddy with a bonus, extra special Pop! Thank goodness for having the BEST dad and being married to the next best!

169/365: silly shots

What do you do when the day is done, kids bathed, dinner served and cleaned up and you forgot to take a picture!?! Elicit a silly guy for help...all Sam had to hear was that I didn't yet take a picture for the day and he put on quite a performance! Thank goodness for silly shots

168/365:

167/365: the short time we had...

When I decided to name this blog, I knew there would only be a handful of times when "thank goodness" would TRULY apply to the post and this is one of those times. Tonight and tomorrow are going to be tough days...Carol was such as special woman to all of us...my mother's dear friend and a true "aunt" to Max,  Lola, Sam & Luke and all of us. She was warm and genuine. Like all true friends should be, she genuinely shared in our joyful moments and sincerely felt our pain during difficult times. She understood and embraced our family's closeness and we embraced her. It is not easy to wrap my head around the fact that she won't be with us on the beach and during her last days, she expressed those same feelings. It really pained me to know that she wanted just one more time to have sand between her toes, so today I took Luke with me to gather some sand and ocean water and just as I approached the water, a perfect seashell was in front of me. I will bring a piece of the beach to her this afternoon just like there will always be a piece of her in each of us when we go to the beach and especially when the kids search for seashells. As they say, "better to have loved and lost then to not love at all" so in trying to get through this difficult time, all I can say is thank goodness for the short time we had with Carol. She will never be forgotten and will forever be missed

166/365: a walk with a view

My long walk today consisted of playing my music, passing skateboarders and lots of big dogs and keeping my eyes on these adorable little toes! When I move faster, these feet start to kick...when I noticed the sun, I tried to cover them with a burp cloth, but they have a mind of their own! Anyone who can't understand a foot fetish, has not met these ten little piggies of perfection! I love how the summer months allow us to ditch the socks! Thank goodness for a walk with THIS view

165/365: blue skies

It was a rainy few days but now it is nice again and I was able to get back on the bike path. Sam is my biggest motivator! He encourages me to run to "the next stop sign" or the "farthest trashcan" while he cheers, "go mommy! You can do it!" What an inspiration! The double stroller isn't easy with about 50 lbs of cuteness but moving them along is like showing off a winning lottery ticket...I feel so lucky to push them down the bike path! Thank goodness for blue skies

164/365: flock of neighbors

Ironically, the people living across the street and next to us were the only people in the neighborhood that didn't introduce themselves to us when we moved in! I recently met the older couple across the street due to some issues with the pond that we both share, but the "neighbors" that I see the most are these birds! They are always crossing the street all together and this morning they were just hanging out. They didn't welcome us with banana bread and I can't ask them to borrow sugar, but on the other hand, they can't ask us to trim back a tree or keep the noise down during summer BBQs. Thank goodness for this flock of neighbors

163/365: making dinnertime easier

Sam wanting a certain fork while at the same time not wanting a specific cup, then not wanting to try what's on his plate but begging you to try what's on yours. Declaring that he open containers himself, then getting frustrated and insisting that you open it for him that exact instant! Then we get Luke situated and finally sit down to join Sam at the table and he is ready for dessert or to wipe his hands or help him go to the bathroom...needless to say, dinnertime is one of the most challenging times of the day! It is hard to prepare it and then sitting and actually tasting anything is near to impossible! Tonight, I cracked open one of the bottles that I picked up on the Cayuga wine trail and let's just say, tonight's dinner was relaxing and Sam's shenanigans suddenly seemed tolerable. Thank goodness for making dinnertime easier

162/365: feeling the love

Today was Chrissy's baby shower and even her sisters know me well enough to give me the "job" of taking pictures. It was a great day filled with everything BOY! Even Chrissy and her mom got their nails polished blue...ha! This will be the first grandchild for all so the excitement was certainly in the air! I remember Phil's father talking about a baby for the two of them while we were still in St. Thomas celebrating their wedding! Chrissy's father was there to help load and transport all the new goodies, but when he took a break and her mom got on him to keep plugging away, he jokingly said "I am the father of 5 and about to be a grandfather all because I asked for one date!" Ha! It was a warm and wonderful day and we are so excited to meet the new little guy next month. Thank goodness for feeling the love

