Wednesday, December 29, 2010

.....digging out.....

.....we have been snowed in since the day after Christmas, with a quick opportunity to finally branch out on a day trip yesterday....it's been cozy.....it's been white and quiet and sweet.....and at the same time, we have been joyous at the thought of fresh air and watching our breath travel as we chat while we walk briskly through the snow.....its been the perfect balance of nesting with some outdoor winter fun which has made for a richly filled week as we reflect on our Christmas and embark on the New Year ahead.....

.....our girls basked in the excitement of Christmas morning.....Callie being the first to rise, ecstatic with glee.......


......bed head and all.....


......finally making her way to her chair.....waiting patiently for her sister to rise.....


.....and when Elsie did awake, she stammered in with the same excitement and enthusiasm.....


.......both girls listening intently as Daddy communicated the turn of events for the morning.....stockings, blueberry muffins for breakfast, then presents.....


.....and so we did just that.....




......and the fun about opening presents with toddlers is not only the facial expressions and the enthusiasm with each gift, but the fact that they want to try their new gift on, play with it, unwrap it from the box immediately.....not only causing Christmas morning to make our home look like a bomb went off, but also allowing the magic of the morning to linger into late morning/early afternoon hours......it's slow, deliberate, and each gift is given 100% attention.....










.....but when they opened their new scooters from Santa Claus, all activity did cease.....and we found ourselves in a hurried scurry to get dressed, throw on the gloves, hats and jackets because it was scooter time.....









......and since we are dealing with the patience level of toddlers, we were back in the house before we knew it.....nesting, resting, trying on new outfits, new hair accessories, drinking, grazing, planning our Christmas feast......and simply being merry.....





.....and this Christmas was one for starting our own traditions.....just the four of us, it was cozy and intimate and gave us time to think about what will be for our future Christmases.....and ending the day with au gratin potatoes, covered in a fennel, gouda, and a gruyere cheese mixture with a dash of onion and garlic paired with a perfectly cooked prime rib and baked asparagus will have to be the Balderach Christmas feast from this holiday forward.....because it's the best thing my man has ever made......and my man can cook.....


.....and since I am the assistant in the kitchen, chopping and dicing just as I am told, I too feel like I am a fancy chef....especially when cooking with fennel.....I didn't even know what fennel was until I watched Stefan in the kitchen......




......and so we toasted, enjoyed, savored and celebrated all that we have this Christmas season......


......and besides the blessings we have been given by the grace of God, we have also been blessed with our fair share of snow.....


......enough snow to have busses like the one on our corner and taxi cabs alike, deserted after being stuck in the masses of heavy snow drifts......snow that blew down from the sky as it thundered and howled like a hurricane.....I have never seen anything like it.....and I was thrilled to explore and venture out with the girls to see what the snow had left us..... 

.....and our adventure began joyfully.....neither of them had ever seen so much snow.....Callie, still a bit hesitant of the white, cold powder and Elsie, having remembered the blizzards from last year, was ready to play......




.....she was most excited about making snow angels.....


......and all was good until Callie wouldn't keep her mittens on.....



......causing me to frustratingly throw her over my shoulder and scowl that it was time to go back upstairs.....

......and then I had two unhappy girls......one who had red hands that were stinging from the snow and another who was very upset to be back indoors......



......causing the necessity for a day trip to call me by name, as being in the house all day after the snow fiasco was enough nesting for one NYC Momma.....so Stefan took Tuesday off and away we went.....


.....and due to the snow, there was only room for a handful of cars in the parking lot......


......the rest had still not been plowed.....


.....allowing us to explore the Brooklyn Aquarium privately.....the girls ran around, explored, ooh'd and ahhh'd.....and it was exactly what we needed as a family activity to give us a break from the winter cold.....







.....and as soon as we ventured out again, our girl was back to making snow angels......scoping out the perfect spot where she free falls backward to begin her design in the snow.....



......savoring every minute.....even the coldest ones.....