Goodbye Chanukah

Chanukah's over. I had a great time helping Dad with the candles each night, and I miss not doing that in the evenings since it ended, but we're having lots of fun with all our new loot. We enjoyed yummy waffles for dinner one night, thanks to Bubbe and Papa, who got Mom a waffle maker. Our house looks much nicer because we got some things to decorate with - new sheets for Hazel's room from Aunt Laurie and a toy storage bench from Aunt Pat, Uncle Neal, Aunt Susan, and Uncle Stuart. Hazel got a duck puppet, more beads, and a new car seat from Bubbe and Papa, and they gave me a latch board, a book, and a month's worth of Gymboree classes. Uncle Daniel sent us Babybug and Ladybug magazines, which are lots of fun to get in the mail and read each month. We're eating lots of Freebirds because Gigi, Amy and Mianna gave us Freebirds gift cards. We got some fun toy animals, sleeping bags and a xylophone from Pop and Mom Mom. And of course, we're still enjoying our birthday/Chanukah gifts we got from Grandma and Grandpa earlier this year - our picnic table, toy kitchen and playscape.

I've been helping Mom cook a lot lately. I used to only help her make rice, but since the pancakes last weekend, she is letting me help with other things too, like zucchini, a grilled cheese sandwich and smoothies. I really like helping out in the kitchen, and I love smoothies!

We were all sick this week and we went to the doctor Wednesday. He told us we just have colds which was no fun, but the real highlight of the trip was when we found out how big we're getting. I am 32 pounds and Hazel - who is getting really good at sitting on her own, by the way, and is also getting sneakier about grabbing anyone who walks by her when she's in her walker toy - is 16 pounds. The visit was also a chance for the doctor to take a good look at Hazel's teeth. Her second tooth came in while we were in Pennsylvania over Thanksgiving, and he said next up are teeth in the top front left side of her mouth. He said it won't happen next week but to expect to see them in the next month.

We haven't been going anywhere because we were sick and it's been rainy most of the time lately, but the past two days everyone felt a little better and the weather was nice so we went to the park. It was nice because we all could go since Dad was home for the weekend. Peepa and I really were glad to have a chance to run around.

Here are pictures of me helping Dad put the candles in the menorah, helping Mom make smoothies, and a cute picture of Hazel we took when we got home from the park.

Note from the editor (aka Mom): Before he went to bed tonight, Mitch asked me to proofread this blog entry. As soon as I sat down to read over the blog entry, a sudden, horrific scream eminated from Mitch's bedroom. Imagining that Mitch leapt from his crib, I ran to investigate. When I opened the door, Mitch was standing in the middle of his crib, pajamas open, pointing at his pillow with a terrified look on his face. On top of his pillow was his diaper. Fortunately, he must have been so startled when he took it off that he screamed right away and didn't have time to produce anything that messed up his crib. It was a very funny picture.