I am Aliza, and I am a Family-aholic

Pregnancy

2009-01-12T15:45:00.003-05:00

Pregnancy is in the air. I am pregnant and due in April. My sister in law, Brooke, is due in early May. My cousin-in-law, Heidi, just had a baby girl Talia late December. New babies are always exciting as is the anticipation leading up to their birth.

Here is a picture from a few weeks ago of Brooke and me. Brooke is 21 weeks and I am 23 weeks in this picture.

Just like Grandpa

2009-01-12T15:41:00.001-05:00

I have been quite negligent to my blogging responsibilities, but I have been uploading Zach and family pictures onto facebook.

Here is a cute one from Zach's birthday in November. Zach reads a book called Just like Grandpa about a little boy who wears the same outfit as his grandpa and goes on a bike ride with his grandpa. I bought Z and my dad mathching outfits. How cute!

Eating Ice Cream

2008-09-16T11:38:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we enjoyed the day with my nephews and parents. Here is a super cute picture of the four boys eating ice cream.

Grandma's 80th Birthday Party

2008-09-16T11:36:00.002-04:00

September 8 was my grandmother's 80th birthday party. All her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren celebrated with her at a lovely Sunday brunch. Here is a picture of everybody:

Labor Day

2008-09-02T18:14:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from Labor Day at Grandpa and Safta's house.

Zach loves to clean. He doesn't even need to be asked.

Safta and Zachy

2008-08-18T14:35:00.001-04:00

While Todd and I were away for a romantic weekend get-away, Zachy stayed with Grandpa and Safta. Here are some picture of Zachy and Safta. Big Smiles!

Texas Visitors

2008-08-18T14:30:00.002-04:00

Last week Aunt Stephanie came in for a visit with cousins Sophia and Scarlett.
Here is Zach and Cousin Sophia out for ice cream.
I am biased and all, but my boys are soo cute!!!
Here I am reading to the kiddies.
Baby Scarlett, be-bopping around!

We all had so much fun together!

More Colorado Pictures

2008-08-18T14:25:00.004-04:00

Here are some more pictures from our trip to Colorado Springs. We went to an in-door kid-friendly amusement park called Mr. Biggs.

Zach and Todd are practicing boxing. Zachy Balboa.

Three generations of Sherman men building together.

The three of us eating pizza.

Colorado Springs Zoo

2008-08-18T14:23:00.002-04:00

The first weekend in August we went to visit Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Sam in Colorado Springs. Here are some pictures from our day trip to the zoo.

Looking at the animals...

Hugs with Grandma!
Monkey see- Zachy do.

Spider Mom

2008-07-29T12:15:00.004-04:00

Zach already has a thing for spider man! Here is a picture (from Todd's blackberry) in our spider man t-shirts.

Uncle Joshie's Birthday Party

2008-07-28T15:38:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Todd and I went away to the Catskills for a romantic weekend without Zachary. Thank you mom and dad for watching Zachary! While Zachary stayed with Safta and Grandpa, Aunt Brooke and Uncle Josh came over to celebrate Uncle Josh's 31st birthday. (Josh's actual birthday is July 29, so Happy birthday Josh!). Here are some pictures Brooke sent me.

Aunt Brooke likes close-up pictures.

Zach looks super cute in his Elmo from Israel t-shirt!
Aww...hugs!

Zachary loves birthday parties and had so much fun helping Uncle Josh blow out his candles.

Todd's Blackberry

2008-07-24T11:19:00.004-04:00

Todd has a Blackberry that basically does everything except make coffee in the morning. Last night he took a picture of Zach and me and then e-mailed it to me so I could post it on the blog. He says that I look 40 in low resolution digital cameras.

Todd's Garden

2008-07-21T13:33:00.002-04:00

Todd has quite the green thumb this season.

In early June he decided he wanted to grow some vegetables on our front steps. Here are some pictures of our baby cucumber plants.
This is our entire garden in June. We have peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and various herbs.
Fast forward about six weeks. These are the same front steps. So far only the cucumber plants have produced any fruit, but it is amazing to watch it grow. It is also really great to see Zach take responsibility in watering the plants with his mini-watering can.

Visit to Staten Island

2008-07-21T13:21:00.003-04:00

Aunt Bernice and Uncle David hosted a lovely Sherman family bbq this weekend. We had such a nice time relaxing and eating together and it was nice to spend time with family.

This is Brian and Zach playing on the see-saw.

Even though the temperature was in the triple digits, the kids had fun playing with water guns and ice. Here is Zach filling his water gun up.
Here is Zach and Uncle David.
Zach and Aunt Bernice.
Zach - always posing for the camera.

Visit to Aunt Brooke and Uncle Josh's Pool

2008-07-20T17:49:00.002-04:00

How hot is it???

Here is a picture of Zach and Aunt Brooke at the pool today. What a nice way to cool off after Zach (and Aliza and Todd's) nap this afternoon.

Mini Golf with Daddy

2008-07-12T13:40:00.002-04:00

While my friend Karen and I walked an 8+ mile hike around South Mountain Reservation, Todd and Zach played mini golf. Since Todd loves to play golf and loves spending time with Zach, he is hoping to teach him to play young so they can play together. So far Zach seems to be a natural athlete and loves playing most sports.

Yummy, pizza after a long day on the green.

Little Shop of Horrors

2008-07-10T16:42:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago Todd and I saw Little Shop of Horrors at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. We had so much fun together and it was nice to do something different and stay local. Here I am with Audrey II.

Bronx Zoo

2008-06-24T16:38:00.004-04:00

Friday after work I asked Zachary if he would rather go to the beach or the zoo and he told us the zoo. So.. the three of us spent Saturday morning and afternoon at the Bronx Zoo. Zach had so much fun looking at the animals and pretending to make animal gestures and sounds.

He spent a large part of the day on Daddy's shoulders so he could get a better view of the animals.

The tiger came right up to the window ! Grrr!!!
Here, Todd extended his arm to take a family shot.

