Chanuka Sudoku

I prepared a cute Sudoku with Chanuka symbols for Bentzi to give out to his students...so I figured I'd share it with all of you! 
Enjoy!

Cute Quote: What am I?

Naftali has really been picking up Hebrew in Cheder, and his siblings like to test him. They'll name a certain item in Hebrew and ask him where it is- either he'll point and say "פה" or "שמה", or if he doesn't know he'll say "לא (יו)דע". Its really cute to see.

But the cutest was this when they asked him if he's a "ילד" and he responded, "!אני לא ילד- אני גדול"

Naftali's Upsherin: Part Three- Party Time!

The next part of our three-part Upsherin celebration was a party with our cousins. Meir Mordechai, Leeby, Eliyahu Baruch, Chana, Miriam, Shifra Tziporah and Meir Simcha (and their Mommies!) joined us for a yummy milchig lunch and delicious chocolate cake, which was decorated in the shape of ציצית!

Then, we had a blast jumping and dancing with the fabulous new CD that Naftali got as a present from his Tante's.

We were so busy having a good time that we didn't have much time to take pictures until everyone was starting to head home!

 

Naftali's Upsherin: Part Two- Cheder

This morning, I brought Naftali to Cheder to celebrate with his class. The Rebbe came and said the א-ב with him, but Naftali was a bit shy. B"H Yisrael and Azriel Shraga were there to help him come around- he warmed up a bit and ended up really enjoying himself!  He ate an egg with פסוקים on it, licked the honey of the letters, handed out honey cake and pekelach to all his friends, and had a blast dancing with everyone!

 

Naftali's Upsherin: Part One- the haircut!

Tonight we gave Naftali his haircut- he was so excited, he couldn't wait- he kept saying, "Nu, haircut!" At one point he grabbed the haircutting machine (I gave the older boys a haircut too while we were at it!) and pretended to cut his hair- I guess he felt we were just taking too long and he'd have to take care of it himself!

Each of his siblings enjoyed taking a snip of his hair, and then Tatty and Mommy finished him off. I must say the finished product is ADORABLE! Now that Naftali's ponytail (or lack thereof!) is gone, you can actually see his precious little פנים without any hair blocking it!

Tatty sat down with Naftali and put Tzitzis on him for the first time, and then Naftali said and "tasted" the א-ב together with Tatty. He really loved licking the honey off the letters- lucky guy will get to do it again tomorrow in Cheder with the Rebbe!

Stay tuned for more pics tomorrow, IY"H, when Naftali will celebrate his "Chalakeh" with his friends in Cheder, and then with all his Minkus cousins!

Cute Quote: Upsherin Essentials

As I was dressing Naftali after the bath on erev Shabbos, I realized its one of the last times we'll be combing his hair, as his upsherin is fast approaching!  We started talking about his upcoming "Chalakah":

Mommy:  Naftali, soon you're going to have a Chalakah!  And then you'll have Peyos!  And...
Naftali: a Pekelah!
Mommy:  Yes, a Pekalah!  And Tzitzis!  And...
Naftali: Tztizis!  And Pekelah!
Mommy: Yes, a Pekalah! And a Yarmulka! And...
Naftali: Yarmulka!  And Pekelah!

Can you guess what he's most excited about?!

(We'll try to post some pictures here after his haircut - of him, not the pekelah...so stay tuned!)

Cute Quote: Which Gan are you in?!

Azriel Shraga's ganenets this year are both named "Chaya".  So whenever someone asks him whose Gan he's in, he answers, "גן החיות"!

(Nice way to describe a group of boisterous 4 year old boys, no?!)

21st Century Baby

Its gotten rather difficult to get any work done by the computer with Nissim around- he just reaches for the keyboard and types away!

Can't view the video?  Click here

מים גנובים ימתקו

(or in this case, stolen spaghetti and meatballs!)

