Great Visit with Bubie and PopPop

On Valetines Day, we traveled to Tucson, AZ to visit my parents who are there for the winter. The kids were great on the flight and so excited when we finally arrived and they got to see their Bubie and PopPop!
Unfortunately, on our first day in Tucson, the weather was bad. It was rainy and cold and we even got some snow! Mom and Dad's friends teasingly told us to go home and take the bad weather with us. Here is a pictures of a palm tree in the wind with the cloud covered mountain in the background covered by snow.Since the weather was bad, we took the kids to an indoor pizza place/amusement park. It was like Chuck E. Cheese. The kids loved playing games and riding the merry-go-round.

Here they are with their stash from the tickets they collected - Nathan got two pencils with soccer and basketballs on them and a truck and Sela, no surprise picked beads - a necklace and bracelet.
Even though the weather was bad, the kids enjoyed the time with their grandparents. I think they smiled the whole weekend!

They even slept well, for a while at least! :)

It was so great to see Oreo. I just wish we had had more time to walk and run with her outside! She is such a sweet little girl and travels so well.
The next day, we took the kids to the Children's Museum. It didn't have much, but the kids loved it. Here is Sela playing on the interactive computer game.
The kids were able to climb into a firetruck and onto a police motorcycle, even the big kids!

The weather got warmer and more pleasant as our stay continued and we were able to visit the Sonora Desert Museum the following day. What an amazing place! It is an outdoor museum with lots to see and do. The path through the desert extends several miles long.
We brought a picnic lunch and here are Nathan and his PopPop in their matching shirts.

Mom and Dad stay in the "dog section" of the RV park and while there, the kids loved to watch all the different dogs pass by. They were even lucky enough to meet quite a few!
On our last day in Tucson, we visited the zoo - what a WONDERFUL zoo! The exhibits were terrific and there were lots of animals to see.

At the end of the day, the kids took a train ride with their grandparents - in the blue car.
The trip was terrific, but it is so nice to be home. I missed my Onyx and Mishu while we were away, but now the kids miss Bubie and PopPop. The next few weeks until they are home will be long ones! But, back to Maryland, and our routine, and more snow and ice!

A visit from Laura

We haven't seen Laura in a while, but this weekend she came to visit with us. The kids had a great time with her.

They worked on projects together, played games, did puzzles, watched a movie and even played dress up:

March for the Animals

Dear Family and Friends:

Nathan, Sela, Onyx, Mishu and I will be walking in the March for the Animals on April 20. This is our 6th year participating in the walk.

Would you please consider making a gift to support the Maryland SPCA? As a local, private non-profit shelter, the Maryland SPCA receives no government funding or money from national animal welfare organizations.

On behalf of the more than 3,000 lost and homeless animals that are placed into homes by the Maryland SPCA each year, I thank you, and more importantly, Onyx and Mishu thank you!

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Maryland SPCA.

Rena

Onyx and Mishu were both rescue dogs - and Onyx is from the MD SPCA where she was named "RUNT"

I survived the kids first sleepover party!

The kids had a wonderful time with their friends at the house Saturday night, and I survived an evening with 4 energetic kids!
On Sunday, we went to a superbowl party at Aunt Sherry and Uncle Saul's house. The kids picked out their own clothing. Nathan didn't want to take a bath and informed me that he didn't need to because he didn't stink anymore. When I inquired why, I learned that he had sprayed himself with bathroom spray. He wasn't too happy when I made him shower anyway. Sela has a mirror in one hand and she wasn't too happy with me after I made her take off the bridal veil, long white gloves and about 50 necklaces and bracelets.

Terrific Weekend

We had a terrific weekend visiting with our good friends, Anne, Mark, John, Luke and Grace. They have an absolutely beautiful new home and, according to the kids have some great toys! I enjoyed actually having a few minutes to talk with Anne and visit with Grace - she is such a doll! And, Mark was terrific with the kids. They even forgot the great toy they got to use while there, the driving jeep!

The kids ran around in their big backyard and played ball for a while before jumping on Mr. Mark.
On Sunday, we spend a lazy morning at home. We washed the dogs, then washed the bathroom and did several loads of laundry! :) In the afternoon, we attended an interfaith concert where many choirs from both churches and synogogues sang. The kids were very excited to see Cantor Marge and see her sing.Sela not only picked out her own outfit, which she loves to do, but also choose the matching purse!

Playing Dress Up!

Aunt Sherry and Uncle Saul sent Sela a trunk with dressup clothing for her birthday. The kids loved playing with it last night!!

Wonderful Cold Weekend

Last week, we got some snow. Here is a picture from my office taken during the storm:

Unfortunately, it was late when we got home, so we didn't get to play in the snow.

We had a long weekend, and had a great time. It was very cold here over the weekend, with the temp in the teens and twenties. On Saturday, we ran errands and did some cooking before taking a long nap and then watching the Maryland Terrapins BEAT the #1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels!!! GO TERPS!

On Sunday, we had lunch with Bubie Ruby, or as Sela calls her Bubie Rub-ee. It was wonderful as always to spend time with her.

On Monday, I took the kids to a movie. We saw VeggieTales: The Pirates who do nothing. The kids enjoyed the experience. I think though that their favorite part was the popcorn and soda. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home. Here is Nathan enjoying one of his favorite snacks - a strawberry yogurt milkshake: