Days Like This!

On days like this, when the sun is shining and the sky is blue there is nothing quite as beautiful. And just like an abusive spouse coming with a big box of chocolate, you forgive. You forgive the below (well below) zero freezing winter temperatures. It makes it worth it, well almost!! But most of all, you take advantage of the weather.
Look at the sky! Isn't the blue magnificent?
And the green trees - and the way the green contrasts with the blue sky - so so beautiful!
And the girl is pretty cute too, no?

Ahh, happy families!

A budding photographer!

Happy Birthday!

Here is a box of chocolates for Samuel's birthday! Well, actually it is a cake! We made it as a surprise the kids were so careful not to tell... They kept telling Samuel, 'we're not telling you about the surprise' and 'we're not telling you about the cake...' Samuel was a good sport and played along!

So sweet!

Da is babyspeak for Dovid (and Daddy). Aren't they adorable??

Niagara Falls

First stop at Niagara Falls was the Hershey's Chocolate store. Lots and lots of chocolate, with a coupon for free samples... Yum - who could resist?!Note the lights - like Hershey's kisses.
Now that's a fair sized chocolate (imagine the calories)!
Chocolate or not, this was just cute (Dovid of course!)

We then headed to the falls, took a walk along them and went on the Maid of the Mist.


Even with the ponchos we still got soaked by the mist of the falls!
Approaching the falls.

No Hands!!

After many months of cruising, and almost a month since she took her first step, SM is walking!!! One day she stood up in middle of the room and walked across and since then she is loving her new skill! Yesterday we were at the park and she enjoyed walking around.
This is fun!! I'm big now!

Shabbos Menu

Friday night
We have a few people coming

Challa - baked yesterday :)
Sushi?
Asian Chicken soup
Chicken
Sweet french fries
Roasted carrots
Cinnamon buns - baked yesterday

Lunch
1 or 2 families joining us...
Challa
Vegetarian Chopped liver
Cholent
Chicken (leftover from Friday night
Kugel - from freezer
Salad
Lemon merringue pie

As I was getting ready to make the chopped liver I realised that the fuse on our transformer (which I need for the food processor AND the hot plate) had blown. So Samuel has gone to buy a new fuse... I hope he can find a new one quickly...

He's good for my ego!

The other day the kids were being... well, kids!! D saw me close my eyes and whisper something - so he asked, inquisitively, what were you saying. At first I didn't answer but then thought why not and told him that I had been davening. I guess he realised it wasn't 'formal' tefilla - so he asked me what I had been davening for.

I told him that I asked Hashem for help to be a good mommy (and to be patient with this exhausting, exuberant, delightful bunch!!). He thought about it for a moment and the conversation seemed to be over... A couple of minutes later he piped up and said...

DRUMROLL, please...

'But you are a good mommy already - you're always nice to us'

Ah, if I could frame a moment like that :)

Allow me

Allow me to kvell if you please.

After we got back from Manchester, I was telling my in-laws about our return trip on the train. I missed my train and the next train was crowded. I wanted to keep the buggy open for Sara Miriam to sleep in - way better than having her crawl around the train (yes, those are the two options...) The train had two places for buggies/wheelchairs and of course both were being used. Finally I found a place for the buggy.

Next to it were 3 people who were sitting on double seats and using the empty seat next to them for their bags. I was pretty sure that someone would offer me their empty seats, so I stood there with Dovid and Hadassa for about 5 minutes or so -- but noone offered me a seat. So after 10 or so minutes I asked one of the guys (pointing to his bag) is anyone sitting here? He actually then got up and gave me both seats.

I was commenting how unimpressed (to say the least) I was that people were taking up 2 seats as other people were left standing next to them.

At this point, Dovid piped up: 'But there were also so many helpful people today.' Like the person that helped me carry the buggy down the stairs to the underground, or the friendly person I sat next to on the way there.

Thank you, son, for reminding me to focus on the positive!

Life with a Big Sister

Hadassa: My baby sister is so cute... I'm going to give her a big huge hug and kiss!

Sara Miriam: I don't know about this...

Sara Miriam: NOOOO!! Someone please tell her that I'm not enjoying this ...

Hadassa: Aren't I the greatest big sister ever?!?
 Sara Miriam: Sisters.... sigh!

For Sale

Found at the Children's Place ...

The things they say!

Yesterday, I took the train with the kids to Manchester to see Yocheved and Yossi. On the way there, I told the kids we're going to see Yocheved. Dovid said 'I know who Yocheved is - Yocheved is the mother of Moshe Rabbeinu!'

Later on the train Hadassa said, a few times, 'Yocheved has a new baby!' I couldn't understand why she was saying that - until she said that the new baby was Moshe Rabbeinu!

We all had a great time. Dovid's favorite part was jumping on the trampoline, Hadassa loved playing with Dena, 'her new friend' and SM enjoyed all the attention (as usual!)

Sunshine at last

What's missing from the picture?

SNOW of course. B'H it is finally getting nice the weather. The snow has mostly melted and the kids have rediscovered the backyard. So nice to send them out there for some airing out. It does amazing things for them. Turns them from ..... into adorable kids again!!

