Biren and Kristen's Universe

December, undoubtedly, has to be the best month for the girls what with their birthday and Christmas being just a few weeks apart. This December was an especially fantastic one since the girls are older and were able to enjoy more things this year. The beginning of the month started off with their birthday. The girls turned three years old! Their actual birthday was on a Friday, so I decided to stay home that morning to watch the girls open their gifts. Kris and I got them a big train table for their gift, and we had spent the previous two nights putting it together. Along with that, they opened a few other gifts from Dida, Dada, and Uncle Niral and Auntie Liz that were sent here for them. It was really great to see the girls go through all their gifts and they really liked everything they got.


The next day, we took the girls to the Klubhouse, where they celebrated their birthday with all their friends and cousins. The girls had such and awesome time running around and playing with everything the Klubhouse had to offer. Kris and I really liked it because cleanup was easy! After playtime, we took everyone into a different room and had cake and some other treats. So far, the girls' birthday weekend was pretty sweet. To top things off, for dinner we took the girls out for Reeny's favorite food... Lobster! She's got exquisite taste, that girl They both loved their meals and had a fun time at dinner.


The day after the girls' big party, we headed over to our friends Dan and Angela's house to attend their son Balin's birthday! He turned one! Ange had some fun activities for the kids that the girls really enjoyed. More cake and treats were had, and then we watched Balin open all his gifts. Girls had a fun time.

That next Friday, we got together with Grammy, Papa, Uncle Dave and Auntie Leah to celebrate the girls' birthday with Kris' side of the family. The girls got more presents to open and had a fun time with everyone. When will the fun end?! Not anytime soon... keep reading!

Now that the birthday partying was coming to an end, it was time to get into the holiday spirit... the following weekend, we took the girls on the Polar Express, boarding out of Lincoln, NH. We had bought tickets well in advance and had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. Kris read the girls the Polar Express book a few times before the trip to get them acquainted with the story. Kris and I even watched the movie a couple nights before our excursion. The girls had a really fun time riding on the train itself. Just like the book, they gave us all hot chocolate and a chocolate candy. The ride on the train itself was only about 10 minutes. Once we got to our destination, the North Pole, we got off the train and were greeted by a number of elves who escorted everyone into a big tent (think circus style). In there, everyone got situated and then an older gentleman in a blue bathrobe came out and read everyone the Polar Express book. Right after that, Santa himself came out to talk to everyone. The girls really liked seeing him, and couldn't wait for him to come over and say hi to them. When he finally came over, he shook Reeny's hand and actually picked up Kath! We were very surprised that Kath didn't have a meltdown when Santa suddenly picked her right up... but it went great, and the girls were super psyched to meet him like that! Santa walked around and personally met every kid in the entire room. That was really cool. At first we weren't sure if that was gonna happen. Then we boarded the train and headed back. All in all, it was a nice trip, and the girls really liked it.

Soon after, we took a break from the fun and took the girls to the pediatrician's office for their yearly checkup. We were happy to hear the girls were doing fantastic medically speaking. Karina is apparently in the 95th percentile for height ("at least as tall as a 4 year old", in the words of the doctor) while Kath is in the 90th percentile (she's only a quarter of an inch shorter than Reeny).

By the end of that week, it was already Christmas! Christmas Eve, we traditionally spend with Kris' side of the family, and this year was no different. We headed over to Grammy and Papa's house that afternoon along with Uncle Dave and Auntie Leah. We spent the day munching on various deliciousness and eventually opened presents. The girls loved all their presents, and so did Kris and I! Later that evening, we headed over to Kris' cousins house where the rest of the Marinos gather every year for Christmas Eve. The girls got to play with their cousins Kate, Jess, and Fiona along with some other kids. The girls were up late that night, but did very well. We all had a really great time, but were all exhausted by the end of the day. We got the girls home and put them to bed. We told the girls that it was Christmas the next morning, and that when they wake up, to come into our room so we can all go down together to see what Santa brought.

The next morning, the girls clearly didn't listen to us because one minute Kris and I were sleeping and the next we were awoken by Reeny screaming, "OUR STOCKINGS!!!". We had stuffed their stockings and put them out on the couch in the living room for them to open. Since they already stumbled upon all their presents, Kris and I quickly jumped out of bed to go get the girls so we could change them and everything before we got into gift opening. We finally got down there, and the girls went nuts opening everything! The girls had a LOT of presents from us and Santa... it took a while, but they got through everything and loved it all. In fact, it's time to retire some toys, as our great room can't handle the sudden influx of new things haha. The girls spent the next few hours playing with their new stuff, and then later that evening we went back to Grammy and Papa's house for Christmas dinner. It was an enjoyable evening.

The next morning, we were up and at 'em bright and early as we packed up the car and headed out to drive to NY to celebrate Christmas with the Shahs. We left at a great time, as the tail end of our drive is when the big snowstorm started. So we got to the house before much snow had accumulated. Uncle Niral and Auntie Liz were already there too. We spent the day eating more delicious food, and opening even more presents! The girls had a blast opening all the presents, and playing with everything they got. It was a very successful Christmas, present-wise. Everyone was of course very happy with their gifts. The next day, we all had tickets to go see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular in NYC (a present from Dida and Dada to all of us). Unfortunately, the snow storm coupled with some horrible politics in NYC resulted in our street not getting plowed until 5:30pm. Our tickets were for 2:00. We weren't able to get out of the house all day. We had called Radio City and were informed we could trade in our tickets to any other show that week. We of course only had that day, as Uncle Niral and Auntie Liz were flying back to San Diego the next day, and we were driving back to MA the next day. We thought we were gonna have to miss the show and lose the tickets, but after the plows finally came at 5:30, we thought if me, Niral, and my dad got out there and shoveled/plowed our butts off, maybe we can be ready to drive into the city by 6 or 6:15, at which point, we could try and make it to the last show that night, the 8:00 showing. In true Christmas miracle fashion, that plan worked, and we made it! The seats we got were fantastic on top of that! So everything ended up working out in the end. It was a late night at that point for the girls, and they did get a little cranky towards the end of the show (maybe 10 minutes left in the show)... but all in all, considering what a day it was, they did fantastic. They really liked the show too. It had been over 10 years since I'd seen the show, so it was like seeing it for the first time for me... And it was also Kris' first time seeing the show. It was really nice, and we all enjoyed it. After that, it was travel time again the next morning. Uncle Niral and Auntie Liz headed out to try and see if they could make their flight (which ended up being delayed a few hours), and we headed out shortly thereafter to start our drive back home.

And that ended all of the birthday/Christmas fun. What a crazy fun-filled month it was for us. I can't wait for next December already! Finally, December's not complete without New Year's Eve! This year, we kept it pretty low key. We went out to dinner with Jen, Steve, and Grace and afterwards headed over to their house to hang out for a bit. The girls actually got to open a few more presents as we had a little Xmas exchange with the Kings. We then left and got home in time for the girls' bedtime. Kris and I watched a movie, and then watched the ball drop to ring in the new year, at which point we went to bed.

Finally, I will leave you with a quick story and a video. It's possible the girls are starting to form their twin powers... At one point this month, Reeny was in the bathroom sitting on her potty doing her business talking to Kris. At one point she says to Kris, "Mom, Kath is pooping". Now, Kath was nowhere near Reeny and definitely not in sight. Kris was confused by Reeny's statement, but decided to check it out... Sure enough, Kris walked into the living room and found Kath standing behind the Christmas tree taking a poop in her pants! Now how in the world could Reeny have known then?! Ladies and Gentlemen, the twin powers are forming... it's only a matter of time before they hone their powers... and then it's all over for Kris and I, HAHAHA!!

Last but not least, here's a video I made summarizing the girls' birthday party at the Klubhouse. Enjoy! Happy New Year everyone!

3rd Birthday Bonanza

[Polar Express Photos]
[Xmas Photo Shoot Photos]
[3rd Birthday Photos]
[3rd Birthday Party Photos]
[Christmas with the Marinos]
[Christmas with the Shahs]
[December Photos]

The first weekend of November, we went to Russ (Kris' cousin) and Monica's house along with Phil (Kris' other cousin, and Russ' brother) and Bonnie, and all the kiddos for a pizza night. We made a variety of pizzas, which was fun, and Bonnie even made a dessert pizza, which was awesome! The girls had a fantastic time with all their cousins. Russ and Monica's kids have a lot of dress up stuff at their house, so the girls had a field day with all that stuff. It's becoming more and more evident we need more dress-up stuff in the house haha!

