Alexa spends another day with Grandma!

Alexa got to stay home again today and play with Grandma! It was cold outside, so we were glad that she was able to stay inside and play. But Grandma said Alexa wanted to go outside and went to get her jacket! They went for a quick walk to the park, but it was too cold to stay out for long.

Later, when I got home, Alexa thought it was time for a dance party in her high chair. She kept shrugging her shoulders, her new thing. And then she would giggle and waive her hands in the air! So we'd say "touchdown!" and she'd laugh and waive them some more! When she went to bed, Grandma and I made a bunch of cookies... Yum!

Alexa eats a Bo the Dog cookie!

We brought Alexa home some cookies from the White House... And gave her a Bo the Dog cookie! She, um, loved it. Check it out!

We also lit the Hanukkah candles for the last time this year... Great shot of our beautiful menorah from Aunt Missy!

White House Holiday Party! Alexa stays home...

Tonight was a big night for us! Mommy and Daddy got to go to the White House Holiday Party! We met the president and first lady and enjoyed walking around the East Wing, sipping Egg Nog, trying the White House potato latkes (Daddy said mine were better!) and searching high and low for a Bo the Dog cookie.

Meanwhile, back at home, Alexa spent the day playing with Grandma! Here she is in the morning, as I was getting ready for work. She swiped my Blackberry!

Then she tended to her baby dolls, pushed around her shopping cart, played with her new dog pocketbook and ate an apple!

In the afternoon, she had more fun playing with Grandma... So cute! I love her expressions, especially when she sticks her lip out when she's concentrating. Note her new expression, courtesy of Grandma: "I don't know!"

Alexa gets a shopping cart & a pocketbook!

Alexa is really warming up to Hanukkah! At least she's enjoying all the gifts. Tonight, she admired the pretty Christmas tree, then played with her new shopping cart, a Hanukkah gift from her Aunt Missy, Uncle Rich and cousins. She loved it! And what made it even better was that my mom surprised Alexa with a Hanukkah gift of her own... A pocketbook in the shape of a DOG! Perfect!

Alexa trims the tree, then spins the dreidel and eats potato latkes!

Another merry day of Chrismukkah! We started off by decorating our beautiful tree! Grandpa hung the lights and then Grandma and I unwrapped all of the ornaments and put them on the tree. Alexa helped us out! We hung birds and flowers made of felt on the bottom branches. We also hung a set of felt Sesame Street characters that Grandma made for Alexa, just like the set she made me when I was a kid. But Alexa's favorite ornament is a DOG, from Grandma!

Later, when Alexa went down for her nap, I made potato latkes! It was my first time, but I followed Grandma Fritzie's recipe and the instructions on the Modern Jewish Mom site. It was easy! And they passed three important taste tests... Daddy loved them! Grandpa loved them! And Alexa did too! Alexa even mastered the art of dipping them in applesauce. So proud. So proud!

After stuffing ourselves silly with latkes, we lit the Hanukkah candles and Alexa got another gift: A Noah's Arc shape sorter, Tzedakah Box and two dreidels! In the photo above, Daddy is showing her how to spin the dreidel while she waits for her potato latkes. Below, she's playing with all her toys (and watching football with Grandpa)! Fun!

More holiday fun, including a party!

We walked around downtown Bethesda today and Alexa enjoyed looking at the balls on the pubic Christmas tree. How pretty!

Then we met Alexa's friend Michaela at a bookstore to play! Alexa wasn't interested in the train at first. Then she loved it!

Finally, we got dolled up and headed over to the home of Alexa's friend Brandon. His parents threw an awesome holiday party! Alexa dressed up in her holiday dress and loved walking around with the adults, playing with the other kids and checking out the tree. She especially liked Brandon's slide!

Alexa picks out a Christmas tree, then lights Hanukkah candles

Yes, Chrismukkah has begun in our house! And begun in earnest. Daddy and I took the day off and we all bundled up and headed out to a farm to cut down a Christmas tree! This was a big adventure for my family. Since I grew up in Hawaii, we always BOUGHT our tree. We never cut one down! Grandpa Tom was over the moon excited.

Here we are checking out the trees... Alexa liked a small one her size. But we wanted a big one for our living room! We finally found one and before I had time to change my mind, Daddy and Grandpa chopped it down! Way to go!

Back at home, we lit the Hanukkah candles, lit Shabbat candle and enjoyed some yummy Challah. Check out our beautiful menorah. Thanks, Aunt Missy!

Finally, after dinner, Alexa got a Hanukkah gift from Grandma E and Pop! She immediately dumped out the books and wanted Daddy to read one. How cute! She also got a piano from Grandma E and Pop. Stay tuned for some photos of her playing it... She loves it!

More fun with Grandpa and Grandma

When we asked Grandpa Tom what he wanted to do today, he said "The same thing as yesterday!" He had so much fun playing with Alexa all day. So she stayed home from daycare again to play! This time, she got Grandpa Tom to play dolls with her. So cute!

She also made him work to get her to eat... I love the photo of her covering her mouth. She was like, "I'm DONE! What part of DONE don't you understand?!"

Alexa plays with Grandpa!

Alexa's Grandma and Grandpa from Hawaii came to visit us this week! So lucky Alexa got to stay home and play with them all day. She and Grandpa Tom read books and played with blocks. It looks like they had a great time!

Alexa shows off her dance moves! (video)

This is from last week in New Jersey... We were trying to get Alexa to do her latest trick: Raising her arms when you say "Touchdown!" She didn't oblige. But she DID treat us to a cute little two-step!

Back in Bethesda... We took Alexa to a park!

This park is near our house, so we can walk there. It was a little chilly out, but we took a few minutes for Alexa to run around and play. Her favorite thing is the SLIDE! Look at her! She had a ball!

Finally... Shopping! Alexa hits Short Hills Mall!

We wanted to check out the Apple iPad, so we headed to Short Hills Mall! Alexa got all dolled up for her shopping trip. But first, we stopped by the jewelry store where we got our wedding rings so we could get them cleaned and polished. Alexa loved looking at the pretty things in the glass cases! At the mall, Grandma E bought Alexa some bells and a cute hat, stay tuned for photos of it!

Alexa meets more cousins!

We went to visit my cousin Tommy today and Alexa got to meet a whole bunch of her second cousins! She also got to meet her Great Aunt Judy and her Great Uncle Jim. She had a ball! Here she is with Sarah, Matthew and Jameson.

Alea had a blast playing with her cousins. She kept putting a paper crown on Jameson, and then she pushed him over and sat on him! She reached out to give the kids hugs when we were saying goodbye. It was so cute!

Alexa's 2nd Thanksgiving

We went over to Aunt Missy's for Thanksgiving again and Alexa had fun playing with her cousins!

She also tried her very first cake ball! I think she liked it... We sure did! Yum! The cake balls were made by a neighbor of Aunt Missy's... Their company is called Sweet Jane Lynn. DELICIOUS! My favorite was the red velvet. SO GOOD!