Top Ten List for 2010/Our Virtual Holiday Card

10. We sure hope you get this virtual Holiday Card. Our puppy Boo likes to eat everything. She likes to snack on my computer cord.

9. Elise has started Kindergarten. She is a true scholar and already says she will be attending a 'Pink College'.

8. Corinne is taking Ballet this year and will be doing her own interpretation of the Nutcracker.

7. Neal is definitely in touch with his feminine side with four females (dog included). He loves watching Barbie Movies and having tea parties. He does manage to sneak in some Wii Mario Carts games.

6. Janice has taken on some new roles this year. Daisy leader, PTO, Slow cooker whiz, Room and Soccer Mom. Soon she will take over the world but still refuses to get a Caravan:)

5. Boo is on Santa's Naughty list. She won't get any gifts because she ate her stocking.

4. The Poretsky's are becoming Green. Elise can ride a bike and Corinne is a big girl. NO MORE DIAPERS!!!

3. Neal and I are hoping for some 'Silent Nights'. I'm hoping Boo and Neal stop snoring so I can sleep in 'Heavenly Peace'.

2. With all the bad news in this world our family has joy/love and gets louder every year.

And the Number One Reason is we get to wish you a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year!

Making my list and checking it twice

The Holiday season is coming to an end. Our family has done a lot over the past month.

The Advent calendar with daily activities was a definite success! Mommy on the other hand is ready for a 'Long Winters Nap.' I wouldn't do anything different though. I expect to be crazy busy this time of this year.

So at this point I'm checking my list, and somehow it's getting longer. I'm not worried though it will all get done.

N and I will wake up Christmas morning (Way too early) to the joyful sounds of our beautiful girls. The Long Winters Nap can wait:) After all this is what Christmas is about.

Happy Holidays! Below are some of the activities.

Every night N would light the candles. Happy Hanukkah!

Snack with Santa. I hosted this for my Moms group. What a fun afternoon:)

Elise was pinned as a Daisy. Even better I'm her leader.

The girls and I made homemade ice cream. A family tradition from my side. Friends and neighbors may anticipate a special delivery:)

I took the girls for their first pedicure. The mall had special little girl chairs so we all got pampered for the evening. They painted there toes with red and sparkles. They even added a snowflake. E was having wonderful time and said "Mommy when can we do this again?" Oh boy:)

One of our activities was to make Dog treats for all our Dog friends. Our dog friends should expect some snacks. It was an easy recipe. Boo gave it two paws up:)

This was the Cupcake at the Ritz Carlton in Boston. This was just an activity for Mommy. I had a lovely afternoon with some wonderful women. It was nice to chat and be in the city for some tea and sweets.

Countdown to Christmas

This year instead of the traditional Advent Calendar I put my own spin on it. My neighbor gave me this wonderful idea to display bags with the date. Each day there would be a special activity the girls and I (Family) can work on.

The first week is over and I'm exhausted, but it was a definite success! The girls are excited to come downstairs each morning and see what's in store for them.

Initially I decided to do this in lieu of the traditional Advent chocolates because I thought the girls would love it (Also the chocolate in the calendars are horrible).

One of our activities this week was making popcorn and cranberry garland. The girls and I spent almost 2.5 hours at the kitchen table talking and singing Christmas songs. I'm sure more popcorn was consumed then strung:)

We wear so many hats as Moms. I'm fortunate to stay home with my girls. Physically I'm there 24/7, but sometimes not always present.

The simple activity of stringing garland helped me connect with them. I wasn't thinking of cooking, cleaning or laundry. I didn't check my email or FB once:) It really made me think. The girls really don't care what they're doing, they just want to spend time with me.

It's always a struggle to find time in the day to accomplish all I need too. Like most women I want to have the beautifully kept home and be the perfect mother and wife. Who has the time though? If my house looks good I've either been up late or the girls have been in front of the TV which I never do:)

I guess I can live with a not so perfect house (Baby steps). I just want to squeeze in all those magical moments with my girls while I can. I know that's what they will remember.

Hope you're enjoying the magic of the season in your own home. Thanks for checking on us!

Funny Runner

So even this late in the game I'm still finding I can do things I never imagined. The latest is running. No I haven't started running any marathons or even outside. What I have done is started running 3 days a week on my treadmill. Over the past couple of months I've grown stronger. I can run faster and longer.

I'm still a little apprehensive of leaving the security of my basement treadmill. Runners that are hardcore would be able to spot my skill level. I wouldn't want to be labeled as the 'Funny Runner.' I have a lot of friends that love running so it's a little intimidating


One of the reasons I'm enjoying running is I don't have time to make lists in my head. I can't concentrate on anything else but my breathing and rocking out to my slightly inappropriate playlist:) It's time for me!

Will I take this to the next level and get more serious...the jury is out on that. For now I'm content running, listening to music, and clearing my head. It's nice to know I can still surprise myself.