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Archive for the ‘Home Shuling’ Category

Last week we had a rabbi to our house from a synagogue in Forest Hills. We invited other families from around our neighborhood and not only did we have a fun Shabbat hangout, but we got to learn how other families do Shabbat. The rabbi brought along a sheet of songs, and we shared with everyone that we love the book The Shabbat Box by Lesley Simpson. The kids then got to decorate boxes to store their ‘shabbat things’ (or anything else) inside. Ezra and Zoe love this .. and are looking forward to using them tonight. Ezra even took the rabbi’s information on celebrating this ‘day of rest’ to heart, and stayed in his pajamas until 2 last Saturday! Maybe we will do it again.

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hamming it up for the camera with their favorite cobra candle holders

hamming it up for the camera with their favorite cobra candle holders

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Normally Fridays are reserved for Beautiful Things that we find on other blogs – but this Friday we have the most beautiful of all things to share: time with family! We spent a good part of the week traveling further south to DC and MD, hiking in nature, hanging with cousins, having a couple seders and waking to a surprising snow fall. Other than some relatives being displaced by a fire at their hotel – the weekend was pleasantly crazy with family fun.

Hooray for cousins!

Hooray for cousins!


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Who knew he'd like wii dancing so much?

Who knew he’d like wii dancing so much?

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Photo from ohthelovelythings.com

Photo from ohthelovelythings.com

I feel like my quest for Beautiful Things has been hampered lately by chasing kids, their schedules, an upcoming ballet recital, a huge homework packet … you know the mamma drill. But I did manage to find some things that evoke spring before frolicking with the kids (both of them, now that Ezra has some time off from school finally).

Enjoy!

– Favorite spring picture books.

– Some beautiful spring colors and eggs (for Passover or Easter or just as a symbol of renewal.)

– More lovely lively colors to take my head out of winter.

Colorful coats for the end of the season, and don’t forget the red lipstick again!

– It’s fascinating to see children around the world with their favorite things.

– And just cute kids in general, on film, saying some great stuff (love the one about Valentine’s Day!)

A great lunch option, I’m about to Google whether or not bulgur wheat is kosher for Passover.

– What do to with your cherry tomatoes when they go past their prime.

– Pretty macaroons!

– Do you remember when Banana Republic Merchandise looked like this?

– A kosher-for-Passover treat and favorite at our house.

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Of course while in the Lower East Side of Manhattan one cannot help but stop in to Russ and Daughters – another fixture in the neighborhood since the early 1900s. I have memories of walking a few blocks with friends to get to some lox and schmear on weekends when I lived nearby in the LES – but I had no idea that even Martha Stewart had by now become such a big fan. You gotta love their website page of Lower East Side history and Yiddishisms (see it here.)

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Ezra looks longingly at the lox

Ezra looks longingly at the lox

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More hamentaschen, yum!

More hamentaschen, yum!

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An advantage to living in NYC is being near its rich Jewish culture and neighborhoods full of Jewish history. A place like Streit’s Matzo Factory has been around for so long (since 1925) they seem happy to accommodate constant requests to see the inside of the same 4 adjoining buildings on Rivington Street that has been their factory for decades. Now they even throw a Passover Palooza for kids that ends with tours of the famous matzo making facilities. Mama Doni was performing live in the area that is normally filled with boxes of outgoing matzo shipments. We got a free CD, a dance party, warm matzo ‘hot off the presses’ and at the end we went to the Streit’s store to stock up on matzo (for next week) of course!

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Kids in costumes and hamantashen … I can’t get enough of either!

Queen Esther and King Mordecai

Queen Esther and King Mordecai

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don't eat me!

don’t eat me!

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Today is Ezra’s 100th Day of School – a day that is celebrated by kids making a poster of 100 things, and presenting it at school. It was kind of hysterical seeing a sea of small kids practically sailing to school this morning with their large poster boards in hand, the cold wind pushing them along. I wish I had time this a.m. to photograph Ezra’s poster of a brain bursting with 100 star stickers, his ‘one new thing learned each day’. But alas, the a.m. is too frantic and crazy for me to remember to pull out a camera.
Instead I think this photo says it all. Last week Ezra climbed to the top of the ‘spider web’ (as he calls it) in his old school. It use to terrify him to do this. He was so proud. Really – where does the time go? I know it’s such a cliche but they really do grow so fast.

And because it’s Friday and because I’m still obsessed with teepees, making things of cardboard, and having fun indoors while it’s cold – here’s our weekly list of beautiful things:

– Got a big box? Make an indoor slide.

– Turn that old dress into a teepee!

– So much beautiful wood… look at that headboard.

Paper maps of various cities.

– I love these painted floors

Amazing hats, and the studio – don’t you just want to live in there?

– Some fun photos of my old neighborhood.

An amazing discovery – nanny turned photographer who left gorgeous photos behind.

– Stylish rebels: best dressed men ever.

– This weekend is Purim! We are breaking out these costumes again and hope to try this hamentashen recipe – yum!

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Bubby already sent us some crafts for Chanukah, giving us something to do in Rochester in the snow. I can’t believe it’s only a couple weeks away!

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Ezra and Zoe joined their cousins at Sunday school this past weekend and had an opportunity to decorate and eat in the sukkah at Temple Sinai at the end of Sukkot. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. Maybe it’s the New England girl in me – I love celebrating the change of seasons. This holiday really highlights the harvest, eating outdoors with friends, and who doesn’t love decorating an outdoor hut? I thought for sure Ezra would love it seeing as he loves making shelters these days.
Zoe and her cousin got to make some paper chains for the sukkah and Ezra and cousin Jake learned the Hebrew word for hand (Yad) among a host of other things like Blessing for the Arba Minim, which I’ve never learned! (thank you Temple Sinai for letting us visit)



mmmm doughnut holes for noshing!

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Warm weather, seeing family — more DC adventures to follow soon:

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