Last Day of School

Friday night.  After Shabbat dinner.  Last day of school.  Renee and Samuel were sleeping over, Matthew was coming home on his own.  It was late at night all were giddy.  Need i say more? Well maybe a little explanation - Renee is wearing a t-shirt she wears as pajamas and singing a song in a language unknown to us with a bit of Hebrew for good measure.

We're saving this picture to blackmail Matthew when he's a teenager

It could embarrass him more than naked baby pictures.

Nothing quite like mismatched pajamas and a mask, and the pose and look on his face.

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Samuel's Hannuka Card

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Eighth Night, and a visit to the Museum

For the eighth night we took turns, Matthew candles 1, 2 and 3 Renee 4, 5 and 6, and Samuel 7, 8 and putting the shamash in its place.

Samuel in the very realistic bat cave

Matthew the medieval knight

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Seventh Night

The camera stayed in it's case.

Samuel lit the Hannuka candles and the Shabbat candles. The kids were exhausted, challah was eaten before the blessing, white grape juice was accused of being apple juice and was consumed before its blessing.

They all got extra hugs and kisses.

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Sixth Night

The school Hannuka party. Aka kids write and read their own dedications in English and Hebrew, light candles, sign Hannuka songs and then the DJs start and kids, teachers and a few brave parents, dance their hearts out.



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Fourth and Fifth Nights

We were remiss. No candles light.

The fourth night was Tuesday, we (kids and I) went to McDonald's with my Babby. It brings her and the kids equal joy to go, so who am I to say no. So we missed the mitzvah to light candles but we got great-grandmother and great-grandchildren together.

The fifth night was swimming, a late night to begin with.


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Third night of Hannuka

We tried to take a self portrait with a BlackBerry - its hard to get 5 people in a frame when the camera is an arm's length away.

Our effort quickly ended when Renee's hair singed. Renee asked for ice (kids ask for ice and/or bandaids at any sign of potentially being hurt). Samuel got the Candy Cane Fudge Crackle (ie Christmas) ice cream from the freezer to sooth his sister.

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Second Night of Hannukah

We had an elaborate way of determining which kid had which night, all coordinated to make sure Samuel got the 7th night on Shabbat so he could light the Hannuka candles first "because after you light the Shabbat candles, that's it no more work, and lighting fire for candles is work".

Here is Matthew lighting candles with his great-grandmother.

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First Night of Hannukah

 

Samuel wanted to light candles on the seventh night, so we had to devise an order that would allow that.  Renee - first, Matthew - second, Samuel - third, Eduardo - fourth, etc.

 the young, and young at heart

Samuel finished his dinner very quickly and disappeared, and was very quiet after leaving the table.  He was drawing a hanukia on the foil lining the cookie sheet that the hanukia was on.

Matthew Gets Dressed . .

Under the covers.  He loves it, in the morning, at night, and he gets dressed completely by himself and faster under the covers than not.

Birthday Party

Stuck Together Pajamas

The result of "Can i take a picture of you in your new stuck together pajamas?" (which Samuel has been asking for since sleeping over with David)

Once upon a saturday

We had a typical Saturday today.  One parent slept in (Marc today), kids ate challah toast for breakfast. We watched some tv and hung out in pajamas until lunch time.  We did go to Andy's house to take her some milk.  

Here is Matthew's (slightly morbid) response to my question "Matthew can you tell me a story"

And here is Renee's story a little later in the morning.

Renee and I had a bumpy day today.  She didn't like that I watched TV with her boys even though i was taking turns - boys until a commercial and then Renee until the next one.  She insisted that the movie was the commercial "see Ima (she's taken to calling me Ima = mom in Hebrew), that's a Scooby Doo commercial, not movie".  Soon things escalated "You are not my daughter anymore.  Only Daddy is my daughter".  It was a recurring theme.

Matthew and Renee, true kids of a Mexican Jew, playing dreidel on top of a Mayan pyramid.

Tocayo came by in the afternoon to build Lego with Samuel. Samuel though i think has overdosed on lego building.  7 sets in 5 days would do it.  He went so far as to say "if i touch another lego, my had will fall of.  Seriously.  For real".  So they played instead and went to the car wash. 

Shabbat Shalom

The things that matter at the end of the day (or week).

My parents have the ability to turn anything into something fun for kids.  My grandmother Renee was like that too.  I remember putting drops of glue on my finger tips then let it dry and then run it on my arms and face, or spreading a thin layer of glue on my hand letting it try and peeling it off.  This was try to step on the spot of light.  

Four Year Old Fashionista, and her boys

The kids dress themselves, we only edit for weather appropriateness.  In Renee's case that means long sleeves under the summer dressed she loves to wear.