Pre-Bowl Game Celebrations

New Years Eve was almost perfect. Silvan could not make it which was a bummer, but we had a nice crowd anyway, and since Uncle Sil was not here we totally changed up the menu and had a seafood feast complete with all the trimmings.

We put the kids to bed and then the adults opened a few bottles of wine, shook some cold martinis and wondered what that dripping sound was, coming from the kitchen? Imagine the horror of horrors to discover
water trickling in through the ceiling. It was pretty obvious that someone had flushed something inappropriate in my master bathroom.

We were able to do damage control, turn off the water to the area, and proceed with ringing in the new year. I was not about to let some sewage ruin my celebration and hard culinary work. I set up the buffet in the dining room and enjoyed entertaining our guests.

We enjoyed a Caesar salad with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, steamed broccoli with garlic and sea salt, pesto grilled shrimp, Alaskan king crab legs, bay scallops in a lemon butter sauce and



a few decadent desserts like chocolate covered strawberries and miniture cream puffs.

Here are the posed photos we took for Argenida's facebook.



We were quite a fun bunch!

We stuck to our initial plan of staying home, dining on some gourmet fare, and being in bed before 10:30. We did not plan on starting the new year with an emergency, New Years Day/Rose Bowl game Day/Buckeye plumbing service call. Let the Bowl Games begin. Yeah Right. The Ohio State Buckeyes might be in the Rose Bowl this year, but apparently, the Slutskys are in the Toilet Bowl.

Any bets as to what we "find" when the toilet is removed and snaked? As long as we are taking bets, any guess is to how much the service call is gonna cost us?

Happy New Year!

Year End Details

As we wrap up another year I am scrambling to finish a few things-- all while being unable to really see and therefore, drive. Until my corneas heal enough to refract my eyes, there is no way to correct my vision to 20/20 via new lenses, so my current glasses and contacts are obsolete. This makes driving a no-no and it makes typing on the computer difficult, but not dangerous or impossible. (THANK GAWD!) If I seem to be slurring my words worse than usual (beyond spell checker) I apologize.

I am in the process of remodeling my current computer room into a home office. This project requires installing locking french doors that keep the two and four legged little people out. The dead bolted doors are key to keeping my stuff safe from markers, maple syrup, and spilled gatorade. We can't afford to go there; again! I am packing my current office for the said move, and I am weeding through piles of paperwork, receipts, EOB statements from our two different insurance companies, old bills, current bills, and more chazzerai. I hope to have the actual ebay worthy, profit-making merchandise, swapped out in one full swoop, just transferring it from Jeff's building to the new home office. I am sure this little move and set up will go much smoother than when my husband boxed my old office and moved me to a smaller office space while I was on bed rest.

I realized that Amanda is due for new glasses and her current vision coverage is changing for the worse, after January first, which is in less than 48 hours. Tick Tock. It is a good thing I knew she would LOVE some of the Vera Bradley eye glass frames I scored at my favorite close-out store back in November. I snagged them as a Hanukkah gift for her because I could not pass them up. Now the only obstacle is scheduling the new eye exam in time to take advantage of the coverage for the lenses to go inside the darling frames. Maybe I will call my new BFF, Dr. Richard Erdey on his cell phone, since I have the number.(kidding) I am hopeful to pull this shenanigan off before time runs out.

I promised Argenida that I would create her How Time Flies scrapbook album anthology from the last year to present. I have uploaded the photos, made 45 beautiful 12x12 pages, and all that is left to do is: come up with the money to pay for them, order them and cross this off my list. This was her "Big" Christmas gift this year and I am irked that I have not been financially able to present her with book on time. It is not for lack of effort or thought though, it is just a money thing.

It has been grey, cold and there have been various blankets of white powder on my front lawn for over a week. I am not talking about spilled gluten free flour, or cocaine, I am referring to the nasty snow. Which brings me to another task that I must tackle. TRAVEL PLANS! In order to mentally and emotionally survive the long ass winter here, I need my escape planned and officially on the calendar. My usual "schemes" are just tag alongs when Jeff is on business but the choices for January and February look weak so far. I am looking forward to finalizing something soon so I can start counting down the days until I can escape this arctic crap.

My big plans for New Years Eve include being at home, preparing a fancy feast like meal for Jeff and maybe Silvan, drinking some very cold, very dirty Vodka Martinis and being in bed no later than 10:30 p.m. after a long, hot bubble bath. Mmmmmmm, I do lead a jet set life. I have absolutely no desire for the big ticket hotel ballroom parties with inflated priced special menus, cheap champagne, and getting home late, worrying about driving along side amatuers and idiots. My plan is solid and fool proof. It is the final year end detail that sets the tone for the new year.

I am looking forward to a relaxing and wonderful celebration of all things 2009. Now where should I go for that tropical vacation in the beginning of 2010? Details, it is all just details.

Right Eye- All Right!

I almost forgot to update everyone on the success of my eye surgeries. The left eye went as planned last Tuesday and the following day the lovely and talented Dr. Richard Erdey implanted a cornea ring on the right eye. The procedure itself took less than half an hour but all the legal mumbo jumbo, mild sedation, paperwork and waiting for the O.R, to become available, it took much longer.

