Not fair

Her big thing lately has been to say "Its not fair".. like when her play tent collapses, she says "that's not faaaair". She says it so cute, she kind of pouts her lips and hunches her shoulders in. My little fairy bug!:)

She also does this thing that is actually so cute.. when she wants my attention, she pretends that she is a butterfly and lays on the floor on her stomach in front of me wherever I am. Then I walk up to her and say "Oh my, its a lady bug". I then pick her up and then she nuzzles in my neck, while I hold her. I tell her all the time, she is my special bracha. 
Mommy loves you more than all the stars in the sky!

ROAR!

Our lives have taken a few turns and have been very busy so I haven't updated the blog very often. There are so many little day to day things that Esther Frayda does that I want to remember and document for her as she gets older..

We had a really good time over Sukkot, we stayed with Sara Chana and her family. Esther Frayda is in love with all her children so she was in heaven. She is such a little social butterfly. In the Sukkah she was going up to each table and talking to everyone, by the end of the 3 days everyone knew her name. She knew more people than anyone else there. She was pretending to be a lion and ROAR to scare people, she got the biggest kick out of seeing peoples reaction and would think it was the funniest thing in the world. 

Her new thing now is calling boys "gross". She was calling the two younger teenage boys "gross" and would run away laughing. She was definitely entertaining herself.

She wants to be a big girl not a little girl, so I'm always telling her what a big girl she is and she likes that. 

I am really so proud of her, I tell her all the time. She is growing and maturing everyday and is such a caring and beautiful girl with a HUGE personality! I love you my sweetheart:)

"Stay in bed"

When we woke up this morning, we usually say our "Modai Ani" and then go eat breakfast but this morning Esther Fradya woke up and said "Mommy don't get out of bed", "Stay in bed with me and play". It was so adorable, so we snuggled and played around. She told me that I was "raw" and had to be cooked, so she stuffed me in the oven (which was actually under the pillow) and then pretended to eat me. Then it was my turn to do that to her, she thought it was so funny and was just giggling away and rolling over. This is what life if all about these beautiful moments, what more could I ask for. 

I love you my baby girl!!!!!

"Shabbos is all over"

Esther Frayda has been addicted to Caillou, everyday its "Caillou".. so, as you would expect she goes through withdrawal over Shabbos. She knows we can't use the computer or watch shows on Shabbos, so what did she do this last Shabbos when she really wanted to watch Caillou? 

She made an executive decision that Shabbos finished early. I was sitting on the couch and was wondering what she was doing... she was taking all the things on the table off and setting them down on the chairs then pulled the white Shabbos tablecloth off the table. 

I asked her what she was doing and she said that Shabbos was over and she could watch her video. 

She knows the white tablecloth is only on the table during Shabbos and comes off right after, so she just figured if she took it off that would end Shabbos! That was so clever of her. Ohh how I love this girl!

"This is a birthday for you"

Lately Esther Fradya and I have been going over when everyone's birthday is. She knows her birthday is in February and I told her my birthday is in June. I think she caught wind that my birthday was coming up (this week and we won't say how old mommy is). So, I walked into the office today and she had the party box (with all the ribbons and balloons) open and said she was making me a party. She was trying to hang ribbon off of the bookshelf I guess as decoration. Then she told me to close my eyes and kept saying "mommy don't look" that she had a surprise for me and handed me a bow in my hands. She spent like half an hour going through the box and setting everything up, even though it looked like a tornado ran through the room it was so incredible sweet. It was just so thoughtful and touching that she realized on her own that it was my birthday coming up and wanted to do something for me. She was so focused on making me happy. This is huge considering she usually will not even acknowledge anyone else's birthday. She's birthday obsessed and wants it to be her birthday every single day and of course sing the happy birthday song.

I love you so much! I love you more than all the fishes in the sea, more than all the stars in the sky!! I am literally the luckiest person on the face of the earth to have you as my baby girl.

Ramblings

Esther Fayda's favorite books lately, the ones we read every night are:

"I go to the Dentist", "Lets go to a wedding", and "I took the moon for a walk". Most of the time she'll ask me to re-read the wedding book. She is just absolutely obsessed with weddings.