Since we became members of the zoo, we got free passes for all the attractions. Here we are on the skyfari.
Here, Zach is looking at the animals in the Madagascar exhibit.
We went on the bug carousel together! At first we tried to sit on the bug together, but the attendant told us we had to sit in separate bugs.

What a fun time together!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-17T21:55:00.003-04:00

After a rough month it was so nice to spend Father's Day together. On Sunday night we met up at Casa Lipschitz for a barbeque. My parents had all their children and grandchildren together eating hot dogs, hamburgers and watermelon. What a nice way to start the rest of the summer!

Here is a nice picture of me, my father and Zachary.

In Memory of Grandpa Lippy

2008-06-02T21:03:00.007-04:00

I just found out that my grandfather died today. My grandfather was always so happy to be around family and so blessed to see 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. As I sat here tonight looking through my photos from the past four years (as long as I have had a digital camera) I realized that in every picture Grandpa had a huge smile and was so happy to be around family. Grandpa was always kind, clever, compassionate, and filled with love.

This picture is our 2004 trip to Atlantic City where grandpa taught me how to play video poker.

Passover 2004.
Mother's Day 2006. Making silly faces with Zachary.

Zachary's bris. Great-Grandson #4.
Zachary visiting at about a year old.

This picture is from Josh and Brooke's wedding. Grandpa could barely walk but he was able to dance a few sets and share in the Simcha.
Another Brooke and Josh wedding picture.

Thanksgiving 2006.
The most recent picture - Passover 2008.

Yitkadal v'yitkadash....

Israel Day Parade

2008-06-01T22:02:00.002-04:00

The family went to NYC today to celebrate Israel's 60th Birthday at the Israel Day Parade. A good time was had by all. Since I forgot my camera, Brooke promptly sent me photos of today's adventures.

This one is Zach and Uncle Josh playing together along Fifth Avenue. Zach has very cool aviator sun glasses.

Here is a photo of big sunglasses, I mean me and Brooke. I think we can pass as sisters.
Ahh, the future is now. Safta and Grandpa's four grandchildren each running around with the Israeli Flag.
What is a Lipschitz family event without a round of high fives?
Sam loves being the BIG cousin.

Three generations of Zionists.

Visit to Grammie

2008-05-12T21:58:00.001-04:00

We visited Grandma for Mother's day this past weekend. On Saturday afternoon we went to the Albany Tulip Festival. We had such a great time. There was live music, kids events and a big park to play around.

Here are some pictures of Zachy and Grammie dancing together. After the dancing, the singer invited the children to sing twinkle twinkle on stage and of course Zachary walked on the stage, grabbed the microphone and started to sing in front of about 200 people!

Here is Zach playing at the playground in Washington Park.

We took Grandma out for Mother's day brunch.
We had such a great time together celebrating my third Mother's Day!

Just Chillin

2008-04-30T14:28:00.007-04:00

This one is a cute picture of Zach and his big boy cousins (Sam, Joe and Gabe) just chilling on the couch watching Diego after dinner on Friday night. They have so much fun together and I have a sense that Zachary already understands that they are cousins!

Sisters

2008-04-30T14:22:00.002-04:00

My family has grown so much over the years. It started with just Geri and Neal and the gang has grown to 12 and hopefully more!! Here is a nice picture of the Lipschitz Ladies. Ok, none of us is technically a Lipschitz, but nice pictures anyway.

Make a wish on a rock...

2008-04-30T14:19:00.003-04:00

A few nights ago, Zachary and I went for a walk across the Sun Valley lawn to make a wish on the rock. When I asked him what his wish was, he told me Grammie. Zachary and Grammie have so much fun together and it is such a blessing to see my Grandma with my son! Here are some pictures of Zach and Grammie from my day off last week.

Passover Pictures - Ellen's Camera

2008-04-30T09:21:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures from Passover.

The first one is a nice photo of Todd and me in my parent's backyard.

Here is a picture of Cousin Jesse, Todd and Sam sharing some Slivovitz. In the picture, there is also a picture of Kosher for Passover soda with a yellow cap. Jews had to wear yellow bands in Nazi Germany and now diet Coke has to wear a yellow cap during Passover.
This one is the under 3 and over 85 table. Grandma, Grandpa and Zach ate some dinner before the Seder began because they normally all eat dinner before 6 pm.
Here is a picture of me, Zach and Todd at the Seder.
Zach eating latkes at Aunt Sandra's house.

Visit to Greenwich

2008-04-28T13:17:00.004-04:00

We visited Connecticut for the weekend because my in-laws are in town. Here are some great pictures taken by Uncle David.

Zachary and Grandma.
Playing pool.
Big Smiles.

I hear Livingston H.S. has a great tennis team....

Passover

2008-04-28T13:09:00.004-04:00

It has been some time since I last blogged. This past week was Passover and we celebrated by having two seders, not eating leavened food and spending lots of time with family! One of the many traditions of Passover is for the youngest child at the Passover meal (Seder) to ask "Why is this night different from all other nights?" For weeks leading up the seder, Zachary and I practiced the first line of the Hebrew chant: Ma Nishtana Haleilia ha ze? On the first night of the seder, Zachary started the question and Cousin Jesse finished. At the end of the weekend, after spending lots of time with family and friends, I asked Zachary: what is your favorite part of Passover? He quickly responded, Ma Nishtana Haleilia ha ze? While it is the tradition to recite, next year in Jerusalem, I am excited that next year Zachary will ask even more questions. I am looking forward to explaining these traditions.

I will post more pictures later.

Purim Carnival (belated)

2008-04-09T17:48:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from the Purim carnival last month. The past few months I have been very busy with work, but hopefully the worst of 2008 is behind.

Zachary dressed up as a retro golf player and I dressed up as Queen Esther. Yes, I wear the same dress every year. (My grandma wore it to my parent's wedding!)

Oh, what fun! The Purim Carnival had golf games. Zach is such a natural.

Why I love New Jersey

2008-02-27T14:00:00.002-05:00

I live in New Jersey, I work in New Jersey and I love New Jersey.

