Twins are 9 months Old Today.

The twins saw lots of family this weekend.
First they visited with Grandma Val for lunch on Friday during a nasty rain storm. Orli pointed and smiled at Grandma and Grandma loved to see them smile and laugh. She got to sit them on her lap for a short while but she has a tough time because she is a little weak and they are very squirmy. Auntie Sherry was also there to hug and squeeze the babies and help with a feeding, we watched a movie during the rain storm.
From there we went to see Lee in Manhattan after a very tough drive from New Haven in the pouring rain. The twins were very well behaved at a late dinner at an Indian restaurant, the manager was also a father of twins. Lee had his share of holding a baby and being the designated sherpa while walking the neighborhood. We managed to turn his apartment into a pigpen in 3 seconds with clothes, socks, diaperbag, pack-n-play, baby food, bottles...They are so little but need so much stuff.
On Saturday the twins went and visted their GG (Greatgrandma) in the rehab center while she heals from her fall. She said "Kaynahorah" about a dozen times after she said they were so beautiful and healthy and happy. While we were in Brooklyn we got an opportunity to look at some old family photos that GG has. It is just wonderful to see how our babies resemble people we love. One picture of GG as a todler sitting on a pony reminded us of Orli.
We then went out to eat at Adelman's in Brooklyn on Kings Highway, again the babies behaved and lots of admirers stopped by to check them out, one lady, was a twin herself. The babies ate their first Matzoh Ball soup with noodles and seemed to like it. It was the biggest, most fluffiest, perfectly round matzoh ball we had ever seen, I wish we took a picture, it was about a little larger than a baseball. It the babies first Kosher restaurant and Mommy's first time eating poultry in public in more than 20 years. (Smoked Turkey sandwich three inches thick -- all Kosher)
Then we went to see Aunt Louise and Uncle Stanley, Cousin Craig with his pretty girlfriend Olga also stopped in for a visit. It seems other cousins couldn't muster up enough energy to get out of bed... you know who you are. The babies got to be held and cuddled by more people. Mommy and Daddy got to eat some good bagels for a change. See more holding two at once challenges completed by the very brave.
Finally we drove home, made good time and were able to go to a Superbowl Party which unfortunatly the twins did not get to enjoy their home team winning the game because the Pats played pretty terribly and now Orli and Zev are sad...
One really cool thing did happen during the game at least, Orli for a few seconds stood on her own unassisted not holding on to anything accept a football clapper noise maker in her little pudgy hand.

Smart AND Beautiful

We think the babies are just beautiful and we even love to hear this from total strangers. Over the weekend we took the babies to Costco. Daddy was pushing the babies ahead in the cart and Mommy was in the next aisle. An older couple had walked past the babies and were walking toward mama. They were remarking to each other just how adorable and beautiful the twins were. Totally unsolicited, and they were not aware that mommy was listening to the whole thing. Now I might have had to beat them with a gallon of milk if they said the babies were ugly.
Grandma Val heard this story and remarked "there is more in life than being beautiful, they are smart too". She doesn't want them to get too used to hearing just how beautiful they are. She'd like to remind them there are other qualities for them to develop and nurture which are beyond their outer adorable sweet little mugs. Grandma Val is right, we have to strike a good balance and be sure to give them a good sense of self esteem without going too far that it is false or place a value on their outer beauty over the inner. Let's be fair to the other kids...There is just never going to be a more beautiful, smart, sweet, talented, adorable little boy and girl than our little boy and girl. We know this, it is just so tough to keep it a secret from them... Now in Jewish circles, this would be a moment where we'd pause and "fake spit" into the air and say "Kaynahorah". GG (Great-grandma) would happy that we did this to ward off the evil eye.