The following day, Kris' good friend Claudia came over to spend a Sunday afternoon with us to chat and see the girls, as it'd been a while since she last saw them. Claudia brought a couple presents for the girls, and of course she became the girls' best friend. It was a great visit, and it was nice to see Claudia after so long.

The following weekend, our friends Sean and Amanda came over with their daughter Juliette for a playdate. The three girls enjoyed themselves through the evening, while us adults had a great time chatting ourselves away. Two weeks later, Sean and I were lucky enough to go to the Patriots/Colts game at Foxboro Stadium. We tailgated and enjoyed ourselves at the game.


The night before the Pats game, we went out for dinner with Grammy, Papa, Uncle Dave, and Auntie Leah to celebrate Grammy and Papa's anniversary. The girls are great at restaurants now, so it was really nice. Dave and Leah hadn't seen the girls in a little while, so it was nice for us all to be together.

A few days later, we decided to check out the Methuen Festival of Trees, figuring the girls would get a kick out of all the uniquely decorated trees... and we were right, they really enjoyed themselves! They had a couple different Disney trees, including a Pooh one which they loved... they had a Grinch one which was really great... and a Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer one which the girls were fixated on haha! Check out the pictures below to see some of the fun trees they had. It was a really nice display, and we'll definitely go back next year.

Soon after that was Thanksgiving, which we spent at Grammy and Papa's. We had a nice day there, the girls played, Papa and I had football, and we all had a massive meal. It was a nice low key get together.

The next morning, we got up and headed down to NY to spend the rest of Thanksgiving weekend with Dada and Dida. It had been about 4 months since they saw the girls last. So needless to say, my parents were excited, and so were the girls. The girls did great on the ride down (only one pee break!), and they had a fantastic time while there. Since it took us seven and a half hours to get home from NY last year on Thanksgiving Sunday, we decided to leave late Saturday night... and that was a great idea, because we made it home in record time, and the girls slept a majority of the way (which meant ZERO pee breaks!).

So overall, Thanksgiving was great, and the girls had a really great time with both Grammy/Papa and Dida/Dada.


Late November, we finally busted out our new Elf on a Shelf. Part of the deal is you're supposed to let your kids name the elf, and of course, the girls chose Bobby. That's what they name everything. We had a skeleton hanging in our great room during Halloween, whose name was also Bobby. So the girls are enjoying looking for Bobby every morning. They're really into it.

We also got all our Christmas lights up and our tree. Last year, they were a little too young to help decorate the tree, but this year the girls loved helping with the tree. By the end of it, I think we each broke one ornament, hahaha... not bad

[Trip to NY Photos]
[Methuen Tree of Festival Photos]
[November Photos]

October ended up being a pretty fun month for us. We kicked off the month with the third annual Shah/James/Shah gathering at Ush and Susan's house in NY. It was also the weekend of Ush/Susan's son Evan's third birthday party! So it was an action packed weekend, with lots of partying. The birthday party was held at an aquarium, which included a guided tour for all the kids. It was a really nice time, and the girls enjoyed their favorite aquarium exhibits, the sharks and the jellyfish. After the aquarium, we all went to a nearby restaurant for food, drinks, and cake. The entire long weekend was a fantastic time, as it is every year! We already can't wait for next year's get together!

A little later in the month, the girls started attending storytime at our local library. You have to register for a lottery and hope to get a spot at this (must be a popular thing). Luckily, we got selected. It's a four week program, and you go once a week. They read a couple books to all the kids, and do some interactive activities. The girls really enjoy going every week. It's too bad it's only a four week thing. We will probably try and register for the next one, but chances are lower we'd get in again... We'll see.

In addition to storytime at the library, the girls continue to go to their gymnastics class every week. That's an eight week program that is wrapping up soon but we plan to enroll them in the next session as well. They really love this class too... they are especially fond of the trampoline. They are becoming adept on the balance beam too! As you may know from previous posts, Kath was pretty timid at these classes, but of late she's been really getting into them... both the gymnastics class and storytime. So she's coming out of her shell a little now, too... which is great. She still has her episodes around other people (even ones she knows), but I feel she's getting better. At least she's enjoying these classes now...

Mid-month, we made plans to meet a couple of Kris' college friends (including Jen) and their kids at a farm that was convenient to everyone, and just hang out. It was a little cold that day, but not too bad if you stood in the sun. We went to Honey Pot Hill Farms in Stow, MA. They have some animals there, cider donuts, fresh apple cider, and of course plenty of freshly picked apples. We had a nice little picnic there, and enjoyed everything the farm had to offer. It was a great day, and it was nice to see some friends we hadn't seen in a long while.

The day after the picnic, we had a little scare when Reeny had her first real injury. This one sent her to the emergency room at the local hospital. She and I were playing on the couch, throwing a plush animal back and forth at each other, when at one point in pure excitement, she rolled off the couch. Now, she's fallen off the couch MANY times before... but this time, she was screaming especially badly, and kept grabbing at her wrist. When she didn't calm down, and begged us not to touch her hand to look at it, we knew something was wrong. We started thinking maybe she landed funny and broke her wrist. Instead of all of four of us going to the hospital, I stayed home with Kath, while Kris took Reeny to the emergency room. Luckily, we are minutes away from a hospital. They took a number of x-rays and the doctor said that she had dislocated her elbow. He grabbed her arm (she had been crying the whole time since the injury... she hadn't stopped once), and just snapped it back in place. Karina, as you can imagine, let out a worse scream... but within two minutes, she stopped and was all smiles. Popping her elbow back in place must have instantly relieved the pain. She enjoyed a popsicle and came back home in a happy mood. It's called nursemaid's elbow (or toddler's elbow, even) and is, apparently, quite common in kids younger than four. It's also easier for Reeny to dislocate it again, now that it's happened once.

This October also marked five years of wedded bliss for Kris and I. We can't believe five whole years have gone by since our two wedding cermonies. If you told me five years ago I would be living in a beautiful big house with 3 year old twins in five years, I never would've believed it. These past five years have been truly amazing, and I am incredibly lucky to be married to Kris. I love her deeply, and really appreciate everything she does for this family. To celebrate our momentous occasion, we asked Grammy and Papa if they would babysit the girls for a night, so we could go out. They accomodated last weekend... so Kris and I went into Boston and checked into a hotel for the night. We went out for dinner at a nice restaurant, and then we went to a bar next door and just chatted the night away. We really enjoyed ourselves, and had a nice night out, just us. We hadn't had that in a loooooong time. I look forwrd to 5 years from now, when we can do it again haha!

Of course, yesterday was Halloween, and the girls had a total blast!! They were old enough last year, but this year they really knew what was going on and really got into it. As is quickly becoming tradition, Grace came over, and we took all three girls up our street trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, it was really really cold, so we didn't go to as many houses as we were originally planning, but the girls were real troopers and they all had a blast! Watching the girls bring their pumpkins up to the great room after we got back and literally dump all their candy out onto the floor brought back memories of my own from when I was a kid and did the same thing. It almost brought a tear to my eye to watch my own children do something that we all did as kids ourselves.



October also brings us two more fun videos of the girls Be forewarned, the first one contains some nudity, as the girls dance to the theme song of Between the Lions. The second one showcases the girls using their new stomp rocket that mommy bought them.

Naked Dancing

Stomp Rocket

[Weekend at Ushir/Susan's]
[October 2010 Photos]
[Honey Pot Hills Photos]

We started off September with a cookout Labor Day weekend with the Kings. We invited Jen, Steve, and Grace over for a small cookout. Grace and the girls did their thing and had fun, while the rest of us enjoyed some afternoon chit chat and drinks. Unfortunately, soon after that weekend, the girls got sick. Kath had a horrible cough that lasted over a week, while Reeny had a pretty runny nose. Luckily, neither of them ever had a fever. Just bad colds.

A little later that month, the girls started their gymnastics class that we signed them up for. It's a class meant for toddlers that incorporates a mix of dance and gymnastics. Karina loves the class and has been having a blast every week since. Kath on the other hand is still going through her "stranger anxiety" issues, and tends to cry her way through class. She really is skittish around others of late. She's been better, but we're waiting for this phase to pass. Grammy had to accompany Kris to this last class so Reeny can enjoy herself with Kris while Grammy helped Kath through the class. Kath did much better with Grammy also there. It's hard for Kris to devote her complete attention to both girls during the class, which is when Kath tends to lose it. So this worked out nicely.

