We Have...

Another gone tooth. Nechama lost her second. Pictures at some point in the future when I get around to it, but I wanted to have the date recorded.

And yes, I know I still have to put up the stuff from 2 more Chanukah parties. I hope to get to it before their end of the year ones.

Nechama's Chanukah Party (take two)

A few picutures.

Before the party



One of the songs

Mostly I took video which is hard to upload and taking forever. I will try to upload more later :)

Nechama's Chanukah Party (take one)

I hope the video uploads okay. If it doesn't upload by the time I come back from picking kids up I might have to go to plan B (facebook).

OK it only took 2 hours to upload. Here it is :)

Another One Bites the Dust

Rena lost her first tooth on Friday afternoon :)

Nothing wrong with her eyes, she was just trying to show off her tooth and squinting LOL.

Ladies & Gentlemen...

We have a tooth! Nechama has her first real grown up tooth :)

Yes, her sisters wanted to get in the pic action too. They are growing up so fast. N&R don't even look the same age here. If I didn't know they were twins, I wouldn't guess it.

Yes, We're Still Here

Where to start, we have been so busy!

Avraham Tzvi is totally a little boy now. Walking everywhere, starting to talk, and he knows what he wants when he wants it. Yes, he has his very own mind now and is getting to be quite the expert at temper tantrums. Joy of life, he's growing up :)

Rivka had her tonsils and adnoids out last month and did beautifully. She is breathing much easier and even sleeping a little better. Still crawling in with us almost every night (ok, every night), but instead of waking up to come in at 10 she's waking up around 4. Much, much better. She doesn't even wake us up anymore, she just crawls on in and goes back to sleep.

Rena is dong great in gan chova (kindergarten). She has tons of friends and is really doing well. We are so pleased & proud :D

Nechama is also doing well in her class. I think the separation was good for both of them, but more for Nechama. She's coming into her own and not relying on her sister for everything anymore. I visited her class today (someone forgot her bag) and it was great to see her happy, playing with friends, and having a great time. They think she's the cutest kid, and I have to agree :D.

In other news, had a nice (if crazy) visit with the parents. We went to the Dead Sea (pictures to follow) and had a nice time. The girls didn't really get into the sea because there were huge sandstorms, but they put their feet in. We adults got to soak in Dead Sea water in the hotel. It was great to have a little break, thanks mom & dad :)

Pictures from Sukkot

Better late than never :)

Maybe I should rename that "Picture" from Sukkot. Blogger is acting up, I'll try to get up more later.

In Other News

Rivka is recovering from having her tonsils & adenoids out. Getting her to drink or eat (even popclicles and ice cream) has been a real challenge, and it's HOT. She had fever for a few days but none since this morning B'H. She's genarally not happy and I'm a bit worried about dehydration, but about how I thought it would be. Hopefully she'll be back to herself in the next week or so and I'll get some time to put up pictures on this long neglected blog.

Shabbot Shalom all :)

A Slew of Words.

I have to say I am really pleased how Avraham Tzvi's language is picking up. Finally he's really talking! For the last 6 months or so he's had the same 5 words, and in the last two weeks he's coming out with a ton more! In the last week we've gotten:

car

imba (bimba, little ride on car)

key

off

on

up

book

and the one that inspired this post just now:

apple :)

All in all I'm really pleased.

Another Milestone

A loose tooth. Nechama's is just about ready to come out. Yes, I have pictures. No, I'm not posting them now :P

I need to set aside a time to get to the blog, but it probably won't be until after the kids go back to school next week. I have lots of pictures old & new to put up :)

A Walker, and a New Word

We have a walker. He started on Yom Kippor and hasn't slowed down. I have to get a chance to put up the pictures, but he is defiantly walking :) He also has another word, car. So that brings the total vocabulary to:

Hebrew

Aba (daddy)

Ima (mommy)

Et Ze (this, picked up from the girls)

English

car

bye bye (let's go out)

more

and his oh so cute but I can't get it on video head shake for "no" LOL.

Exactly a Month Later....