161/365: games

Sam is into Candy Land, Go Fish, Memory and really seems to enjoy games as much as we do. Jay likes playing poker with friends twice a month, I always loved playing cards with Mom-Mom and Jason and I like to play games together now. Sam is a bit of a cheater, but hopefully he will outgrow that and play fair and square :) Next week at school, Sam's class is having a bit of a spirit week with each day having a different exciting activity and one day is "bring your favorite game" day. I wonder which one he will pick!?! And tonight we have a sitter coming so we can head over to a game night with friends...thank goodness for games

160/365: new sneakers

Sam's feet only grew a half of a size in the last 3 months, but they look like such big boy feet! Maybe because I am with Luke's little piggies all day or maybe because even after school, Sam's toes still only have a little stink...but either way, Sam is growing for sure! He is pretty hard on his shoes and wears them into the ground so today we picked up two pairs of sneakers to alternate and get him ready for camp activities! And since he likes to do so many things himself, we opted for velcro this time around. Thank goodness for new sneakers

159/365: first swim of the season

It was so hot out today and we finally cleaned things up a bit in the backyard! We pulled out the pine trees that made all the needles in the pool and everything is up and running. Our next purchase will probably need to be a big fan to keep bugs away so everyone else will enjoy the pool with us! The boys went in for a bit while Luke napped. Thank goodness for the first swim of the season

158/365: foursome family road trip

We had such a great time in Ithaca and Sam is already asking when he can come back. Jay keeps telling him that he can go to school there, but somehow I think all of our visits through the years ahead, may make it a little less exciting when college time comes around. In the meantime, it is a special place and we are so happy that the boys enjoyed the time as much as we did! Thank goodness for our first foursome family road trip

157/365: Tunes for Spoons

This trip to Ithaca was planned around the annual summer Ithaca Festival where there is a parade and the Commons are filled with vendors and food and activities for children. There is music, crafts, puppet shows and magic...a perfect kids weekend! Today Sam participated in Tunes for Spoons where a man teaches kids how to make music with just 2 silver spoons. Luckily Sam didn't try his new techniques out at dinner tonight! Thank goodness for Tunes for Spoons

156/365: Buttermilk Falls

It is amazing how much you can see and do on vacation when your kids are up and at 'em no later than 7 am! Today we took a ride over to Buttermilk Falls. The falls are beautiful and they have a great hiking trail. We thought we would walk just a bit of it since Jay was wearing Luke and who knew how far Sam would want to go. His stamina proved us wrong! Sam kept wanting to go further and further until he reached the top! I think it is great to start an example at a young age that activity and exercise are good and can be fun! Thank goodness for Buttermilk Falls

155/365: Ithaca Farmer's Market

The Ithaca Farmer's Market is always a special treat to visit and one that unfortunately I wasn't able to take advantage of while going to school, but it is only open during the summer months when school is not in session. It is filled with beautiful flowers and herbs, yummy treats, interesting artwork, funky clothing, eclectic music and people enjoying it all! The only downside, in typical Ithaca fashion, is that after changing a diaper it isn't easy to find where you can throw it away when you only see bins for recycling, compost, bottles only...ha! Sam enjoyed a delicious cider donut and I loved picking out a cute organic cotton outfit for Luke. Thank goodness for the Ithaca Farmer's Market

154/365: impromtu picnics

Today was our first day waking up in Ithaca and the weather was a perfect 75 degrees! We decided to pick up lunch and after exploring Taughannock Falls, we settled in for a picnic by Cayuga Lake. I went crazy taking pictures here so picking just one to post was a challenge. I love the posed pictures of the boys that I captured but this candid one was just so sweet. Sam wanted Luke right with him on his blanket and looked after him, offering toys and replacing his lost pacifier. It was so a great way to start of our little vacation. Thank goodness for impromptu picnics

153/365: The Crayola Factory

Today we left on our journey to Ithaca and along our way to break up the trip a bit, we stopped off in Easton, PA at the Crayola Factory. What a great little spot! It was so fun seeing how crayons are made and looking at the exhibits. There were so many interactive things to see and do...model clay, paint, color, build, create...definitely a place to come back when Sam is even a little older to appreciate it even more and Luke can start to explore. Sam loved going to the Crayola store and filling up two big tins, one for him and one for his cousins, of any mix of crayons he wanted! They had special colors that were never seen before...so cool! Thank goodness for the Crayola Factory

152/365: sweet performances

Every year the JCC Early Childhood Center does a year end show and ice cream social. This was the very first year that we didn't have to sneak in...Sam saw us anxiously awaiting in our seats and he still went up on stage to ham it up! His class did Laurie Berkner's silly goldfish song and he really enjoyed himself. Thank goodness for sweet performances