A recent NY Times editorial suggested that NJ may be the third state to provide paid leave to workers to care for a newborn, adopted child, sick child, domestic partner or parent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/opinion/26tue3.html?_r=2&scp=6&sq=New+Jersey&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Dear NJ Assemblymen: Please support this bill!!!

As a society we cherish good old family values, so please, make it a little easier for people to care for their loved ones.

Recent Activities

2008-02-17T22:51:00.005-05:00

On February 14, Todd and I did what married people do: we went to Target and Costco together. We bought Zachary some underwear to bring him closer to being potty trained. Instead, he decided to be a super hero. He is also wearing a pirate's eye as part of the costume. Well, we are doing what we can, but his two-ness is pretty powerful these days. I don't want to be constantly saying "no Zachary", but he is getting to be quite the handful. ("Mommy, no like it" are words I hear pretty much every day).

Today we went up to Matthew's 6th birthday party where the boys played golf and tennis then had a snack. Here is a picture of Zachary getting a golf lesson from Angelo. It is Todd's dream for him to be a professional golfer. I want him to be a tax lawyer so we can talk corporate tax together.
This is a picture on the way home from the party. Since we spend so many hours of our typical weekends in a car, I wanted to get a picture of the three of us driving together.

The lady's man

2008-02-11T22:06:00.001-05:00

If you ask Zachary who is girlfriend is, he will gladly tell you: Popie (Sophie). Here are some cute pictures of their date together. We all felt that they were too young to go out alone, so the date was chaperoned by both sets of parents.

They are sharing cheese doodles...ahh, how romantic!!!

Tu B'Shvat Seder

2008-02-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we hosted a Tu B'Shvat seder at our house and had my nephews Sam and Gabe and brothers come over to celebrate the birthday for the trees. (Sadly, Rebecca and Joey were home sick and Brooke had a game). I forgot to take picures as I was too busy singing and dancing for the trees, but my father brought along his camera. Here are a couple of good pictures of Zachary and Gabe.

Working Moms Against Commuting

2008-02-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a meeting in NYC and I took the train in and back home. On the way back home I noticed something: out of every 10 people, only 2 were women. I realized that I could bike faster than it took me to commute yesterday. If you work in NYC, you can work 10 miles from the office and it can still take an hour. This phenom probably explained the 2:10 ratio on the train yesterday.

I did the daily commute for about six months and then decided I would either work full-time in New Jersey or flex time in NYC. Thank goodness I found a great opportuntiy working in New Jersey because I actually enjoy working full time. While I was in the city, Todd had to drop Zach off at day care, pick him up from day care, feed him dinner and bathe him. I came home tired from my big adventure and he looked even more tired.

Sometimes I think women my age think we invented the concept of the working mom, but this is not the case. I know many women aged 50+ who worked full time with young children and they all shared a few common themes. Working close to home was one of them.

GO NY GIANTS!!!!

2008-02-04T21:34:00.000-05:00

Zachary and I were so happy that the Giants won the Super Bowl. Here are some pictures of us watching the big game at the Dreizens home.

In case you are wondering, my t-shirt is from Super Bowl XXI. I remember that SuperBowl fondly even though I was only 8 years old (my nephew Sam's age) because my father and grandfather went to the game together. I found the t-shirt in the basement of my parent's house. Their basement is filled with all sorts of junk (bat mitzvah sign-in board, bar mitzvah center pieces, old encyclopedias, doll house, sticker collections, college text books, baseball cards, etc.) Sam, Zachary and I were playing the basement over the weekend, when I exclaimed what junk!!! Sam responded, Aunt Aliza, this is why you are a girl, this isn't junk, this is treasure!!! Well, I suppose he is right, the treasure I found was a retro Giants SuperBowl T-shirt.

Imagine That!!

2008-01-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some super cute pictures of today's adventure to Imagine That, a children's museum in Florham Park. Zachary had so much fun playing with all the toys and was excited to be part of the Saturday afternoon buzz.

The first picture is Todd picking up his mail at the post office. We had a good laugh because we always seem to be getting packages from Grandma Ellen in similar priority boxes.

Here is a cute picture of Zachary.
This is a really nice picture of Zachary and Daddy looking so happy playing with the blocks together.

Here is Zachary making announcements on the airplane.

Let's Go Giants!!!

2008-01-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

Zachary is getting ready for next week by sporting his New York Giants hat. He has to wait a long time, but can't wait to go to Giants games with Grandpa Neal.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-01-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

This past week was super cold so we all had to bundle up in our warmest jackets. Here are some cute pictures of Zach getting ready in his horsey coat. (He calls it that, not us.)

Mommy gives hugs to keep him warm!!

Chinese Food on Christmas

2007-12-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

Safta and Grandpa came over to go to the JCC winter carnival with us and we all had so much fun. After the Carnival we stopped by Aunt Brooke and Uncle Josh's home to eat Chinese Food for dinner. Here is a cute picture of Aunt Brooke and Zachary from tonight.

Belated Birthday Pictures

2007-12-21T23:12:00.000-05:00

My mother just sent me about 250 pictures spanning from the summer until now. Here are the most recent pictures from Zachary's Birthday party.

The first one is PaPa, laughing with Zachary. **Aunt Brooke in the back.

Here is a picture of Grandpa with his five grandchildren. Wait a minute, grandpa only has four boys???? Oh, Ava sneaked in the picture. Also, you can't miss my J-Lo tush in the back.
Here is a picture of Safta and Grandpa with the birthday boy.

Thanksgiving/Birthday Weekend

2007-11-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

Zachary turned two today! What a special weekend treat to visit our family in Dallas for Thanksgiving and to celebrate Zach's birthday.

Here he is blowing out his candles...

Cake is Yummie! Actually, Aunt Stephanie found a beautiful cupcake/pull-a-way cake, which looked like a cake, but was really a bunch of cupcakes together.

Zachary and I had mommy-made matching hats for his birthday.

He had so much fun playing with cousin Sophia.

How cute are they together!!!

Zachary's New Toy

2007-11-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Zachary received a fabulous Lego table from Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Sam. Since the gift arrived, he hasn't napped because all he wants to do is play. He has lost interest in Elmo because he would rather build a tall tower. Here are some fun Lego pictures.