I got a chance to really know my nurses. By day two of spending a few hours together we became pals.
We bonded over our love of designer shoes and chocolate. I have never met a nurse that does not love both. I confessed that I wore tall shoes on purpose and that my loose fitting clothing was not gonna happen. I did not go to all the trouble to have a tummy tuck so I could wear frumpy frocks. NO WAY. They totally got that. They wear orthopedic shoes and scrubs so they live vicariously through the patients, and I was just happy to help them.

We posed for photos together so I could officially show off my Filene's Basesment bargain of 2009.


I picked up these amazing Ann Demeulemeester black leather slides on the 80% off rack. They retailed at Barney's in NYC for $655 but Filene's had them for $23 when it was all said and done. I know they are an acquired taste, so I acquired them. They are part motorcycle chick, part haute couture, part hooker and when they make me almost 6 feet tall they are priceless.

So, I am now the proud owner of two corneal implant rings. I am so incredibly special that I have to carry around some fancy laminated identification cards and serial numbers in my wallet. In case of emergency, I suppose. I would hate to think that my identity would be verified by my corneas, but whatever- I am six feet tall and will have stellar vision in a few weeks, I can live with the small details.

After two surgeries and a few office visits I am now friends with my eye surgeon too. In my follow up appointment he gave me his cell phone number in case I have any issues. He told me to call him directly rather than going through the after hours call service. I wasn't sure if he was being so nice because of my effortless charm and splendid personality or because I am good friends with his ex-girlfriend, the one with the perfect hair. No one wants to look bad in the eyes of their ex, so perhaps he was just making sure I spoke kindly of him. Regardless of the circumstances, I am being well taken care of in the medical, optical, and fashion world.

I have more than met my health insurance deductible for the year, so I was quite pleased that I was able to get this finished before the years end. Another to do list item is officially crossed out. The website of Dr. Richard Erdey's practice is www.icanseeclearly.com, it is aptly named don't you think? Once we get my corrected vision to 20/20 I will be able to, as Dr. Erdey says, See Clearly. Since seeing is believing, I am all right (and left)! When it gets right down to the nitty gritty, it always comes back to what we wore when, so consider these my shoes that along with Dr. Erdey, help me see things more clearly.

It is Fashion Week, Come preview the New Chazzerai Collection

In case you did not get the memo from Paris, is it Fashion Week at the Slutsky's home in New Albany. While the wind is howling and the snow is sporadic in Central Ohio, we have been keeping toasty warm and staying busy with our debut couture show called, The Chazzerai Collection for 2010.

for my non-Jewish readers,
the word Chazzerai: (khaz-zer-rye) literally, pig slop. Any kind of garbage, whether it's junk food, shoddy merchandise or stuff of little or no value.

"No wonder my grandson is fat.. All my daughter-in-law feeds him is chazzerai!"

"I went to that big estate sale, but all they had was chazzerai."

"I never shop at Loehmann's any more. All they have is chazzerai."

I allowed the kids to create their own fashions with a variety of designer clothing and accessories from (GASP!!!!) my own closet. You may recognize some of the fancier items from my pre-Mommie days of the past. For example, the plum and black Missoni (orange label for those who know) boucle wool scarf and the Eric Javits hat are two of my personal favorites, and now they are fodder for four year olds.




I am sure most kids are not lucky enough to play with their mother's Prada bag and Dolce & Gabbana silk blouses, but I indulge my children with the nothing but the finest dress up clothes. Did you really think my kids would be playing fashion show in items from The Gap? (SHUDDER)

Do you think Grandma Charlotte would be ever so proud to see her grandchildren, modeling the purple knit boa she knit for me?



I know she would have bought a ticket to this show. I just wish she was here to see it. She would have been so pleased.

The kids collaborated on the fashion show for hours. They took turns with the items and modeled each ensemble for my camera. These images are only the highlights- some of the out takes are even more captivating. There was twirling. There was spinning. There was prancing,

and that was just from the boys! I especially love the way CJ accessorized his outfit with one tall black sock, it is a Michael Jackson, retro, old school, one glove kind of look, right?

So while you might be dreaming of Paris and wishing you could be anywhere but in Central Ohio this winter, there is nothing that can compare to my version of fashion week. The Chazzerai collection for 2010: available at Thrift Shops and Consignment stores nationwide or you can just raid my closet.

It is the most wonderful time of the year

Aside from receiving birth announcements in the mail, my next favorite thing(s) are the holiday photo cards. I JUST LOVE THEM. I look forward to getting the mail out of the mailbox from Thanksgiving to New Years.

This is my 2009 Holiday Photo Card Collage on the fridge. WOW! Just look at all the pretty, smiling faces- it is so fun. I really enjoy seeing all the families and how much they change year after year. My display blankets both doors and ends up going around to the sides by January first after the stragglers arrive.

If you click to enlarge the image you will see a ton of triplet families, our neighbors, lots of friends, some relatives and a ton of happy faces in their colored coordinated, festive holiday clothing. The only thing better than seeing all the darling photographs would be to see all the kids decked out in the Chez Ami matchy matchy, pink & green and monogrammed clothes in person. A girl can dream, right?

