Isaac turns two!

His official party was August 10th, a month or so ago now! Sheesh! He celebrated with lots of friends from his playgroup and we had a Thomas the Train party at the pool!



Isaac turned two and became a Tasmanian Devil who's obsessed with Thomas the Train and all things train related. I think it's because Daddy rides the Metro and VRE and often we pick him up from the station. So one of the first things Isaac started to understand was CHOO CHOO.

Grama gave Isaac a book with pictures of all things large and mechanical--airplanes, buses, construction equipment, boats and you should hear the love in Isaac's voice when we get to the Choo Choo page.

The Pediatrician says Isaac is very very healthy, hitting all the milestones and growing well. Yay! More to be able to climb the countertops with. Those knives are not just going to move themselves! Whoever said this age was easier than the earlier stages was lying. We've redoubled our childproofing to include chains on the exterior doors, refrigerator & oven locks and mommy's vigilant supervision. Wow. The terrible twos!

Good thing we have Sprout on-Demand and we can watch Thomas 24/7.

2010

Finally! I'm actually mailing my 'Happy New Year' notes & cards this week! A preview...
...................................................................

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season!

2009 was quite the whirlwind! Everyone forewarned us that both parenting and law school are very difficult & energy intensive ventures. None-the-less, we proceeded, perhaps naively, thinking, “How bad can it be?”

All I have to say now is…

“OH. This is what they were talking about.”

And, everyone also said, becoming a parent is the best thing they’d ever done and the most rewarding and worthwhile. That is also proving to be true. Isaac is obviously our pride and joy and he is such a happy & contented baby. We are very fortunate!

So—that said—you’ll find us to be even crazier, as we’re hoping to have news very soon about a baby brother or sister for Isaac! We’ll keep you posted on that front.

Other than that, our life now is pretty chock full of lots of ordinary, mundane, but wonderful family moments.

Have a great year! Love, Dave, Tara & Isaac

...................................................................

And, yes, I AM FREAKING OUT--Dave's school effectively goes through mid-summer this semester. He's taking summer school. So I've booked us a weekend here mid-way through to save my sanity. For some reason, both Dave and I are having a really, really hard time getting back on the saddle for this semester's ride. Must...slog...through...two and a half more years.

Must be we know now what we're really in for and what it's really like!! Isaac reaching the terrible twos is also factoring in for sure!

More soon as I emotionally come to terms with this whole thing and can snap out of it -- I may even resort to better living through chemistry...with Dr.'s blessing of course! :)

bah humbug

I wanted you all to know, I AM mailing holiday cards this year---NEW YEAR'S holiday cards!! They're all ready to go, and you should be recieving yours very soon!!

I am in my usual spacy, daydreamy place--and I'm doing all the holiday things, just with what feels like 25% of my pre-baby energy level!!

We hosted a fun party early this month, for the families in Isaac's playgroup. It was controlled chaos--and it went way past the time we said it was over, so I think everyone had fun. Miraculously, there were no accidents--not even a spill! It was great because it was like instant Christmas the first week of December!

I thought I'd be so on top of the game this year--I started my planning in October! (But, alas--my cards are late anyway!!) In my Richard Linkletter-esque, SLACKER-esque movie plot of a life, I seem to just do what's right in front of me!

Isaac said his first sentence yesterday! It was very cute. He said, "Bye, bye Daddy!" when we dropped Dave off at the Metro station. He is beginning to have the terrible twos--getting frustrated if I have to take away a dangerous toy, or remove him from something that could hurt him. He can walk up and down the stairs--holding onto the rail (with mommy close by to prevent tumbles). And he's starting to mimic songs and sounds...Dave even thinks he has good pitch!

Dave finished this semester last week. He is like 50 years younger and 70 pounds lighter, just enjoying this 2 weeks of freedom. When school is in session, our house is a bit like a somber library when daddy is home. He's either sleeping or studying. I feel sooo bad that his load is so heavy. And he reminds me always, that he wanted to do this! And, all those he-man tasks go undone around the house--because there is NO Honey-Do list!! No chores at all for him! So--this two weeks is like "WOO HOO!!" We may even go to the movies when we're visiting family next week. What a concept!

My friend Brittany and I began painting in our house (don't ask why it was so important to begin in December!) The colors were exactly as I pictured in my mind's eye, but, of course, I want to tweak them and re-do everything we did. Yah. Fun.

Isaac and I got to see the sweetest production of the Nutcracker. The Southwestern Virginia Ballet company performed in Roanoke this month, along with participants from 19 different elementary schools in the area. My niece, Elise Candelario was a performer, and she was featured on the local news channel TWICE! Elise did beautifully, and the whole show was wonderful--the sets, the costumes, the performers. Everyone was outstanding. I was thoroughly impressed!

