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!)