Esther Frayda is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, yes I love my child to itty bitty pieces! Whenever I see her feet, I just go crazy and want to eat them. I always tell her this and she thinks it is so funny, she just giggles away. Sometimes she'll take her socks off and stick her feet in the air because she knows that I'm going to go want eat them up. She likes to tease me. I can eat those feet for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

The other night when we were reading in bed, Esther Frayda turned to me and asked me to kiss her feet at which point I of course obliged. She then said "Come here and give me a big hug" and held her arms out. After I gave her a great big hug, she said "Do you  like me". It was such a tender moment we had. The depth of her compassion just amazes me. I always tell her what a gift she is, straight from Hashem and I am the luckiest MAMA in the world!

Mommy, you're so cute

Just a few phrases Esther Frayda recently said:

"Mommy I like you",
this meant a lot to me. I know she loves be but to like me, wow I feel so special. That means we're friends. I told her to remember this when she is a teenager.

"Mommy, you're so cute", 
she said as she looked at me lovingly:) 

"Leave me alone", 
she yelled this as I was trying to help her in the bath and asked me to get out!

I know the range of emotions, just like a teenager. I honestly don't think there is much difference between toddlers and teenagers.

You're too cool! I love you my baby girl.

The cracked egg

Esther Frayda and I made a yummy spelt chocolate cake today for Melissa's birthday. As usual, I set her up with her own bowl and ingredients because she likes to do everything herself. I usually let her do everything except crack the egg but today she insisted, so I gave her the egg and she (without my help) cracked it on the side of the bowl and opened it up to a perfectly cracked egg! It may not seem like a big deal but that takes skill. She is only 3 years old but definitely knows her way around the kitchen and around the house for that matter. She cooks, cleans, does laundry.. my little home maker. My heart just fills up with so much love every time I look at her.

I've been making little notes about Esther Frayda everyday so now I  need to catch up and I got a special request from Grandpa to update the blog. Hope you're reading this Dad, we love you!

My little baby is strong willed, she hates her hair brushed. Sometimes she acquiesces and lets me brush her hair but most of the time she runs from me like the black plague. She runs from one end of the house to the other and usually ends up in the bedroom, slamming the door in my face. She gets a kick out of that.

Whenever she really wants something, she doesn't tell me she wants it, she says she "needs it". 

She likes to run free outside, which usually involves throwing off her jacket no matter how cold it is then she runs as fast as her little legs will take her.

Just like Grandma Francis, Esther Frayda loves her dress-up  makeup, peals and anything that is remotely feminine or "girly".. She usually does this late in the evening when she runs around the house in whatever getup she pulls out of the drawers. The last few nights she's been putting on her tutus.. but not just one tutu, last night she managed to put on 5 different tutus at one time.

I walked in on her last night with her 5 tutus pretending to light shabbos candle and praying to Hashem. It was very sweet. I can see she is very spiritual as I think most children naturally are. 

Pure Love

Esther Frayda talks about Grandpa, Nani, Auntie Brenna and Gizmo every day. We miss you guys so much! 

Sending all our love and hugs:)

Energizer Bunny

Oh my gosh, what a night.. my little energizer bunny. She did a lot of cute things tonight I have to remember to show her when she gets older.

She was reading a book and she looked up and said "mommy I want a wedding", "when can I have a wedding?".. "I want to wear one of those", she says as she's pointing to a veil! I didn't think she would start fantasizing about her wedding at 3 years old!

She was jumping on my back on the bed, basically bouncing off the walls and it's 10pm. She typically get very energetic at night, which runs in our family. She ended up hitting the back of her head on the wall and after crying for a few minutes, she told me to call the doctors. She seemed ok at this point but she told me "the wall is dangerous" and "I should fix the wall".

When she was in the bathroom washing her hands, I was trying to help her and she said she could do it by herself that she was "BIG" and she was "THREE". I basically think she's almost ready to run the household!

The delivery guy came earlier with 2 bags of groceries, I set them in the kitchen while I was washing dishes and Esther Frayda started pulling the groceries out. I turned back a few minutes later and saw she was putting the groceries away, all in the right places. I continued to watch as she put both bags of all the groceries away, literally all by herself without me helping or telling her where anything went. The last thing she put away were the potatoes where she could reach because they go on the counter, so she gave them to me and pointed where I should put them.

She seriously amazes me every day. I love you my angel!!!