Backround:  Nissim is usually very fussy about what I feed him- he doesn't like food that has clumps in it, and whenever I try giving him foods to hold and nibble on (and hopefully chew and swallow), he refuses to touch them (unless its a wafer, then he has no problem devouring it!)  Well today, Naftali left his plate of spaghetti and meatballs in Nissim's reach (why he wasn't eating at the table is another story) and Nissim was more than happy to gobble it up!  Isn't he just delicious in this picture?  I could eat him up!

A Sukkos Seuda with our cousins

After going to the Kosel and being "Oleh Regel" with the family, we joined up with the Bergs and Rokachs in the Blumenkopf's Sukkah for a sumptuos Chol Hamoed Seuda.  Each of us pitched in with the cooking, and we enjoyed an absolute feast:  fresh rolls with an assortment of salads, potato knishes with mushroom sauce, split pea soup, and a main course of meat, chicken lo mein, rice, and potatoes  (did I forget anything?!)  Dessert was our favorite part- cake and delicous rhubarb/apple sauce for the adults, and edible Sukkahs for the kids!

The kids had a blast playing with their cousins- they found slugs in the yard, had fun blowing up balloons, and of course, building their own Sukkah dessert with wafers as boards, green sour sticks as schach, and chocolate lentils as decorations!

Family Hike in יער מטע

Beitar is situated in one of the most beautiful areas of the country.  When you head out of Beitar and make a left, the road runs through many miles of beautiful forests- the view is quite captivating (which can be dangerous, if you're the one driving!)  Over Chol Hamoed we went for a hike in one of the nearby forests, called יער מטע- about 15 minutes west of Beitar, on the way towards רמת בית שמש.

We took an easy trail- and the kids really enjoyed following the markers and finding all sorts of plants along the way.  We found pinecones, acorns, ערבות (very appropo for Sukkos!), wild berries, and more. 

The second part of our trail took us to an ancient water cave that had been dug up during the time of the Romans, where they would store water to last them during the summer.  Bentzi and the boys had fun climbing inside, while Bruria, Nissim and I stood at the top and took pictures.

We really enjoyed- it was a beautiful afternoon, and we were able to enjoy each other's company amidst the calm, beautiful forests of הרי יהודה.

Yisrael's getting big!

Its amazing how fast kids grow- they go from tiny little newborns, to curious infants, to troublesome little toddlers, to eager schoolchildren...until before you know it, they're old enough to have their own set of ד' מינים!

Yisrael is SO proud of his ד' מינים, which he bought together with Tatty.  On the first day of Yom Tov, he got up bright and early, got dressed on his own, and was so excited to take his Lulav to Yeshiva that he didn't even want to eat breakfast before he went!

He also enjoys acting as a big brother, helping his younger siblings shake his Lulav!

May he always be filled with an enthusiasm for Mitzvos!

Sit down, please!

Disclaimer:  I have started strapping Nissim in so he can't stand up in the high chair...
but I let him do it this time so I could snap a picture to share with you...
isn't he adorable?

Ode to a Postless Blog

Oh me, oh my, what's a blog to do?
When its author's too busy
To give it a moment or two?

Oh me, oh my, what's a reader to say?
When they haven't seen a new post
In almost thirty days?

Oh me, oh my, when's a Mama to write?
When she's busy with other things,
All day and all night?

Oh me, oh my, this blog's a real bummer,
Keeping you in the dark
About everything we've done this summer.

Oh me, oh my, just please hold on tight,
Soon we'll get on track,
and the Dynasty will be back!

(Oh me, oh my, what an awful rhyme,
But its the best I can do,
With my limited time!)

Unbelievable!

May we continue to share much nachas from Yisrael -
and the rest of the crew!

Cute Quote: Brain Pain

The other day I sat down and taught Yisrael how to play Sudoku.  I showed him a few tactics and then let try and see if he was able to fill in any of the numbers.  He worked at it for a few minutes, managed to fill in a few numbers (what he did was right!) but then he came to me and said, "Mommy, I need to stop now- its making my sechel hurt!"