It took long enough... Sara Miriam is finally enjoying the baby swing. Well, for 5 minutes anyway, whilst Dovid is swinging her (yes, that's his sock in the pic!)

The Real Story

My inbox has been flooded in response to yesterdays' post, including some veiled threats of Social Services... So, here is the real story. I was getting the kids into pjs last night and noticed that Hadassa had folded herself underneath the upside down laundry basket ... and she fit. What a great photo opportunity! So I ran to get the camera and the kids 'posed' inside it.

In other news, Dovid had a friend over today, and when his father came to pick him up, he ran over to him with a couple of pumpkin muffins and said 'here's one for you and one for your wife'. Mwah!! Later, I said to Dovid that was so kind of you to give I's father the muffins, to which he responded 'Of course, I'm very kind!' ... I guess you can cancel the social services!

When All Else Fails...

It was one of those days... when the kids were out of sorts and nothing I tried seemed to make an impact, so when all else fails...

Hey presto, well-behaved kids!!

DISCLAIMER: No kids were hurt in the production of these pictures.

Purim (Part 2)

 

The queen - hey that's not a dress-up - she really does think she's a queen!

 

Purim!

Ah Purim! So busy but so nice! Dovid summed it up well, he said tonight, I wish we could have a whole week of Purim :)

It was busy, with a kids party in the morning, teen party in the afternoon and a couple of other parties to attend in between :))So while I should have been organised and done a lot in advance, uh... the reality was quite different. On thursday I was still scrambling for an idea for mishloach manot and for costumes.

So on Thursday morning, after the kids saw the eye dr (all healthy BH!!!) I hit upon inspiration in Superstore when I saw there fruit TWISTS ... twists - like how everything in the megilla gets twisted!! So I bought some of them, but fruit twists do not a mishloach manot make. I also bought some foil dishes thinking I would make cinammon twists. But when I got home I found out that I had run out of yeast, so nix that idea. Instead I used a cookie dough to make apricot twists (note to self: do not do again. Cookie dough does. not. twist. Not even in a bind) Eventually I came upon the inspiration to make brownies with a twist(ed icing) in the foil dishes. And, hey presto mishloach manot!! Well, not quite. I made a double batch of brownies which only made one third of what I needed, and I called it a night. To be continued :)

Friday was costume day. Dovid had an adorable cat in the hat costume we had picked up last year:

Hadassa had a queen costume from Savta that she wanted to wear. Which left Samuel, Sara Miriam and my costume to find. We went down to a costume shop hoping we could find something. But they were ridiculously expensive and even more ridiculously unhelpful. So we left, and I sent Samuel home to clean up the house for Shabbos as I went to Value Village in hope of some inspiration. Which I found! I found a pirate eye thingy which was the inspiration for Samuel's and a Corona hat which was the theme for my costume.

 

And the theme? Randomness! Just like the randomness that a superficial reading of the megilla suggests... random coincidences -- random character. But really coincidences is G-d's way of remaining anonymous!

Hope you all had a great Purim!!

No, I don't feed my baby chocolate

Yes, this is Sara Miriam, same Sara Miriam that won't eat any food. It's not that she's picky or that she is a small eater. She just doesn't eat any solid food yet. Yes, you're right she looks suspiciously like she is eating something in this picture. What is it?

Yes, that is chocolate in her hand. But no, I did not GIVE her chocolate. She helped herself thank you. She found a Hershey's kiss and unwrapped it and ate it.

 

Sorry no cute captions, but the kids are cute, eh??

Who put the baby on the table?!?

That's right. She can't walk, but she can climb!

Edmonton

Shabbos in Edmonton was amazing -- as usual. D and HM had a wonderful time playing with the other kids. We stayed with a family who have twin 4.5 yr old boys and it was cute to see how D became friends with one of them, and HM with the other, although they all played together. If that makes any sense :)

On Shabbos D told me that he wants to go and play with M. I was surprised that he remembered M from when we had been in Edmonton in November well enough to want to go and play with him again. But I shouldn't have been -- he has an incredible memory!

Watching the sealion show.

We took the kids to crazy golf, it was a lot of fun until the 6th hole. At which point a few little people, who shall remain nameless, got very restless. As you can see the hug in the picture above wasn't necessarily mutually enjoyable. 'Nuff said!

Now for the not so fun part of the trip... On the way back, first SM threw up, then HM threw up all over herself and her carseat -- we had to pull over and clean them both up -- TG for babywipes and chinooks :) We got home and HM threw up a couple more times. In the morning we woke up to find the couch in D's room COVERED in vomit. I hope they all feel better really soon!

Just another day!

From a photographic point of view they are not very good pictures. In fact they are pretty bad ... but if you want to get a glimpse into our day, (or even if you don't!) you just have! Sara Miriam suffers from what may be called 'Too Much Love'. The kids love her and want to play with her and hold her and pick her up ... and she wants to do her own thing. Hence the picture above -- that was nice but now let me go!

Thanks Savta for the adorable top -- it is an apt description of SM too!

You know, being up a lot at night takes its toll. After a night like that I need a Starbucks to get through the day...

That is much better! Now I can face the day!

Now for some adorable snaps: