Matzah Bakery Field Trip

Next holiday...

Purim is over and the stores have stocked their shelves. That must mean its getting closer! Pesach (passover) is coming. The kids have already started cleaning the story of Passover. In fact today they took a field trip to the Chabad of Westwood Model Matzah Bakery. It was so adorable. They took the kids in a time machine back to the time of Egypt with Moses and Pharoh. The kids got a little scared but were reassured that Moshe Rabbeinu was going to protect them. Next they learned how to make flour and then how to mix flour and water together to make matzah. Avi & Ben volunteered to help. I was shocked! They did a great job. Ben was the timer and Avi got to wear an apron and gloves and mix the ingredients in a bowl. Next they all got to roll a ball of dough into a flat matzah and then roll in the dots to make the holes. It really was a phenomenal production! Each kid got a special bakers hat which doubled as a matzah holder when it came out of the oven. The bigger kids waited to eat their matzah until after they showed it to Bubbie and washed and made hamotzie on it. I was so proud of them. Kol Hakavod to Bubbies House for this successful field trip thank you.

YEHUDA 3 MONTHS OLD

Purim

We recently celebrated Purim (check out http://www.chabad.org/ for what this or any other Jewish holiday is about) and the kids dressed up in costume. I dressed them in one costume for their school party and then we had a family costume for our Purim party. Yakov was dressed as a care bear (which i bought on sale Halloween time! go me for thinking ahead!) The twins wore a set of china doll outfits which Yosef bought when he was in China once for the Chinese New Year. Now they finally fit them. (when he 1st brought them home I remember thinking how huge the outfits looked and how it was going to be a while before they could wear them. but now they hardly fit!) They sat center stage for the Purim show at their school. My kids knew all the answers to the question asked by the teachers. I was so proud. I sure got my money's worth from Bubbies House. They knew the entire story of Purim! I have a video of it but its hard to hear them over the crying of the babies in the background. One of the staff members took a picture of us (a couple extra kids popped their heads in but no they're not mine!)

For Purim as a family we were a soccer team. Benji had bought the boys little soccer outfits, so they wore them and I was a Soccer mom, and Yosef the soccer dad/ coach. I found whistles with soccer balls and we each had one and it doubled as a grogger during megilla reading. Yehuda was our team mascot, a blue bunny (hand me down costume from Yakov) We went to Yosef's cousin Sharam and Sara's house for the seuda (meal) I brought the kids artwork and decorated their living room. Sara made a delicious feast. They have a little girl Ella who is about 7 months and delicious as ever (covet!) We had a great time together! The kids learned how to drink with a twizler straw. Sara's sister Rebecca played hide and go seek with the boys and they had a blast with her.

What are the twins doing?

They were very invloved in Yakov's hair cut. They even got to cut some of his hair. I took Yakov to the bakery to pick out a cake and he picked the same one the twins had for their 3rd birthday, which I thought was kinda cute. The twins sat so nicely and let Yakov get the star treatment he so much needed and deserved. The pics with the red table cloth are from "Bubbie's house" their school. Over all the they have been pretty good with the transition of

their brothers getting attention. I made sure that we had a fun celebration for them in January when they turned 4 so it evens out. I try.

Yakov turned 3

Yakov is officially 3! Though sometimes it feels like the twins and him are triplets I am reminded that he is a year younger than his brothers. He sat brave and proud as we chopped off his locks and licked the honey off the alef bet chart as he confidently sang the Hebrew Alphabet to an intimate gathering of family an friends. I was told by many people "don't chop off all his hair!" So when I took him to the hair salon we did a surfer look and kept it full but styled. Then almost 2 weeks later his hair was long again and in his face and it looked as if I never cut it. So again I took him to get it cut this time even shorter. (I'm not thrilled with the inbetween length) I plan on taking all 3 in for a summer haircut when pool season comes, so that their hair won't be in their way. Yakov's only request was that his uncle Benji got to cut the 1st piece of hair. Yosef and I went to Yakov's school on his Hebrew birthday and brought cupcakes for the kids and cut one lock of hair and cut his pacifier. We literally took out scissors and cut his pacifiers. We had been preparing him for this moment for a while but the look on his face says it all. The picture of him eating pizza is after the 1st styling. (i know its hard to tell) thats why I took him again - pics are coming as soon as I can get him to sit still and cooperate. The pics of him with me are from his school when we just cut his pacifier. And of course uncle Benji cutting the 1st piece of hair, notice yakov's finger in his mouth from the honey.

Adjusting to 4 kids

Its been a few weeks since my last post. I've met up with some of my viewers and as promised I am going to try to catch everyone up to date on whats going on in this mommy's life.
Lets start with Yehuda. He is now 3 months old and is officially no longer a newborn. The baby of the family has learned how to use his voice to get the attention he needs. He is a good baby but he spits up like the twins used to. One ounce in - Burp - one ounce out. He gets plenty of stimulation, as his older brothers entertain him by poking him and talking to him. Its really cute when they go over to him and try to put his pacifier back in his mouth or they sing to him to get him to stop crying. They'll say things like "its ok baby, don't cry baby" how sweet.
Milestones for Yehuda: He smiles and laughs. He is learning how to roll over and wiggle. He is an expert at removing socks from his little feet, this he can do in a matter of minutes. Here are some pics of him.


Yehuda at 3 months