I'm going to give him some 4x4 and 6x6 Sudokus and let him get used to those, before I give him another 9x9 one...

Yungers in Action: I said no, and no means NO!

He really means it, doesn't he?!

(He did eat most of the bowl...this was at the end of his meal!)

Trouble viewing?  Click here to download this video

An expert Challah Baker

Last Friday, Bruria was NOT in the mood to go to Kaytana- and no amount of cajoling was able to convince her otherwise.  So she stayed home and helped me get ready for Shabbos- and she was a tremendous help!  She washed dishes, swept the floor- and then she wanted to help braid the Challos. 

Now those of you who know me well, know that I'm a real perfectionist when it comes to cooking and baking- not only do I like to make sure my food tastes nice, it has to look nice as well!  But I saw how eager she was to help, so I overcame my nature and let her do it- she braided all the Challos- ALL BY HERSELF (I stood next to her and coached her a bit, but she really did a fine job!).  The first one came out a bit lop-sided, but the next two came out absolutely gorgeous- almost as nice- if not nicer (gasp!) than mine!

Maybe I'll let Bruria stay home more often on Fridays...definitely seems like it paid off!

Another creation by Yisrael

It's been a while since I posted, and even longer since I've posted a Clics creation by Yisrael...but have no fear, he hasn't lost his touch!

Here's his latest- a bunk bed for the dolls!

Innocent no longer....

Remember the good old days when my kids had no idea that an ice cream truck was anything more than a van with a great paint job and a nice horn? 

Well those days are over, my friends!

Now, whenever they hear his jingle, they RUN to go see it- and beg me to buy them ice cream (mean Mommy that I am, I usually say no!)  Even little Naftali says to me, "I yant lida (glida)"

At least Nissim doesn't beg me for ice cream yet....

(Apologies for not blogging much lately- seems like things are always busy around here!)

A "Happy Meal"...Yunger style!

(Great way to get the kids to eat their veggies, no?!)



Never a dull moment!

Thanks to "Anonymousquito" for her excuse, which was right on the mark!  But I figured I'd just check in and let you know a bit about some of the adventures which have been keeping me away from the computer....

• Trying to explain to the kids that you can't just take eggs straight out of the fridge and eat them (and cleaning up after the subsequent mess!)
  
  
  

(Thankfully they "ate" their eggs outside!)

• Cleaning up after a silly sibling decided to dress Naftali in their underwear, which he promptly soiled in a matter of minutes!
  (No picture of that one!)

• The kids had lots of fun one afternoon with the "sidewalk chalk" they found- coals leftover from the neighbor's BBQ!
  
  
  

• Playing with a ladybug- and making sure that everyone has a chance to hold it! (ever wonder why in general, kids are scared of bugs, but a ladybug is so thrilling?)

I've got tons more to blog about, but the house is too quiet...so I'd better go run and see what my crew is up to!

The Blogger's Excuse

I've been meaning to blog lately, but just haven't been able to carve out the time from my overloaded schedule.  Luckily for me, a certain zany relative of mine decided to submit the following guest post, which was right on target!

The Blogger's Excuse

by Anonymosquito

A pioneer in so many ways
Just doesn't have so much time in her days.
She can't sit around like a lump on a log...
and lately, she doesn't have time even to blog!

A mother, a wife, and a programmer too
She simply has so much to do.
Of course it would be nice to go walk a dog --
But she doesn't even have time to blog!

Between work, and kids, and jumping jacks,
She takes care of stacks and stacks!
She can't sit around like a lazy [insert word for chazzer]...
She doesn't even have enough time to blog!

Her site sits here dusty for more than four weeks,
But never a word of complaint should we speak --
Her life keeps her hopping like a sugar-high frog...
We love her even if she doesn't have time to blog!