He's Walking! Still not all the time, but went straight across the room. I don't have any pictures yet (little stinker will get down to crawl to get to the camera faster @@), but he's really walking! My friend just called and said he walked all over the house. I'm so happy my little baby is growing up :)

He Walked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yup, my baby took a few steps. The weird thing is... he can't stand! He can stand for a second or so if I put him square on his feet or he acidently lets go, but the longest I've counted while he stands is 2 seconds. Today I put him down and he was holding my skirt when he spotted FOOD on a chair a few steps away. Instead of getting own to crawl, he walked! He took one or 2 steps, and steps 3 & 4 were kind of falling towards the chair, but he actually walked. I'm so happy :)

Why We Call Him "Monkey Boy"

Yes, he is sitting on top of the dining room table all proud of himself. Their last "safe haven" is gone.

After his mean mother took him off the table and tucked in the chairs so he can't climb back up. I'm sure that won't work for much longer either!

A Fishy Story

We have a fish tank. You are supposed to change the filter every 6 months, but it's been a year and we just brought it in to be changed. Dh comes back with the filter, and with a fish bag. So I asked him "did you buy more fish?" No, he didn't buy more fish. There was a baby living in the filter. Can't have been there that long, but it reminds me of the stories of alligators in the NYC sewers. Who would have thought a baby fish could live in the fish filter for weeks on end (it was at least a few weeks old judging by how big it was, and I never saw it in the tank).

It's Been a Busy Summer

So far we have been so busy I have hardly updated! Plus you can barely go out before 5:00 it's so hot, so not a lot of nice outdoor pictures to put up.

The twins have their kaytana until Wednesday, and Rivka has hers also until then. I did one of the "Kaytanot Imahot" (mommy camps) for Rivka and it worked out really well. I was nervous about keeping them happy and entertained on my days, but in the end it all turned out great.

Avraham Tzvi is a bit more babbly, I think he's going to come out with a few words any day now. He has also been testing the waters more physically. He is cruising around and even stood alone for a split second on Shabbot. He goes back to physio next week for the first time since the chicken pox, so we'll see what she has to say about him.

Anyway that's all the news that's fit to print from this corner of the world. Hope all is good with all my readers, and I'll try to update more often in the future :)

A Day at the Beach

We took the kids for a little vacation this week, to see the in Netanya. I took the big 3 girls to the beach with MIL and they had a great time. Unfortunatly, I fogot the camera so no pictures :( but they were very cute in the water. Rena really loves it. Nechama & Rivka took a bit more warming up but in the end the had a good time. The surf was pretty gentle and nice and warm. All in all a pleasant vacation day :) MIL even saved the day by having a disposable camera around, but I will have to wait for pictures until I get around to bringing it in for development, and even then she's not sure how they will come out since it's an old camera they keep in the car in case it's needed.

And a Spotty Boy

As you can see by the big grin, he doesn't seem too bothered b'h.

Chicken Pox Pool Party :)

At least it's summer and they can have some fun with the pox. The girls are back to their regular activities now, and the baby should be cleared by Wednesday. I will be FREE AGAIN!

A New Way to Reduce Laundry

Get your kids chicken pox! They have only been changing clothes (PJs) once a day instead of... well they are little girls I won't tell you how many times a day they usually change. At least 2x (clothes + pjs). Now they are wearing PJs all day and I just realized I only did 1 load of their laundry this week. YAY.

Chicken Pox Pic

She has so many of them. Much more than Rivka did, but thankfully she is doing pretty well, no fever, and not itching so much.

Yes, she's wearing her Purim costume. Poor kid is just bored at home.

Another Chicken Pox Girl

Nechama came out with them last night. Poor thing is going to miss her end of the year party (yes, I know I still have to put up Rivka's pictures. I will try to get to it today or tomorrow). I feel bad for her since it's not great timing, but at least she doesn't really seem sick with it. She does have about 2x the spots Rivka did. Picture to follow when the camera battery is charged.

So Now He Says Ima...

but only when he's mad at me LOL. If I leave the room and he doesn't approve he screams "IMA" at me. If he wants me food and I don't give him, same thing. But hey, it's a start right?

My Son

The living, breathing, pulling up, talking, almost standing....

DOLL!

Yes, it is *almost* like a real live person!! Or at least that's what the girls think. They think he's a little dolly for them to play with. And he tollerates it well and loves the attention. For the most part ;-)

At least they are enjoying having a brother :)

Rivka's Party

Her party was last Wednesday, but with her home and poxy I couldn't get onto the blog before now. She had a good time, but was a bit out of it (now I know why LOL). Here are some pictures. The whole play was "Shabbot" themed.