It does not seem fair that I only get to be with some of these folks once in a while. There are others that I never get to see in person anymore, so their card is the next best thing.

By far, this is the most wonderful time of the year. I will keep the Holiday Photo Card Collection up until Valentine's Day or until Temple Beth Chanel sends home some more amazing original art work.

New Rules

Parenting is never easy.. When it comes to rules and regulations sometimes you make things up as you go along. After the last couple of days Jeff has instituted some new rules of his own. He is on the rampage like a Paternal Jewish Bill Maher figure, with the same swear words and R rated language, only not on HBO.

My husband has put his foot down and has stated, that in the future:

"All products and gifts that require assembly must be assembled prior to delivery or before they are generously given to our children!"

NO EXCEPTIONS.

I am sure other parents of small children understand his new rule. Even the smallest, simplest toys require hours of following directions, various tools, batteries and general construction know how. Multiply that (in our case) times four and add impatient kids who just want to play with what they see on the outside of the box.

You should have heard the swearing as Jeff tried to assemble the zhu zhu pets habitats. Each one contained about 276 small pieces that were secured to cardboard with wires and screws. The instructions were in that teeny tiny print that forced him to wear his glasses and scratch his head with disgust. I am sure Jeff was ready to chuck the various hamster gizmos and call it a day. I heard him say, "EFF the EFFIN ZHU ZHU pets" more than a few times.

Jeff half wondered if perhaps the Uncles were plotting some sort of revenge or conspiracy theory against him. It was probably just a coincidence that the darling presents selected by his brothers were the gifts that called for some serious put together. Intentional or Coincidence?

I would have taken photos of Jeff diligently working his ass off but I was afraid of the cursing and finger gestures that would have been hurled at me and my camera. Remember last year when Papa and Jeff tried to construct the Rose Petal Cottage.Trust me, this was sort of a deja vu. Same song, different verse. When it was all said and done, my ever so patient husband had put together a play tent, a tunnel, several (EFFIN ZHU ZHU PET)robotic hamster accessories, and a marble vortex.

The new rules would prevent having all the kids hover over him as he attempts to assemble the toys. This is what it looks like when your four "helpers" are trying to assist in putting together a marble vortex toy.


Can you try to understand the need for the new rules?

Here are photos of our children enjoying the gifts from their relatives,



and celebrating the handiwork of their loving father.

The New Rules by Jeff Slutsky-Eat your heart out Bill Maher.

P.S.- this post is not meant to be ungrateful to those who have lovingly given my children gifts, it is just a blog rant that humors those who can relate to the pain. You know who you are.

Chrismukkah Greetings

Festive greetings here on the Silly Slutsky blog. It is that time of the year where you embrace all things joyous and special. Especially family moments.

Howard, Diane and their family celebrate Christmas. The other Slutskys celebrate Hanukkah. Together we enjoy Chrismukkah, the combination of the two holidays rolled into one. When you think about it, Christmas and Hanukkah are really just about enjoying family, food and rejoicing about religion, so long as the technicality of the religion is left open to your own interpretation, it is all good. Same holiday different foods, right?

We went to Cincinnati to party it up, Christmukkah style. The kids had a royal blast and the adults got the chance to catch up on small talk with relatives, eat and enjoy a day of rest and relaxation. Nothing says it is a Slutsky family event like latkes, brisket, turkey and various pot luck items.
This is Eli enjoying a latke topped with Black Caviar. When I say that my kids have a gourmet palate I am not shitting you. How many four year olds do you know that willingly eat caviar and actually like it. Weird, I know, I know, but since this is my kids baby book of sorts, I wanted to make a note of Eli's culinary palate, age 4.

These smiles speak for themselves. You can just tell Connor is a happy child, practically every photo of him looks as if he is laughing, because he is always laughing. It is hard to believe he is really Howard's son. I mean, they are like twins only Connor got Diane's coloring, so there is no doubt about it. For those who think Howard never smiles, just look at his oldest son and you almost forget how serious Howard can be.

The highlight of the day was watching the kids open the aunt and uncle's holiday gifts. Our kids took home a huge haul of amazing loot.



Of course Mitchell had to cheeze it up for the obligatory blog photos. Somethings never change.

We are finally at a stage where the little cousins all play together. They love spending time with each other and they practically entertain themselves.



It is actually getting to be fun and easy to socialize with our gaggle of kids outside the walls of our own home. We have arrived my friends, we have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and it does get easier. For those moms of multiples who read my blog and wonder when life will be this good, just give it until they are four years old and wait for the magic. Abracadabba, thank you Jesus.

So in honor of all the many celebrations this month I am happy to report that I am making a donation to the Human Fundto recognize all my blog readers, fellow multiple moms, friends, neighbors and their families. I am feeling ever so generous and kind- much like my friend, George Costanza.

Here at the Silly Slutskys we are go with the flow- Hanukkah, Christmas, Festivus or Chrismukkah- no worries, it is all good. Happy Whatever you Celebrate!