Todd and Zachary watching TV

2007-11-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

When I was little and my father was watching the Giants, I danced in front of the television asking my father who he loved more me or the Giants. Well, here is a picture of Zachary and Todd while Todd was trying to watch TV.

Sun Valley Friends

2007-11-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Orit from Sun Valley just sent me over these pictures of Zachary and Noah playing together on Halloween. It was nice to be home early and be able to play with the little kiddies.

Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa

2007-11-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

One of Grandma Ellen's many special skills is the ability to take hundreds of sharp pictures in a weekend. After only one night away Grandma Ellen sent us 99 pictures through ofoto. Here are some of the good ones.

The first one he looks so happy!

Grandpa Sam taught Zachary all about paper airplanes. Here is Grandpa showing him how to make a plane.

Here is Zachary trying to make his own plane.

Zachary is having fun with the paper airplane.

Family Pictures

2007-11-04T17:23:00.001-05:00

We visited Greenwich this weekend because my in-laws are visiting this week. There are so few pictures of our family, so Ellen took some nice pictures of the three of us.

Bat Toddler

2007-10-31T19:11:00.000-04:00

Today was a special fall harvest parade at Tutor Time and I was able to make it to the big event. Rather than watching from the sidelines, I was in the parade holding Zachary's hand. He dressed up as Bat Toddler and looked super cute. The costume was really a gift of pajamas from Grandma Ellen, but it was such a great idea because he was so comfortable.

Daddy's Birthday Weekend

2007-10-28T19:31:00.001-04:00

I decided to carry my camera this weekend to celebrate Todd's 31st birthday. On Saturday we went to the Little Gym for the early morning class and we had a lot of time to explore because the classs was pretty small. Here is a picture of Todd and Zachary playing on the balance beam. Todd has such big muscles. Here is picture of Zachary with Chris and the instructor Jen practicing tumbling on the blue mat.
After gym, we went for pizza. Zachary loves pizza. Also, here is a picture of me with my new eye glasses.
Saturday night, Todd and I went out to the city and Zachary stayed with Safta and Grandpa. We all had FUN FUN FUN!!!

When we got back home, we decided to give Zachary his birthday present a few weeks early. Not sure if he really knows the difference, and we wanted to play with it, too. Here is Todd and Zachary playing on the three-wheel scooter. Zachary had a lot of fun, but had a difficult time figuring out how to scoot.

Finally, here is a super cute picture of Zachary sitting on his scooter.

New Baby

2007-10-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

We welcome our niece, Scarlett Rae! Scarlett was born 1:29 am on Monday. Best wishes to Stephanie, Jeremy and Sophia! Zachary is so happy to have a new cousin and we can't wait to see her over Thanksgiving.

Here is one of her first pictures sent to us from Grandma Ellen.

Grandparents Day

2007-09-26T18:23:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago was Grandparen't Day at Tutor Time and I forgot to post the photos from the day. My mom and Grandma visited Zachary at daycare and had a chance to play and read with him.

Here is a great picture of Zachary with Grammie:

This one is Safta reading Zachary a story. These days Zachary loves books and loves eating fruit. When he wakes up the first things he asks for is a book and an apple.
Here is a nice picture of the three of them. What a fun Grandparent's Day at Tutor Time!

Shana Tova

2007-09-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

I had to post this picture of Zachary taken at Aunt Sandra and Uncle Steven's home on Rosh Hashana. How cute!

We had such a great Rosh Hashana this year and we learned a valuable lesson. My grandma's car broke and she had to stay an extra day while it was being fixed. On that extra day, Todd, Zachary and I decided to meet Grammie for breakfast. As we were about to take her out, my mother offered Todd her Giant's ticket so Safta can spend the day with me, Zachary and Grandma. Well, the four of us had such a wonderful time together. We all are so blessed to have each other! Zachary learned to say "oy" just like his Grammie. We all played ring around the rosie while Zachary clearly sang, "ashes ashes." At the park, another grandma thought that I was the big sister, my mom was Zachary's mom and Grammie was Zachary's grandma. At the end, Grammie said, maybe it wasn't so bad that the car broke down.

Shana Tova to all!

Wedding in Brooklyn

2007-09-10T16:53:00.000-04:00

This weekend Todd and I went to a wedding in Brooklyn while Uncle Josh and Aunt Brooke took care of Zachary. On the way home from the wedding, we stopped by Todd's old Canarsie neighborhood. Here is a picture of his first home.

Todd and I like to look at the homes our family lived in years ago. This year, we also visited my grandparent's house in Queens and I even went inside to spark some old memories (I forgot my camera that day).

Meanwhile, Josh and Brooke had a great time with Zachary. Here are some pictures.

This picture is Uncle Joshie and Zachary going down the slide together. Zachary is very independent at the playground and he can go down slides by himself, but he thinks it is extra fun to slide down with his relatives.

Here is Aunt Brooke visiting Grandma and Grandpa Lippy. Josh and Brooke were so kind to take Zachary to his great-grandparents. From what I hear, Zachary was a big hit with the other residents of Daughter of Miriam.

Here is Zachary back at home giving Porter a hug!!

Zachary and his purple Kipah

2007-08-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we went to Melanie's baby naming. We had such a great time spending the afternoon with our friends Jon and Shelley Dreizen and their friends and family. Here is a picture of Zachary in a purple kipah. Shelley's mother loves the color purple, so it was only appropriate that Zachary sport a purple kipah for Melanie's big day. At the end of the day, he gave Melanie a big wet kiss. Too cute!

Later that day, Todd took Zachary in the pool and was trying to teach the kahuna how to surf.

Visit to Dallas

2007-08-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we visited Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Jeremy and cousin Sophia in Dallas. Here are some fun pictures from the long weekend:

One day we walked around the mall because it was too hot to play. This one is Stephanie with Sophia and me with Zachary.

The kiddies had fun playing at the toys in the mall.

We especially had a lot of fun going to the park.

Here is Zachary with Sophia looking very serious. Sophia loved her bracelet - Todd picked it out!