Before the festivities

Candle lighting.

Whole class singing together.

Being a star at the end of Shabbot

Getting her picture of the year, and some flowers for Me :)

Why Rice Cereal...

Is not a finger food!

Well at least he enjoyed his breakfast. And the spontanous bath he got after it :)

A Pox on Our House

Chicken pox, that is. Rivka has them (I'm 99% sure, going to the doctor today for confirmation). I was starting to worry I was going to have to vax them for it. My friend's son in her class also has them, and he did have the vax.

In other news, Rivka had her end of the year party last night, pictures to follow later. She was supposed to have her birthday party on Friday, but we will have to squeeze it in next week. Birthday parties are a HUGE deal here, and I would hate for her to see the parties all year long in gan and miss hers :(

Lookie What My Big Girl Did

All by herself :D. I didn't even ask her to. She was so proud too!!

Nechama's bed, all nice & tidy :)

His Favorite Time of Day

Bathtime! Kid loves the bath. From looking at his dirty self crawling around you would never know, but he loves the bath. It's so cute :)

OK I'm ready...



Let Me In!



Enough pictures.... I want in the bath NOW.

A Little Update

I realize my blog has been sort of neglected lately. We have been having lovely spring weather (soon it will be so hot we will be inside 24/7!!) and we've also been sick :(

We had a really nice Shavout, some company :D. The kids had a great time playing and eating (even if they loved the cheesecake more than anything else). The adults had a nice meal also. At least this adult did.

The kids are wrapping up their school year, can't believe it's June! The twins will have a special school / camp program for July, and Rivka will be doing a rotating backyard camp. I'm sure a good time will be had by all :) In August I am having a camp in the house with a great friend of mine. We have some wonderful children lined up and I'm sure the kids will have a great time.

Avraham Tzvi has perfected pulling up, but he still can't get down. He has the typical baby PLOP when he's had enough of standing (or when he lets go, he can't stand up by himself yet). He also has the real crawl down, but I can't catch it on video! Little stinker just won't perform for the camera. I'll try to get some footage and post it up, but no promises. He's quick!

While We're on Israeli Songs...

This one always makes me cry. It's a classic Israeli song about how fast the kids grow up and leave the nest. I typed out my rough translation (anyone who is better in Hebrew is welcome to comment!).

Fly Away Young Chick

My chicks left the nest
Spread their wings and flew
I am an old bird left in the nest
I hope that everything will be okay
I always knew the day would come
To say goodbye
But now when it’s here
No wonder I am worried

Chorus:
Fly away young chick
Cut the sky
Fly where you want
Just don’t forget there is an eagle in the sky
Be aware

Now it is only us in the nest
But we are together
Hug me tight and say yes
Don’t worry, it’s good to grow old together.

Chorus:
Fly away chick, cut the sky
Fly where you want to.
But don’t forget there is an eagle in the sky
Be aware

I know it’s the way of nature
I also left the nest
But now when the time comes
I feel a lump in my throat

Chorus:
Fly away chick, cut the sky
Fly where you want to
Just don’t forget, there is an eagle in the sky
Be aware
Just don’t forget
There is an eagle in the sky
Be aware.

In Honor of Yom Yerushaliam (Jerusalem Day)

I love this video. Even if you don't understand the words, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery.

All Together Now

They are finally starting to play together. It's so cute. He just loves being included in their games, and they are loving how he is becoming a real person :)

I love how he just gazes at them. He watches them, looks for them, is overjoyed when they come home. He just lights up from being around them. I think it's the sweetest thing I've ever seen in my life :)

And the Second Word Is....

Aye Aye

No, it's not mommy (or any version there of).

It's Bye Bye. As in, the child wants to go out. All the time. Several times a day. Every time i pick him up he starts flapping his arm around and going "aye aye"

It's so cute when they start to talk :-)

Some Things are Too Special to Miss

Usually my kids are the early to bed type (take after their mother LOL). They did stay up for Seder this year, but other than that we miss a lot of night stuff. They don't nap (can't fall asleep) and just get crotchety after 7:00 or so.