Belated Blogging- Scroll down to see the newest posts!

The last month has been pretty busy (has anyone ever heard of Pesach?!) so my blog unfortunately got put on the back burner.  But B"H we're back, and instead of blogging about everything all at once, I'm going to post one entry at a time- this way we'll build up the suspense and have you all checking back regularly for more!

Enjoy!

Yunger Mama

Overcoming your fears

Naftali used to be petrified by my nieghbor's rabbits.  And I mean PETRIFIED.  They are a very lively pair, and they often jump out of the neighbor's yard and wander around, often finding their way into our front yard...and sometimes even walking into our house (the front door is usually wide open during the afternoon!)  As soon as Naftali would spot them, he would start screaming and crying "Babbit, Babbit" and come running to me for protection.  His fear got so bad that he'd start waking up during the night, apparently having nightmares about them...he'd wake up screaming "Babbit, Babbit" and could not be calmed down until either Bentzi or I let him come cuddle up in our room.

I decided that enough is enough- if he is so scared of them that he's having nightmares, I've got to help him overcome this fear.  So I started a "project" of sorts, to help him confront his fear.  I went with him to the neighbor's yard, and started petting the rabbits, holding them, etc.  The first day he was very scared, but was intrigued that Mommy wasn't scared of those awful hairy monsters.  The next day, he stood next to me (and them) and watched, until one of them got a little frisky and he got scared.  The next day, he actually touched them...well by now, not only is he not scared of them, but he begs me to help him climb into the neighbor's yard so that he can pet the rabbits!

A gutten Chodesh!

In honor of Rosh Chodesh Iyar, today we had a yummy treat- ice cream!  The kids were all excited, as this was our first ice cream of the season- what a special treat for a special day!  Even Nissim got to chew on a cone- he was very happy to be one of the crowd!

Aren't they yummy?  (I mean the kids, not the ice cream cones!)

My new "Kitchen Aid"

It's been harder to get things done with Nissim around- B"H he's gotten much more curious and he isn't happy to be left sitting in the stroller or high chair while Mommy is busy in the kitchen.  And while I've mastered the art of doing many things while holding a baby in one hand (I've had plenty of practice ), I found it impossible to to knead my Challah dough and hold him at the same time!  So today I plunked him down on the counter, and he was thrilled-- a real front row seat!  He sat, pearing into the pot to see what I was doing, and then began to reach for all the things on the counter- new territory to explore!

WHEW! I posted!

A shocking psak was issued this year by local Rabbanim, where it was decided that part of cleaning for Pesach requires one to empty out all the pictures on his digital camera, lest there is an item of chometz pictured in one of the images.  This psak pushed me to finally post to my blog, before all those pictures are erased for eternity.

Okay, just kidding- no such psak- even here in "extremely religious" E"Y.  But with ראש חודש ניסן looming ahead, I knew that I'd just have to put my nose to the grindstone and do some major blogging. 

Enjoy the many posts I've added today (listed in chronological order, oldest first):

* Brachos Party in AS's Gan
* Peekaboo!
* My Chassidishe Daughter
* Going for a "Spin"
* Happy (Early) Birthday to Bruria!
* My little drummer
* Purim!!!
* Ah, the simple life!

I hope that I won't be completely negligent over the next few weeks, as the Pesach rush takes over, but in case I am, at least I've left you with some good reading material meanwhile!

-Yunger Mama

Ah, the simple life!

In this fast-paced, high-tech world of blackberries and WII's (not quite sure what that is but it sounds cool!), we often forget to stop and look at all the "simple" things around us, which are equally, and sometimes even more, fascinating.  B"H, living in a small, isolated settlement, cut off from technological advances and entertainment venues, we get to appreciate more of the "little things" which many other people just overlook.