Aww....daddy's girl.

Everyone wants to go down the big slide.
Playing with my niece...

Zachary did very well on the air plane as well. He actually knows how to say airplane so it was rather funny when he yelled airplane each time we landed. Here is a picture of Todd and Zachary playing in the Dallas airport before we head back to New Jersey.

Here is Zachary...beep beep!!

What a fun trip we had visting our family. We can't wait until Thanksgiving to see everyone again (and a new baby!).

Josh's Birthday Weekend

2007-07-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend was my brother Josh's 30th Birthday and the entire family celebrated together in NYC. The first pictures is the Morris County crowd pre-gaming at Hooters.

This picture is the 8 of us at dinner. We had such a great time together and it was a nice change to leave the kiddies at home. Happy Birthday Joshie!!

The next day we met up with friends in Peddler's Village in Pennsylvania. We went to an in-door merry go round and Zachary wasn't afraid this time. Here is a really cute pictures of the two of us on the horse.

Trader Joe - Crew Member

2007-07-22T21:22:00.000-04:00

We are such big shoppers at Trader Joe's, Zachary even has a button to prove it!

Turtle Back Zoo

2007-07-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

Today we went to the Turtle Back Zoo and it turned out that Zachary was less interested in the animals and more interested in the people and the playground.

Here is a picture of Zachary looking at the baby bear.

Here is Zachary going down the BIG slide all by himself.

Here we are climbing up the rope ladder. He was the youngest kid at the playground and was able to climb up all by himself. (Well, mommy came along to keep him company.)
Silly faces...

Free Concert

2007-07-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

We joined the Lipschitz family at an outdoor (free) concert of the Chapin family at Governor's Island. I think my brthers and I would have had fun if we were in a band together, but Seth is the only one who could actually sing. Maybe when Zachary has siblings they will sing together.

Here are some pictures on the ferry back to Manhattan. This one is me with Gabe, Joey and Sam. I wore my spider man t-shirt so I would fit in with the boys and it was so funny that Joey had a spider man hat and Gabe had spider man socks.

Here is a picture of me and Seth with Gabe.
Here is Joey looking silly with Safta in the background.
Here is Joey and Sam being really silly. They always have fun when I take silly pictures and show them right away. Ahh, the digital pleasures of instant gratification.
Here is Sam and Gabe.
We had so much fun together! Boy, do I love being Aunt!

New York Attorney

2007-07-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

This week I traveled up to Albany to get sworn into the New York bar. I was so lucky to have my grandma come watch and be part of the special day. I saved some letters my grandma wrote to me in college telling me that she had faith that I would be a wonderful lawyer, so it was really great to have grandma keep me company for the day. Grandma also brought two friends: Al and Marilyn, so I had a big entourage when I took the oath.

Here I am after I got my certificate of good standing:

Here is a picture of me and Grandma in front of the New York flag.

Here is my entourage:

Multi Generations

2007-07-17T18:52:00.000-04:00

My parents also took Zachary for a visit to his great-grandparents. Zachary saw his entire New Jersey family in one weekend. (He saw Uncle Seth, Aunt Becca and Cousins Gabe, Joe and Sam on Saturday at a concert and Uncle Josh and Aunt Brooke invited us over for dinner on Sunday night.)

No wonder why Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home" is the New Jersey official state song!!

Grandfather/Photographer

2007-07-17T18:38:00.000-04:00

Supposedly, the new buzzword is the "slash." People don't limit themselves to one profession, rather they can be tax lawyer/mother (me!) or in my father's case Grandfather/photographer. My father's favorite artistic subjects are his grandsons. Here are some great pictures of Zachary from Sunday when he spent the day with Grandpa and Savta while Todd and I caught up on some very much needed time without Zachary. (And we did what married people do: Shopping at big box stores!!! Woo hoo to our new pillows.)

On a side note, my parents did some serious renovations to their house and so far it looks wonderful! We are looking forward to many more family events together in the new kitchen, backyard and family room.

And here is a picture of Zachary with Savta.

In a car built for two...

2007-07-07T20:02:00.001-04:00

We recently discovered that children are permitted to ride in the front seat of a car when the car has no back seat. So, today Todd decided to take Zachary out for a quick cup of coffee in his car.
As soon as we put him in the car, Zachary was thrilled!

What could be better that driving with the roof down with daddy?

YAY!!!

Day with Friends

2007-07-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

Zachary and I met up with my friend Liz and her son Ben in Peddler's Village. We had such a great time just walking around outside and watching the boys play together. Liz and I have been friends since 6th grade so it is really special seeing our boys play together.

Here is a picture of Liz and Me with Ben and Zachary. The boys look bored just sitting in their strollers.

Here are some pictures of Zachary and Ben playing on the grass.

I still cannot believe that it has been 11 years since I graduated high school. This weekend we also met up with my high school friend Karen and her family. It is weird, but being with high school friends is like going back in time and my friends even look the same.

Zachary gets new shoes

2007-06-29T19:29:00.000-04:00

We bought Zachary new shoes and he had so much fun playing with the new box. These pictures are really cute!

Morning with Mommy

2007-06-28T19:56:00.000-04:00

Since I started my new job in Morristown, Zachary and I have had such great quality time in the morning. I am teaching him to skip and we dance together with our karaoke microphone. Yes, I did say "our" because I seem to play with it as much as he does!

Big Smiles! Notice the mis-matched pjs. That (and mis-matched socks) have become a very Zachary look.

Here is a picture of me and Zachary in the morning both in our pajamas.

Father's Day 2007

2007-06-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

For Father's Day this year we went swimming at Seth and Rebecca's pool and Zachary had so much fun playing with his cousins! After the morning swim, Zachary and I both took a nap at Safta and Grandpa's house and then everyone came over for a nice dinner. The crib at my parent's room has been in my room since Sam was a little baby and I used to complain when I stayed at my parent's that I was like an un-wed single mother, but now it was kind of nice to take a nap in the same room as my son.

At my parent's house for dinner, my brothers had a little too much fun teaching Zachary to jump in the mud. He was such a mess, but so happy! We had to take his clothes off and let him run around in a diaper by the end of the day.

This is a funny picture of Zachary looking very surprised - see the mud on his legs?
Here is a picture of Zachary with Uncle Josh. We eventually gave him a bath so Josh would play with him.

Visit to Grandma Gilda

2007-06-16T21:20:00.001-04:00

Here are the pictures (as promised) from our weekend visiting Grandma. The first picture is Grandma Gilda and Zachary. What a great picture! Zachary got his curls from his great-grandma!

With Grandma, we are always running around. On Saturday we went to Hoffmans amusement park, the JCC swimming pool and on Sunday, we went to the park where Zachary loved going down the slide. Especially when I was a child, my grandparents always took us to the most fun places in and around Albany. My brothers, cousins and I are blessed with so many great childhood memories.

Here is a picture of Zachary and Grandma at Hoffman's. I hate to admit it, but my son was a fraid-ee cat at the park and didnt want to go on any of the rides. Last summer he had a lot of fun, but this year he hated it. Hopefully by next summer he will want to go on the amusement park rides.
I convinced him to go on the merry go round if we sat on the booth.

On the way back to Grandma's home from Hoffman's, we stopped by the apartment my mom lived in when she was a kid. We always hear Grandma talk about Louden arms and all the friends they made there.

This is on the way home. Todd and I love to buy sun glasses at the thruway rest stop. Here is a picture of Zachary trying on my sun glasses.
What a fun weekend!!

Is this where my parents met?

2007-06-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

Whenever we go to Greenwich, we pass this sign on the Major Deegan and I think it is funny because my dad is from Queens and my mom is from Albany.

These are the days

2007-06-11T09:32:00.000-04:00

This weekend Zachary, Todd and I visited grandma up in Albany and we had such a wonderful time! (I will post the pictures later, this blog is for discussion). On the thruway home, we stopped at a reststop to get something to eat and as I was in the bathroom, the 10,000 maniacs song "These are the days" was on the radio. Yes, these are the days: the days I get to enjoy my baby Zachary learning new words everyday, the days I get to spend time running around with my Grandmother, the days I love my job and excited about the opportunities ahead of me, the days Todd and I have little to worry about and only lots to love. Yes, these are the days.

Later, we watched the Sopranos and I have to say, I loved the ending. Just another New Jersey family getting together for dinner. So brilliant - I loved that there was even a reference to Little Miss Sunshine. Because, no matter how crazy family is, whether they watch dirty movies or they are in the mafia, family is who stands beside you, who loves you and really what life is all about!!!

Waiting to have kids....

2007-06-08T18:11:00.000-04:00

Today on my hotmail account, there was a featured article on women waiting longer to have kids.

As with all the struggles of family/career, this is one I often notice. I am younger than most of the other mothers with a kid Zachary's age. However, I am also just starting my career.

When Todd and I were talking about having a baby while I was still in law school, many factors came to mind:

1) We wanted to be a young parents.
2) Law school is more flexible than work when it comes to baby-rearing
3) I wanted my kid to be close in age to his cousins
4) I wanted my kid to have young grandparents
5) I wanted to see my grandparents see me as a mother
6) I wanted to start my career as a mother, never having to be de-railed because of change in circumstances.

Obviously, I am very happy with our decision. While it worked for us, it may not work for others. Whenever people talk about all the family/career balance, the conclusion is always the same: Each person has to do what works best for that person and everybody is different.

Visit to Greenwich

2007-06-04T17:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we drove up to Greenwich to visit my in-laws and Uncle Steven. We had so much fun swimming in the pool and just relaxing. Here are some pictures from the day:

The first one is Zachary getting ready for a swim. His hair is definitely getting out of control. It no doubt resembles his Uncle Seth's curly hair.
Here is a picture of my new blonde highlights. I found a place in Morristown open until 9 and decided to commit to being blonde again. I love being blonde.
Here is a great picture of me and Zachary swimming together. Somewhere in the Talmud, the rabbis decided that parents must teach their children to swim. Here I am being the good Jewish mommy I aspire to be. Our swim classes at the JCC this winter were totally worth it because now he is very comfortable in the water.
Here is a cute picture of Zachary playing with his toy car.
And another one...

Congrats Hopkins Lacrosse

2007-05-29T14:28:00.000-04:00

Way to go Hopkins Lacrosse for winning the NCAA championships! Also big congrats to the goalie, my cousin Jesse Schwartzman, for making a super save the final minute of the game and ultimately winning most outstanding player.

It was such a nice surprise to see my cousin Jesse (#2) in the sports section of the NY Times this morning.

Oh, and I don't feel bad that Duke lost. I feel bad that the team had to go through such injustice this year, but it bothers me that the newspaper articles were written so we feel bad for Duke. Just remember, Hopkins kicked butt and my cousin Jesse Rocked!!!!

Mother's Day

2007-05-26T20:12:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the Mother's Day bbq at Becca and Seth's house. We had so much fun dancing, kicking around a soccer ball, and eating yummie foods.

Here is Joey and Sam trying to make underarm farts. I love little boys! Farts are really funny again.
Sam loves it when I take pictures of him and then show him right away.
Here is Zachary dancing. Sam tried teaching me and Savta the Cotton Eye Joe dance he learned in gym class, but we were slow learners. Zachary picked it up pretty quickly though.

At the park

2007-05-26T20:07:00.000-04:00

Here are some great pictures from the park from two weeks ago. Zachary is getting more comfortable running around the park and going down the slide.

He still loves his swing!!
I love this picture of my boys. Zachary doesn't normally like going on Todd's shoulder, but that day he did.

Go Hop!!

2007-05-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

Last month we went to Baltimore to visit Aunt Debbie and Uncle Robbie, cousins Andrew and Jesse. We had the best time watching Jesse play goalie for the Johns Hopkins lacrosse team. We wish the team best of luck as Hopkins plays against Duke on Monday in the NCAA championship. Zachary had so much fun at the game, especially when he cheered forJesse after he made a save!!

Here is a picture of Zachary running around Jesse's apartment with a lacrosse stick:

Here is Jesse and Zachary after the game.
Here is Andrew and Jesse:
Here is Todd and Zachary.

GO HOPKINS LACROSSE!!!

Potty Training

2007-05-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

We bought Zachary a potty and have been trying to introduce the concept to him. So far he loves his potty and loves telling us "Kaka" any chance he gets.

Oh, yes he is wearing a diaper on the potty.

Visit to Grandparents - one month ago

2007-05-26T19:45:00.000-04:00

I have been very busy this month with my new job and with CLE classes, so I am very behind on pictures. About one month ago - Zachary and I visited my grandparents in Clifton. I laughed because the old ladies sitting in front made a comment that I dressed Zachary like a boy and not a baby. Then one responded, do you see the way pregnant women dress now?

Zachary likes posing for pictures.

Here are some pictures of Grandma and Zachary!

Baby Aliza

2007-05-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

The last time I went to my grandparents, I took this picture of me at one year old. (so it is a picture of a picture)

Here is a picture of Zachary at a year old:

Baby Todd

2007-05-19T18:23:00.001-04:00

My mother in law sent me this picture of Todd when he was around two years old. Todd was so cute!!! I couldn't resist posting it up on the blog.

Todd's Mini Me

2007-05-17T17:32:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we visited our friend Lotus in the city. She took this picture and posted it on her blog with the title...Milkman. NO??? More and more everyone has been telling me that Zachary is Todd's mini me. Well, I just don't see it!!! Maybe, a mother sees what a mother sees, but I think he is a perfect combo of me and Todd.

Weekend at Taylor Park

2007-05-16T19:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry I am so behind on blogging, but I have been quite busy with my new job (I love it!) and continuing legal education classes.

Aunt Brooke sent me a bunch of pictures from this weekend - this one is my favorite!!

Bat Man

2007-04-12T21:07:00.000-04:00

Grandma Ellen sent Zachary the cutest Bat Man pajama set - it even had its own cape.

Here is a picture of action Zachary with his favorite toys in hand. He loves plastic kitchen gadgets.

Here is another picture of Zachary taking control of the situation. Go Bat Baby!!

He is getting bigger and smarter everyday. Just tonight we were watching Sesame Street and he saw Elmo and yelled MELMO!!!

April Fools Day

2007-04-01T19:55:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to our friends' Erica and Michael's wedding and Zachary stayed with Savta and Grandpa. What a nice treat for all of us!

Today, our friends Dara and Brad visited us from New York City and we went to the park in Sun Valley together. Here are the good ones from today.

Zachary loves his pink ball.

Zachary knows how to stick his tongue out.
I wonder where he learned it from!

My boy is too cute!!!

I wanted to let people know that I will be switching jobs in two weeks to work closer to home (and Zachary). For more details, send me an e-mail.

One and only Niece

2007-03-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

My mother in law sent me pictures today of my niece Sophia. She is going to be 2 in June and looks more like a little girl and less like a baby.
Here is a picture of Stephanie reading to her. Today we planned a visit to Texas for some time in August. We'll have so much fun together when Zachary gets to play with his Cousin.

Aunt Brooke and Uncle Josh

2007-03-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

On Saturday night we met Aunt Brooke and Uncle Josh in South Orange for Mexican Treats. Zachary had so much fun dancing around the restaurant. (well, until the manager asked us to stop...oops). After dinner we went back to our house to put Zachary to bed and watched Fever Pitch. I think Brooke could relate with the character, except that Josh is obsessed with sports year-round!

Here are some pictures of Brooke and Josh. Here, Josh looks a little bored that Zachary is stealing Brooke's attention.

Smiles!
Stop tickling me!!!

It is so nice that Josh and Brooke live so close. We also stopped by their place Sunday night and had some dinner. Uncle Josh made Zachary real chicken nuggets and he had so much fun running around their home.

Cutey Pie

2007-03-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

Here are some really cute pictures of Zachary getting ready for bed.

This week Zachary had a low-grade fever so I took Friday off to spend the day with him. We had fun together and I discovered that I have a hidden talent of singer/songwriter of children's music. Here is a sample of my lyrics: There is no other place I would rather be, than being outside with Mommy...There is no other dance I would rather Cha Cha, then dancing all night with my Savta. Ohh ohh, I love my family! Ohh Ohh I love my family. More to Come....

Porter

2007-03-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Porter and Zachary. We found Porter at BabyStyles at the Short Hills Mall and we couldn't resist it. Zachary loves sitting on things and loves stuffed animals so we thought this was a perfect combo!

More Purim Pictures

2007-03-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

I was looking through our camera today and I saw a couple of pictures from Purim in Hoboken. Zachary is dressed up as a mini Giants player with black sun guard under his eyes. I am dressed up as Queen Vashti. Well, not really I am just wearing another one of my fun dresses.

Pictures from Purim

2007-03-07T15:46:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Saturday night's Purim Festivities:

The first one is a cute family picture of me, Zachary and Todd. Todd sort of was Willy Wonka. I dressed up as Queen Esther. That is the dress my grandma wore to my parent's wedding. It is so regal! I wonder if I have a daughter whether she will wear the dress my mom wore to my wedding.

This one is Grandpa with Zachary and Joey. Zachary dressed up as Grandpa dressing up as a NY Rangers player.
Here is a picture of me and Zachary. He is playing with a gragger (noise-maker).

This one is another family shot. Zachary looks a little off in these pictures because it was approaching 2 hours past his bedtime. He loves small chairs though.

This one is me and Gabe.
Me and Becca: The color of Sunlight.
Seth and Becca. Ok ok, In case you are wondering about the orange costumes, the Lipschitz family dressed up as Orange Jews. Get it, orange juice. hahaha. They worked so hard to plan the Purim event at their synagogue and Todd, Zachary and I were so happy we could all be part of the celebration.
Here is a picture of Rebecca, Todd and the Lippys.

Here is a picture of Sam with Uncle Todd. Sam is such a good big cousin to Zachary!

A fun time had by all!!!