It's been a very special (and very rough!) holiday season this year...the first when my mom and uncle are looking on from above. :( It's a very weird feeling.

Miss you all! Email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com. And, look for our annual HOLIDAY letter, coming soon!

xoox

allie bleeping carroll

Our photographer Allie did such a wonderful job on our photos! We're deliriously happy with them and it was such a fun day. She made it so easy!!

Take a look at the pictures on her gallery website:
www.alliecarrollphotography.com

- Scroll just a bit and you will see our name "The Schleifer Family"
- Click there and you will be prompted for a password
- The password is TaraandIssac12
(Please note that the password is case sensitive
so be sure to cap the "T" in Tara and the "I" in Issac)

So much fun! We hope to have annual sessions with Allie because she's so darn talented!!!

:)

the winery at la grange

Peeps, this is just a gorgeous place with delicious wine. As, are many many places where we live. What, you ask, are the three of us doing there on a Sunday morning at 10:00 am? Getting Isaac tipsy on the fumes from the fermenting casks? Naw, silly! (Though, I should say, those fumes were pretty strong, and for days I did smell like and feel like I had just drank 16 margaritas. Why margaritas, and not wine?! Dunno. Don't ask me.)

No! We were having HOLIDAY PICTURE DAY!!! We dressed up in festive colors and looked like TEAM SCHLEIFER! I don't have all the photos yet, but here's a sneek peek!! :)






More soon! In the meantime, check out the AWESOME photographer's website! She rules!
http://alliecarrollphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/normi-parker-ferris-a-family-session/

employee of the month

Hi, it's been awhile since I posted, so today, I'm catching up. With three posts in as many minutes.

Anyway, my husband, whom I love dearly, for many many many reasons, keeps winning the bleeping Employee of the Month award.

It appears everytime he changes his underwear, his company awards him Employee of the Month. But, actually, he changes it everyday, it just SEEMS like he wins an award all the bleeping time.

So, that's great, yeah? Job security, high self esteem and what not. Yes? Yes.

Except, I'm starting to get really, really jealous. Surprise!

Because, just as his career is beginning anew, with finishing law school on the horizon, he gets to leave his old career on a high note, with his employer thinking he's a veritable rock star and all. It's all peaches and cream. For him.

Then, there's me. Dressed in grown up clothes sometimes. Showered, sometimes. Makeup, sometimes. Nails, sometimes. Hair, sometimes. Everything all together at the same time? Never. And, if so, with stains. Green beans, milk, mococos (spanish euphemism), all kinds of delightfulness.

Gaby on the fifth season of Desperate Housewives sums it up quite well when she tries to explain the changes motherhood brings to her dear husband.

I have A LOT to say about all of this. And I'm reading a really really really good book about it called The Truth Behind the Mommy Wars, which explores women's identities and possibilities once they become mothers. Fascinating.

For the time being, I will just say this (because Isaac is awake and wanting to play), I decided I was Employee of the Month! I cleaned my garage so much that you can park TWO cars in it (photos and proof forthcoming). And, my neighbors and father-in-law noticed too!

So, for my EotM award, Dave gave me this:
, the fuzziest pillow in the world!

'aunt' debbie's (and mineo's mmmmm)

A couple weeks back, Isaac and I travelled to Pittsburgh, to visit "Aunt" Debbie and "Uncle" Doug. Debbie and Doug are really my mom's cousins, so does that make them second cousins to me? Dunno.

But, to Isaac, they are Aunt Debbie and Uncle Doug. And, as usual, I'm terrible with pictures!!

Aunt Debbie and Uncle Doug are awesome and they have a gorgeous home with land in Pittsburgh. They were graciously storing things from my grama's house for me while my family and I made the move to Virginia. They wouldn't let me pay rent either. :(

They have always gone out of their way to help me and my family in times of need, like when my mom needed to move or my grama needed help with home maintenance after grampa died. They are very enthusiastic and available. So kind and generous. I have really appreciated everything they have done for us over the years.

We had a very nice time visiting and I got to meet Aunt Debbie's sister's and their family's too because it was Aunt Debbie's birthday and we had a party. The 20th anniversary of her 30th birthday...no...that's not quite right :) Delicious food, wonderful conversation, and the cutest doggie! Isaac got to play with Nathan, Debbie's grandnephew and we all had a great time.

I was enjoying the family visit so much, I didn't visit with any friends and neighbors from my time in Pittsburgh. It's so easy to get to Pittsburgh from here, that will just have to be for next time!

And, just for Dave, I brought home award-winning, super, ultra amazing and delicious (and FEDEX-able) Mineo's pizza: http://mineospizza.com/index.html. Those of you who have had this, understand. And, those of you who haven't, I might suggest giving it a try!