---

One erev Shabbos, the kids were playing outside, and they spotted a chameleon.  They were busy for the longest time watching the chameleon, following it around, and watching it change colors.  They brought different colored leaves and bark and place them next to it, and had a blast watching as it changed colors- from black, to green, to a light yellow-green.  Fascinating!

---

We went to the supermarket one afternoon, where my children were completely mesmerized watching the bread-slicing machine! 



---

Who needs fast-action movies when you've got a thunderstorm outside your window?!

---

When you don't know from amusement parks or Discovery Zone, even jumping over the lines between the tiles in the local mall become a major attraction!

---

So I urge you all to stop, take a step back from all your digital devices, and take a minute to enjoy the beauty and excitement all around us! Please share your discoveries in the comments below!

Cute Quote: If you learn in Yeshiva all day...

...that means that you must be an expert storyteller!

(by bedtime)
Yunger kinder: Tatty, tell us a story!
Tatty: Oy, kinderlach, not tonight!  I can't think of any stories!
Yisrael:  But Tatty, you know so many stories!
Tatty:  I do?!
Yisrael:  Yes, Tatty!  You learn גמרא in Yeshiva and the גמרא has SO many stories, Tatty!  Tell us a story from גמרא שבת! 

I hate to break it to Yisrael learning isn't all fun and games (and stories!) - its actually hard work!

Purim!!!

Purim was, of course, a hustle and bustle and fun-filled day.  I gave up on trying to get a picture of all 5 kids at once, and instead opted for individual shots.  Yisrael was a כהן גדול - part of his costume was borrowed and part (the חושן, ציץ and מצנפת) we made ourselves.  Bruria was מלכת אסתר- and of course her favorite part of dressing up is that I let her have makeup!  AS and Naftali were clowns (just like they are the rest of the year) and Nissim was an adorable pudgy monkey (thanks for the costume, Bubbie!)

The biggest excitement this year was that for the first time, Tatty dressed up too!  He was quite a sight- and a scary one too!  Poor Naftali was petrified of Bentzi, even after we showed him it was just a costume!  Eventually he did calm down and even enjoyed trying on the mask!

Wishing you could have been here to share the fun!

משלוח מנות Mishap

Here's the TRUE poem I attached to my משלוח מנות - a chocolate trifle and a package of animal crackers.  I usually don't do a "theme" - and I had even bought the animal crackers before I thought of writing a poem- but it ended up fitting together perfectly...

Here’s the story of the chocolate cakes

That just weren’t meant to be-

Instead they turned into chocolate trifles-

As you can clearly see.

You know of course that my children,

Are an energetic, lively crew,

At times they act a little wild,

Resembling “animals” in the zoo!

So it happened one fateful afternoon,

I should have known not to be such a fool,

As to leave a huge batch of chocolate cakes,

Sitting on the counter to cool!

While Mommy’s back was turned,

With something else she was busy-

Those conniving Yunger children,

Ran to the kitchen in a tizzy!

They stuck their hands into those cakes,

Their faces with a mischievous gleam-

Gobbled it up as fast as they could,

Before Mommy began to scream!

As soon as Mommy noticed,

They quickly started to run-

But the chocolate cakes were broken-

The damage had already been done.

They say if life gives you lemons

You should use them to make lemonade-

So I followed that wise advice-

Enjoy the yummy trifle I’ve made!

פורים שמח!

 

(can you guess which "conniving Yunger children" were the culprits?!)

My little drummer

Azriel Shraga's גננת decided to suprise us- she sent them home with a rather simple getup on ראש חודש אדר (she usually goes ALL OUT for these things) and instead, she dressed them up by their Purim party, rather than having us send them dressed up. It was adorable when I came to pick him up, and there they were, all lined up- 29 adorable drummers in a marching band, all strumming away- she even taught them an adorable song to the tune of a march!

Cute Quote: Let me make trouble!

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that get's pre-occupied while on the computer.  Sometimes I'll get so involved that I don't realize what's going on around me- much to my children's delight!