Tonight is Lag B'Omer, night of the bonfires and BBQs. I figured we would do it next year. Dh has a wedding to go to, and no way the baby will be able to stay up and be halfway pleasant. So I went about our normal evening routine.

About 20 minutes after the girls were in bed, I hear music. I had forgotten about the Hachnest Sefer Torah in the new Shul across the street. The girls heard the music too, so I showed them from their window and put them back in bed. I couldn't relax though, I found myself drawn outside. I was standing on my balcony to watch, but I wanted more. In the spur of the moment, I got everyone out of bed and we went across the street. It was a real party going on, and I just didn't feel right sitting on the sidelines. The girls heard the music, danced a bit, saw the Sefer Torah being brought in, danced some more, and we went on back home. It was a special time. One of those special times you can't plan ahead for, but you just have to grab when the moment strikes.

So they are talking now. They are going over with each other what they saw, the music they heard, and chatting excitedly like little teenagers instead of preschoolers. They are growing up too fast, and I'm loving every minute of it.

Yom Atzmaut (Independence Day).

I'm still not really sure how I feel about it, but we did go out and take some pictures with the kids. To me I guess it's a secular holiday, not a religious one, but it's okay to go out and have fun on a secular holiday. We went out with friends and had a nice time before heading back for a BBQ. Here are some pictures from the day :)

Before heading out.



They both happened to pick out the same outfit.
And they still don't look like twins LOL.



Tank climbing.



Enjoying the day out with Abba.





Gazing out from a jeep.

Almost Forget the Best Part

I meant to finish the Pesach posts um... 2 weeks ago?

We finished the walk around Tyveria with... (excitement builds...) A bus ride!!!

Dh rides the bus all the time. We used to ride the bus all the time. We hardly ride the bus anymore though so it was total excitement for the kids. I mentioned in my earlier post that we parked about 20 minutes from the lake (that was walking downhill). On the way back we decided to take the bus up. The views were really nice, but honestly the kids just enjoyed THE BUS.

Riding up, ticket in hand.



Chilling on Grandma :)



View of the lake.



And one last look at the lake and the mountains on the other side.

Amendment to Yesterday's Post

Even *thinking* about coffee will cause the baby to wake up.

No rest for the weary!

How to Wake a Sleeping Baby

1. Clean entire kitchen, make shopping list, plan to cook.
2. Work on cleaning out closet and putting things away RIGHT for a change.
3. Start laundry, hang out previous load.
4. Boil water to clean counters and make yourself some coffee.
5. Clean counters.
6. Make coffee.
7. Sit down and try to take a hard earned 1/2 hour for yourself.
8. Like magic. As soon as you finish your work and sit down...

AWAKE BABY :)

The View from the Balcony

This afternoon.

Yes, they are camels. I've seen goats grazing there before, but never camels. It's amazing to just look out your window and see camels grazing alongside a highway. I love living where I live :)

Look Who's Standing :D

He can't get himself up yet (well, he did once, but not since then), but when I help him up he can stand for a few minutes. Finally got it on film.

Just Like That...

Pesach is over :(

I love Pesach. It's my favorite holiday. All the preperation, all the cleaning, it's nothing compared to a week that is just different. Food different, kids off, spring is here, families out together. And then as quick as it comes... it's over. For another year.

We had a wonderful Pesach this year with family and friends. Here's looking forward to next year :)

He Speaks :)

Of course the first word is....
Abba (daddy).
I was calling dh, then I hear him crawling around the house abba, abba, abba.
Oh well, at least he's started speaking :D
Let's hope mama is next :)

Our Trip to טבריה

On Friday we decided to take the kids to Tiveria, to the Kinneret (Sea of Gallalie). It was a beautiful day and we had a really good time. We parked about 30 minutes from the lake (yes, we thought we were closer), and walked down. We walked around for a while, bought new hats (Dora even!) and then took the bus back up the hill. I think the kids enjoyed the bus as much as anything else, but they did like seeing the Kinnert. I hope next time we go back to take a swim, but it was still a bit cool for that.

Coming into the city



First look at the lake.



Stopping for a snack. Pesach cake... YUM.



The ancient wall.

All together a really nice trip! I am really glad we decided to take the kids. They enjoyed it (and so did we!!!).