Esther Frayda LOVES Curious George, so after about 10 times of her asking me to watch it, I finally said "OK" and she agreed "JUST ONE" while holding one finger up. After I put it on for her, she then said "LEAVE ME ALONE". I just could not believe my ears, that's the first time she uttered those words. She had her show on and didn't want me to bother her or interfere, although she did say it with a little smile on her face as if to test out my reaction. I knew as a mother I was bound to one day hear those words but just thought I had a good several years to go. I really have a little teenager on my hands! My little spitfire, I love her.

"I want to Dream of Puppies"

She loves when I tell her stories of when she was first born and when she was a little baby. She wanted to know exactly who was at her birth, it was almost as if she remembers it. She has an outstanding memory and really remembers everything that happens to her, it just blows me away.

Today I put her on the kitchen counter while I was cutting a cucumber, she loves watching everything I do. While I was cutting, she tapped me on the arm and said "be careful mommy, OK". She's always looking out for me and people she's close to, she's always so caring and loves to take care of people.

When we were getting ready for bed the other night, I always tell wish her "sweet dreams", she said she wanted to dream of puppies:) I hope she did and will always dream of only sweet things.

I think Esther Frayda at the tender age of almost 3 is already bordering on teenager-hood . Her new phrase now is "oh my gosh"! Everything is "oh my gosh", "oh my gosh".. and she say's it with a high note in the middle. This girl makes her mommy laugh, that's for sure:)

"I'm too little"

Gershon took Esther Frayda yesterday and spun her around by her arms then when he put her down at which point she raised her finger to him and said "I no like it, I'm too little".

She likes to tell him "this is MY mommy", just so there is no confusion... and then I reassure her, "Yes, I'm your mommy and I am sooooo lucky":)

A few days ago while we were getting ready to go to playgroup she gathered up 3 of her animals (including of course Precious and Gizmo) and said she wanted to bring them with her, she basically wasn't leaving without them, I let her bring them. When she walked in all the kids ran up to her and asked to play with her animals, so she proceeded to pass each one out. It was very sweet of her, she really does like to share:)

"I don't wanna go to sleep"

Esther Frayda has never been a "sleeper", she just really does not like to sleep. Tonight it took 2 and half hours of trying to get her to sleep, oh did I mention that she is also a night owl. The two combined makes for some very late nights. Lately she has been coming up with every excuse under the sun. First its "I'm hungry", I say no a couple times but then she becomes more insistent  I don't want my baby to starve, so I take her into the kitchen to have some oatmeal.. then its "I want Gizmo", so I go and look all over the house for Gizmo.. then its "I have to go to the bathroom", of course I take her because I'm in the middle of potty training and want to encourage going to the bathroom... then its "I want Abba", so I tell Gershon to come into the room. Then its turning on the light saying she wants to read a book, well this went on for over 2 hours. My little very persistent girl in now sound asleep. Of course I always lay down with her until she falls asleep and then sneak away to do relax and do some work. She definitely has a mind of her own, I have a feeling she's always going to be a night owl, just like her mommy.

She did something funny today, I gave her a cup with her herbs in it (she has a cough). She didn't want to drink it but I told her she had to drink it first and then she could have her yogurt, so she took the cup and held it up as if she was drinking it then made a loud sipping noise. Basically she was trying to fool me into thinking she was drinking it, my little jokester!

Esther Frayda is going to be 3 years old in a couple of months. I'm really seeing her blossom, she's been expressing herself so much lately. Well she's always been VERY expressive but lately she's been able to verbalize it more. We've had some very sweet moments recently. 

Yesterday we were in the kitchen eating fruit. Esther Frayda was sitting on the sink counter and I was holding her then she laid her head on my chest as she was eating and then she said "I love you" very softly, it was so sweet and tender that she was feeling that emotion and then expressed herself. She is definitely a "mommy's girl" and I'm not complaining at all. She see's me as her mommy and best friend, it is so sweet and I always tell her how special I feel and lucky I am...and then I make her promise even when she's a teenager that she will still love me this much and want to hang out with me:)

Esther Frayda hates taking baths, its usually a struggle to get her in but then she's usually fine, especially if I have bubbles. I usually have to take a bath with her so she'll stay in longer. Last night she was really happy and playing with the bubbles then she asked for a butterfly kiss and stuck out her nose. Well, I couldn't resist that so I gave her a great big BUTTERFLY KISS.. and then she asked for another.. and another.. and another.. and another

just some ramblings

Esther Frayda has been going to the bathroom on her own. At home she wears pants with no diaper and knows to pull them down to go. Yesterday I found her on the big toilet all by herself, she wanted to use "mommys potty", she had climbed up and was barely hanging on, well she ended up falling in. So, I told her we were going to buy an attachment for her to use the big potty. Now she is completely independent and doesn't wear diapers at home. She is so proud of herself. When I saw her today, she was already in the bathroom and put her seat on, she said "Esther Frayda did this, not mommy". She was SO thrilled and was just beaming!