One day this week I was working, when I happened to glance up and notice that Azriel Shraga had climbed onto the kitchen counter and was stealing chocolate.  As soon as I noticed, and began to reprimand him, he said to me, "Mommy, go do some more work!"

Ever since then, when he wants to make trouble or take something without permission, he tells me, "Mommy, go to your computer!" 

Humph!

Happy (Early) Birthday to Bruria!

Today was Bruria's birthday party in Gan.  The גננות make a whole fancy party for the girls- three at a time (although it usually ends up being nowhere near their real birthday!)  We baked a cake together for the occasion, and Bruria was so excited that her Mommy and baby brother came to her gan!

Going for a "Spin"

Since Yisrael comes home early on Rosh Chodesh, I decided to take the kids for a "spin"- quite literally.  There is a really interesting park in Beitar B (the opposite hill from where we live) which I've passed by a few times, so I decided to take them there.  The whole park is a "spinning park" with different types of equipment that spin and rotate based on the body's weight and movement.  The kids had a really fun time experimenting with their body weight and gravity, and eventually they got the "hang" of it.  They learned how to shift their weight to make themselves spin- what a blast! Of course I also made sure to join in the fun (after all, someone had to demonstrate!)

And where was Nissim during all the excitement? 

Doing what babies do best....sleeping!

...משנכנס אדר

!מרבים בתחפושות

Every year, on Rosh Chodesh Adar, the גננות make costumes for the kids- aren't they cute?!  (Poor Yisrael only got a mask...that's what happens when you're a big boy and you have a Rebbe!)

My Chassidishe Daughter

I guess living in a city where the majority of the population is Chassidishe, it's to be expected that your children start mimicking them!  Look at this original creation, made exclusively by Bruria!

What a smile!

Here's an adorable picture of Nissim- with a smile! - that Michal from Shalva managed to snap today!

(can you guess in which direction his Mommy was standing?)

Peekaboo!

I laid Nissim down in his stroller to take a nap, but when I took a look at him, I saw that he was busy peering out the back of the stroller, where someone had lifted up the fabric.  I guess there's too much excitement around here...who wants to sleep?!

Brachos Party in AS's Gan

After finishing a unit on Brachos, all the Mommy's were invited to gan for a wonderful Brachos party.  First there was a great balloon show, where they brought in a specialist who made all different types of foods out of balloons.  Then she taught each Mommy how to make a hat for her son.

After the balloons, we were treated to a beautiful buffet, organized according to Brachos, to which each mother contributed.

It was a wonderful morning, and Azriel Shraga really enjoyed having his Mommy come to visit in his Gan.

Beitar Bourbon

Bentzi finished off our bottle of "chicken juice" a couple of weeks ago (Zaidy, I guess that means its time for another visit so you can replenish our supply!)  Azriel Shraga must have really missed having a shot at the Shabbos Seuda, becasue this week he decided to concoct his own version of chicken juice- he took the pieces of chicken off of his plate, plopped them inside the bottle of water at the table, and then began to pour himself some of it.  He claimed it was really delicious, but the rest of us passed up his offer for a taste.  The bachurim at the table really got a kick out of the whole situation- and they didn't even know what "chicken juice" means in our house!

One thing is for sure...this version sure is a whole lot cheaper!  And if its really as tasty as Azriel Shraga claims, maybe we can make a business out of it!

Hmm...do you think it would sell?!

My little grocery boy

Naftali has appointed himself as the official grocery-putter-awayer in our house.  While all his siblings like to rummage through the bags of groceries to see what goodies I got (and try to steal some if I'm not looking!), he likes to take everything out and put them where they belong- and he really does a good job!  He really knows where everything belongs...this week he put away ALL my groceries for me and the only 'mistake' he made was that he put the new sealed container of mayonaise into the fridge...he doesn't yet understand that it only has to be in the fridge once its opened!  Let's hope the others follow suit- I could use a floor-sweeper, or a dish-washer....