Around mid-month, Kris and I had a yard sale at our house with Dave and Leah. We put all of our extra stuff out early morning, and Dave/Leah showed up shortly thereafter with all their stuff. It was our first yard sale, and we actually did very well. The girls had fun spending a majority of the day outside just playing while people came and went. We were very pleased with how things turned out. We made a little extra cash, and we also got some "junk" cleared out of our house. A little spring cleaning in the fall...

The day after the yard sale, we headed up to a nearby farm to pick out some pumpkins for our front yard. The girls loved going to the farm last year and seeing the massive pumpkin patch, and this year was no different. They had a blast at the farm... they got to pick out a couple of pumpkins, go on a hay ride, and just take in the festivities that day.

Another activity the girls like now is going to the library. Kris takes them there weekly now, and our local library has the entire lower level dedicated to kids... there are things for them to play around with (like train tracks) and of course plenty of book to read. There's also a fish tank there that the girls love. They really look forward to going every week. Kris even borrows movies for the girls, like the Disney classics, to watch.

The last weekend of September, we headed over to the Kings' house to celebrate Grace's third birthday. The girls had lots of fun at the party, playing inside the house with lots of various toys, and outside with the hammock and swing set. We all sang happy birthday, and for whatever reason Karina got upset by that and started to cry... We have no idea why she got upset, but it was kinda funny.

That about wraps things up for September... Enjoy the pics... you can see the girls enjoying their last time in the pool for the season at Grammy and Papa's house.

[September Photos]

As usual, I'm a little late with my post... how time flies! I have no idea how I was writing a weekly post for so long! Alright, well, let's get right to it. August was a great month, as it is every year, because it is the month in which I was born! We didn't do a big party or anything for my birthday... We just went out for a nice dinner and then came back home to eat a super delicious cake that Kris made for me... from scratch! The girls helped me blow out the candles. It was a really great night that was capped off with the fact that the girls were on their best behavior that night. Thanks to my three lovely ladies for a wonderful birthday evening!

Ohhhh, and before I forget... August is also Homer's birthday! Little guy turned two. He's absolutely become a part of this family, and is a great dog. He used to be quite rambunctious, but has since mellowed out quite a bit and is very good to us. The girls absolutely love him, and we couldn't imagine this house without him. Kris decided to give him a birthday hard-boiled egg, since he likes those haha!

The weekend before my birthday, my dad came down to visit us, and he brought with him two of my aunts and uncles. The four of them were in the US visiting on account of my brother's wedding which had just taken place the week before. They had never been to our house, so they wanted to come visit as well as get another chance to see the girls. It was really nice to have them in our home, and see the girls have such a great time with them! It's not often I get to see my relatives from India, so it was really great to see them a few weekends in a row while they were in the country.

The next weekend, we decided to take a trip up to Newburyport and walk around and watch the boats since the weather was SO nice. The girls loved looking at all the boats. Once we got there, we saw that they had these 45 minute harbor cruises, so we decided to take one. The girls had a blast on the boat! It was a real nice day just walking around, and taking in the sights and sounds with the girls.

The following weekend, our friends Dan and Angela, with their son Balin, had a cookout at their house. It was another beautiful day, which made for a great opportunity for the girls to enjoy the water activities Dan/Ange setup. Unfortunately, Kath was being a little grumpy and decided not to play, but Reeny had a blast splashing around in the little inflatable water activity set. Kath eventually got out of her funk and enjoyed the rest of the day with the other kids that were there. Kris and I had fun chatting with our friends, and the girls had fun playing with the other kids. Was another fun weekend!

Last weekend, we went to another cookout, this time at the King's house, where the girls played with not only their best pal Grace, but some of Grace's cousins. Steve had his hammock setup in the backyard, and the girls were very intrigued by it, so we went over and plopped them in it. Boy did they love that thing! I now have an excuse to get myself a hammock at home... "the girls want it!" haha!

In parting, I leave you with a few videos for your enjoyment. We've got a video of the girls using their indoor slide in yet another new way. Another video of the girls singing and dancing along to some of their favorite songs that were played during the Boston Fireworks Spectacular. Finally, we have a video of the girls enjoying their new scooters that we just bought them this weekend (yes, I know, that should fall in the September update post... but I couldn't wait :-p).

Backslide

Dance and Sing Along

Scooters!!

[Newburyport Photos]
[Dan & Ange's Cookout Photos]
[August Photos]