I want to sit like this now try it like this
cheese.. i want a lollipop

Roots & Rainbows!

Esther Frayda started a new playgroup today called Roots & Rainbow. She actually went there last year but only for a couple weeks because we had moved and it was too far. Well they moved and had an opening so we jumped on it. She knows some of the kids from Gymies. OK to the point, she absolutely LOVES this playgroup. I was very worried about nap time because she had a bad experience with this last playgroup she was in the last two weeks, that was only temporary. Most of the kids are younger so they forced nap time and that did not go over well with Esther Frayda. She told me she did not want to sleep there, that she wanted to sleep with mommy in the big bed at home. This play group does not force sleep or let them cry, gd forbid.
When we got there this morning she went right in and joined the group. I picked her up an hour early and she was sitting at the table eating lunch. She was just beaming and in such a good mood. She asked me if she could have a cookie from whole foods (her favorite store)..I just can't believe how happy and excited she was. She didn't want to leave. This is partly due to a wonderful teacher, Morah Mushky who really loves Esther Frayda. I just can't describe how happy it makes me to see my baby so extremely happy and full of confidence. She was running around the room playing and showing me everything. She didn't sleep there but she did rest and I think she may get comfortable enough to sleep. I told Morah that I could pick her up at any time, my main goal is that she has a good experience and enjoys herself.

Esther Frayda is the heaviest sleeper, she often wakes up in the middle of night and sometimes she'll cry out different things. The other night Esther Frayda cried out in her sleep "I want cereal brown please"! She repeated this several times in an anguished  cry, poor baby. Gershon has coco puffs cereal in the house and its not the healthiest, so of course I keep it away from her... well she got a taste of it and that was it! She has been asking to have it to which I offer her a distraction  Although, I felt so bad after she cried for it in her sleep that I gave her a very small bowl of it the next morning:)

My girly girl loves purses and plays with mine almost on a daily basis, she likes to go through my wallet and look for money. She already loves money. Yesterday there was no money in my wallet and she asked "where the money was". I told her I didn't have any money then she asked me if we can "go buy some money". I love to see how her precious little mind works at this age.

I'm a piece of Heaven

I was singing to Esther Frayda this evening while she was eating dinner.. "you're a piece of Heaven", then she started saying after me.. "I'm a piece of Heaven".

She is talking more and more each day. Yesterday I asked her how old she was and for the first time she said "I'm 2 and half", I wanted to gobble her up! I also taught her that Esther starts with the letter "E", although I think she is way more interested in her colors right now than her letters. She points out the colors to everything. I think her favorite color now is Yellow, she wants to wear everything yellow. She will only put on her night shirt if its yellow. My sweet yellow sunshine:)

Esther Frayda in her winter pink hat. She also put a hat on her bear and doggie and wanted to bring them with her outside:)

Videos!

Kissing feet

Precious

Stroller

Walking home

Ice cream truck at Gymies

Insider Tips

We are officially going to California on Aug. 28 iyh. Yay!!!!!!!! Thank you Dad, we can't wait to see everyone:)

Most of you haven't seen Esther Frayda in some time, so I thought I would right this post for some insider tips on how to get close and earn some quick points with the queen of all queens, the one and only Esther Frayda!

• Don't be too eager to pick her up, it will backfire.
• If you have a small doggie, you will instantly win her heart (Brenna).
• She LOVES stickers and paper.
• If you offer to watch Elmo with her, she would be pretty happy.
• If you ask her questions about zoo animals in particular sheep, she will get very excited.
• She loves to work, so feel free to give her little jobs. She can do anything from organizing your clothes to running small errands around the house.
• Of course it doesn't hurt to make funny faces and act silly, she might even dance for you and then you know your "in"!

Just remember she understands every single word you are saying even if she can't pronounce it. I hope this helps, just remember to relax because she can sense nervousness a mile away!

We love you guys, can't wait to spend some quality time together!