A day in "Gan" Shalva

About a month ago, I enrolled Nissim in an early childhood development program at Shalva- an organization that has many programs and services for children with special needs.  This program was developed primarily for children with Down's Syndrome, but once a week they run it for children who were born premature or who had extended hospital stays and therefore have developmental delay.  The program offers a variety of different therapies to help the children develop and maximize their potential- physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy, and massage therapy.

One of my favorite parts of the program is what they call the "white room". It is a special room that is completely white, with a cushiony floor (part of it is even a waterbed!) and there are different light stimuli in the room.  This type of room (invented in the 70's in Sweden) helps minimize distraction and therefore allows the "patient" to focus on the senses of vision and touch. 

In one corner of the room are two columns filled with water- there are lights shining in the water that change color, and bubbles which float upwards through the tube.  The therapist can turn on and off the lights and bubbles, and Nissim really watches them intently....he's even learned that when the bubbles dissappear, he should look at the bottom of the tube because that's where they start!

Nissim's FAVORITE part of the white room (and mine as well!) is the "spaghetti" - fiber optic strands that have a light shining through them (which changes colors).  He loves to grab the strands and watches them as he moves them around- and when he finds the pile where all the strands are, its very hard to distract him to do something else!

(the picture didn't come out NEARLY as good as the real thing..its hard to capture it!)

B"H Nissim has really started to develop nicely recently...and we hope that IY"H it should continue!

How do you like our new header?!

I know we've been LONG overdue for a new blog header, but that's been a mighty hard task! Its hard to find a time where all 5 kids KA"H are awake, dressed, happy, and ready to pose! I think this shot actually came out quite decent...now the challenge was trying to fit in the titles without blocking anyone's smile! I guess B"H as the family grows, arranging a decent blog header gets harder and harder (as do many other things!)

Nissim's Photo Shoot

Nissim is a really smiley guy...that is, until you pull out the camera. I thought maybe its just that I don't try hard or often enough to catch a smile! Today, while I was cooking for Shabbos, I saw him in a really smiley mood- so I dropped everything and started to shoot!

After about 20+ shots, with no major success, I gave up. As soon as he sees the camera (and especially the flash) Nissim stops smiling and starts staring. I did manage to get one nice smile, but since I was trying to hide the camera from him, of course the picture is partially cut off (the center shot below).

Enojoy all his funny faces!

 

P.S. Nissim weighed in at a whopping 11.5 pounds...how much do you think those pudgy cheeks weigh?!

Feeling Blue?

Bubbie, where are you?

The kids LOVE to Skype with Bubbie.  Bubbie usually reads them books, and its their chance to show her all their creations (they like to stick them RIGHT in front of the web-cam!)  Every time Naftali sees Bubbie on the screen, he gets so excited and starts to exclaim "Bubbie! Bubbie!"

This week, after Shabbos, when I turned the computer on, right away, Naftali ran up to it and starting saying excitedly, "Bubbie! Bubbie!"  He stood there for a while, looking at the screen, waiting for Bubbie to appear...

(And of course, as I am writing this post, who do you think came up to the computer looking for Bubbie?!)

Cute Quote: Mr. Know-it-All

We were discussing our exciting guests for this upcoming Shabbos (Chavi and Chana- we are REALLY looking forward!) and I told the kids that Aryeh isn't coming with them (had to warn them ahead of time so they wouldn't get dissappointed- no rocketship rides and "bum-bum-bum-bum-BUM").  I was about to tell them why he wasn't coming, when Yisrael piped up:

Yisrael:  Because he's going to a Chasuna!
Mommy:  How did you know that?
Yisrael: Because I know!
Mommy:  Who told you?
Yisrael: No one, I just know!
Mommy:  How did you know if no one told you?
Yisrael: Because I have רוח הקודש!

What do you have to say to that?!