Chag Purim

2007-03-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

It appears that the focus of this blog is about my role as a Jewish working mother. I suppose it is natural, because so much of my identity as a mother is tied to the fact that I am Jewish and well, working.

This past weekend was Purim overload for Zachary. On Saturday night we went to my brother's synagogue to listen to the Megilla (story of Purim) and on Sunday we went to our old Synagogue in Hoboken in the morning to celebrate and sing songs. (Old as in we no longer belong since we moved out of Hoboken). Unfortunately, we forgot our camera on Saturday and on Sunday the battery ran out, so we have to wait for Savta's pictures. Zachary had the best time at both events and he even stayed up till 9 on Saturday so he could watch the clown, boo at Haman and play with his big boy cousins. I wore the dress my grandmother wore to my parent's weddding as my costume so we all had fun. (Actually, I am pretty confident I have worn this dress more times than my Grandmother).

One of the many traditions of this holiday is to boo each time we hear Haman's name (the bad-guy of the story). I was so afraid that Zachary would start to cry when he heard everyone boo, but he booed along and I couldn't help but cry.

Last year Purim fell out during the week, so I arranged to meet my father at the Hoboken Synagogue because he commuted through Hoboken. Zachary dressed up as Winnie the poo (a gift from Aunt Brooke) and my father and I listened to the Megilla, then went out to Legal Beans for coffee. My mother knew we talked about meeting up, but when I called to tell her that Dad, Zachary and I actually met up, she started to cry. I always called my mother waterworks based on her quick to tear emotional reflex, however, I couldn't help but cry when Zachary booed at Haman and when he clapped his hand with excitement on Sunday morning in Hoboken. Everyday I see myself doing things, saying things or even feeling things just like my mother and I love it!!!!

Zachary in CT

2007-03-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

Zachary spent four days with his grandparents in Greenwich. I missed my Zachary so much. At work I sang Snuggle bunny while researching the tax code. I make up silly songs and sing to Zachary and they always end up getting stuck in my head. Here are some pictures from his time with his grandparents.

On Saturday of his visit, Heidi, Colin, Gideon and Malachi went up to the Connecticut House. Malachi and Zachary are only 5 months apart so they had fun playing together.

Here is a picture of Heidi giving big hugs to the little boys!

Purim Carnival at the JCC

2007-02-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Zachary went to the JCC Purim Puppet Show. Because of Tax Season, I had to work so Todd took Zachary along with Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Sam. Here are some pictures.

Curly Z

2007-02-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

When Zachary's hair grows, it gets super curly. Here are some pictures of Zachary after bath and before bedtime. I love those curls!!!

L'Dor Vador

2007-02-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

One of the core Jewish values is embodied in the Saturday morning prayer, L'dor Vador, from Generation to Generation. When I see my son with my grandparents, I can't help but think L'dor Vador and what a blessing!!!

On a sad note, my grandfather was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. All our prayers are with him! We visited them a few weeks ago and we had such a good time. I love seeing how happy my Zachary makes my grandparents!

Here are some pictures from the visit: This first one is Zachary hanging out with Grandma.

Here, Zachary is showing his great-grandpa his toy car.
This is Zachary's serious side.
Here, Grandpa is tickling Zachary.... I would insert a reference to Tickle Me Elmo, but few would get it. Well, I couldn't resist: Stop tickling me...!!!

Sam on Skis

2007-02-26T17:57:00.000-05:00

Seth just e-mailed me a picture of my nephew Sam skiing. Here he is going down the mountain!!!

A Working Mom in Her Life

2007-02-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

Before baby, before Todd, before lawyering, before law school, I loved poetry. In fact, my law school admissions essay was about my love of poetry and the similarities between poetry and legal writing.

Peter Richards's poetry class at Tufts University was one of my favorite classes I took in college. I learned to write in that class.

Here is one of my favorite poems by one of my favorite poets, Yehuda Amichai.

A Man in his Life

A man doesn't have time in his life
to have time for everything.
He doesn't have seasons enough to have
a season for every purpose. Ecclesiastes
Was wrong about that.

A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment,
to laugh and cry with the same eyes,
with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them,
to make love in war and war in love.
And to hate and forgive and remember and forget,
to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest
what history
takes years and years to do.

A man doesn't have time.
When he loses he seeks, when he find
she forgets, when he forgets he loves, when he love
she begins to forget.

And his soul is seasoned, his soul
is very professional.
Only his body remains orever
an amateur. It tries and it misses,
gets muddled, doesn't learn a thing,
drunk and blind in its pleasures
and its pains.

He will die as figs die in autumn,
Shriveled and full of himself and sweet,
the leaves growing dry on the ground,
the bare branches pointing to the place
where there's time for everything.

****************

Snow Day

2007-02-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

When I signed Zachary up for daycare, the idea of a snow day never occurred to me. Today with our big storm of the year, Tutor Time had unsufficient staff to keep its 4:1 ratio, so Zachary and I had the day off together. Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Sam gave Zachary a sled for his first birthday and we had fun using it on our little hill in the front yard.

Here are some cute photos of Zachary on his sled....

Grammie's Birthday Outfit

2007-02-14T20:02:00.000-05:00

Here is a cute picture of the outfit Grammie got Zachy for his first birthday!!!

Matthew's Birthday Party

2007-02-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

On Saturday night Angelo invited us to his son Matthew's fifth birthday party. We had the best time. The party was held at a cute kid-friendly gym place in Norwalk called Elephant Steps. The place had all sorts of kid-friendly activities. The first activity involved the kids playing with water while wearing cute blue smocks.

The first picture is me and Zachary!

Here is Zachary with the yellow ball!

He is so cute (and knows it, too)!!

The next room was a mini gym and Zachary had fun playing around with different foam objects and new places to crawl.

This is mommy's artistic photo of Zachary playing with the mirror.

Another photo of Zachary playing.

Here is another picture of me and Zachary. At the end of the party when we sang Happy Birthday to Matthew, Zachary was clapping his hands with enthusiasm. I was practically in tears knowing that my little boy not only knew he was at a party, but was able to share in the excitement!!

NJB

2007-02-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a really cute picture of Zachary wearing a Kipah!!!