Ima time with Achinoam

Being able to spend one on one time with your toddler is truly precious. That's why when her gan said we were going on an hour bus ride in the blazing heat to a huge gymboree with a million 3 year olds, I immediately said 'yes'!  Wouldn't any good mother?

It wasn't the bus that made my decision so clear, or the heat. 

It was the fact that I knew she'd remember this day for a long time.

She still talks about swimming with Avrahami and Talia.

She was so happy to be with me and in the water...

She did everything I said!

(that was just an added benefit)

I didn't let her go up any stairs or slides, so this was as far up as she and her friends got. But it didn't stop them from having 3 hours of fun in the water, just running around and splashing. 

Three cheers for Ima time!

Getting to the Finals

About a month ago, Gedalya's soccer team competed in a real tournament.

Here they are getting ready for their first game.

Pep talk with coach HULI.

They learned many lessons along the way. First, to respect the other team. They shook hands with all of them before and after the game.

They learned how to work together. 

And in the end, even though they came in second in the finals (which is fantastic), they learned that it's really not about winning, it's about having fun playing together. 

What did I (the Ima) learn? Bring a lot more snacks, leave the other kids with a babysitter, and it's very easy to get sucked into being that parent screaming from the sidelines, but what's important is the support for whatever the outcome is, and of course the ice cream after!

Fun from Chanuka

These lovely photos were taken by Sabba.

This picture is Ima working on her mediation skills. Both girls hugged and made up in the end...

Crafting for Sukkot

We really enjoy doing art projects all together. It's a bit difficult managing to help 3 little ones all at the same time, but here are two projects that are fairly easy for a 3-4 year old to do on their own.

First: Paper Chains

For this project you'll need:
Colored paper
Scissors
Stapler
Crayons/Markers
Glue stick
Sparkles / glitter
Ribbon/string
Hole puncher

You can color the paper first or for older kids, color the individual strips. Cut paper into strips or buy ready made strips (5 NIS at craft stores in Raanana). Dot glue at one end and make a circle out of the strip. Thread the next strip through the first, dot the end with glue, and glue together. Keep going for as long as you want.

On Challahcrumbs, they add some magen davids to the chain which makes it looks extra nice.

Foam Mobile for the Sukkah!
For the second project, you'll need:

Foam rimonim or any shape (use more than one for a mobile)

googly eyes

paint/markers

paper clips (for sticking through the top)

fishing wire/ribbon/string (for tying it all together)

Paint the foam any way you like (note: we used finger paint but it doesn't work that great with this foam- it also takes forever to dry). Glue eyes on it. Wait for it all to dry. Do the same on the other side. Break the paper clip in half and stick it in the top. To finish it off, tie them together with fishing wire. Voila! My kids love this one.

We moved to Raanana!

Many people have been asking where we've been. Well, all I can say is we've been moving. Enough said...
Here are some pictures from our last days in Jerusalem. I have to say, we really miss Jerusalem (shout out to all our friends there), but we've really been warmly welcomed in Raanana and as one of our friends put it, "we moved from Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh to Ir HaChesed Raanana". And although we have to be here for a teensy bit longer to judge, we've really felt an outpouring of chessed. So that's really nice for us. Lots more pictures from the summer to come! Gmar Chatima Tova!

This was a picture of our last day in Jerusalem at a play at the mall...


This is a hysterical picture of Ima (that Abba insisted on taking) with some of our boxes outside our building. If you didn't hear our story, after the first movers bailed on us, the second ones came late in the afternoon and emptied 95% of our belongings (boxes, furniture, and all)on to the street. Movers arrived at 9pm and we arrived in Raanana at 3am. But wait, some of the movers slept in the park, got arrested, got released, came back and moved us in while we attended the brit of our new nephew, Tzur.


And these are some of our neighbors. A really eclectic fun group! They threw us a "party" on our last night.

Yom Yerushalayim 2009

It was loud, but we had a great time...especially because we found this flag...









see more here

We BOTH Love Trains!

This is something Ima has been waiting for! Tzviyali just started building tracks all by herself! I, on the other hand, am not sure about this development, but I'm happy she's gained this skill. Now she can go and build her own track instead of ruining mine!
more here

Our stuff

One of my favorite things to do is read my magazine. Tzviyali likes playing with her dolls. Can't figure out why. Maybe one day she'll tell me.

Tiyulim- sukkot fun! part 2

Our day started with pretzels and strawberry bamba! or "BABA" in Tzviyali's language...although she does reserve "BABA" for regular bamba and not the strawberry kind...We went to this place near kfar ha'roeh (near netanya-ish) called lagaat b'chayot! It was in givat chayim me'uchad...we had a great time, especially Ima...

See, this is what my parents are feeding me...

oh...and this too...don't forget pretzels...

Loved the duckies...

But I very much enjoyed this bunny on my lap..."See Ima...Look at his eyes!!" "No Gedalya, don't touch those..!!"

Can I touch the bunny too?

I'm so excited!!!! and also a little scared...I don't think i'm going to touch it...

Look Ima, a turtle!!! This is the best place ever!!

a snake? do you expect me to touch that?? Who did you come here for?

Oh right...I forgot...