Rachel's Birthday

It's almost Rachel's Birthday. Tonight at the dinner table, we were talking about Rachel's upcoming birthday party. Ellen suggested that maybe she and Gabriel could go to Target to pick up a birthday present for Rachel. Gabriel got really excited... "We should get her candy.... and a gun... a metal gun that shoots... not a squirt gun, but a toy gun..." Everyone around the table laughed. Ellen asked if Gabriel thought that a gun would make a good gift for Rachel... he paused a beat and then answered "Yes" and it was determined that he would like Rachel to share her new proposed presents.

I don't think we're going to get a gun for Rachel's first birthday... but there will be watermellon at the party. Rachel LOVES watermellon. After dinner the desert tonight was organic watermellon from the farm. When Rachel was being let out of her high chair, she saw the glass bowl of watermellon on the table with two slices left, and she made a lunge for the bowl. Ellen decided to put Rachel on the table to see what would happen. Rachel crawled to the watermellon, took a piece, ate some, and then crawled to her water glass (with a straw) and took a sip, and then gleefully crawled back to the watermellon. Back and forth she crawled while Gabriel turned green with envy, since he REALLY wanted to walk on the table as well, but was not allowed since he's 'too big'.

PS In the background behind Rachel you can see most of Corianna Swartz our new housemate.

I can almost crawl

 

Rachel is rolling like crazy, and can push herself up into pre-crawl position. She's really happy!

Tales from the Potty

The other day, Gabriel flushed an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet. Ellen, gave him a time-out in his room for this decision. She told me that yesterday, she walked into the bathroom, and Gabriel was sitting there, with his hand near the toilet paper chanting to himself, "Yetzer Tov, Yetzer HaRah, Yetzer Tov, Yetzer HaRah" It's amazing what's going on in his head.

I can picture the two little 'angles' on each sholder urging him to be good or bad, and he's weighing their arguments... Should I follow the Good Inclination (Yetzer Tov) or the Bad (Yetzer HaRah)?

Pictures from this morning

 
 
 
 

Some family pictures from this morning... The Toes pictures was a few mornings ago.

Chocolate Bunnies

Ellen was just telling me a few fun things that happened today. One of her goals was to get 6 month pictures taken of Rachel at a photography studio. So they went Portriate Simple at the Atrium mall... It turns out that since we're a week away from Easter, it's LIVE BUNNY week... and there are no openings for shootings until after Easter. Well, there are some, but they are at really bad times...

News from Gabriel's playgroup:
According to Morah Shira, Gabriel was asking what holiday we eat chocolate bunnies at. Morah Shira said she didn't know. Gabriel asked: "Is it Esther?" Mommy explained that Jews eat chocolate bunnies after Easter, a Christian holiday, when they go on sale. Some of Gabriel's other questions at playgroup have been inquiring what is "Expensive" like, and what are "chemicals on my food".

Earlier this week, Gabriel had the cultural experience of finding his Morah's wig in the bathroom. Which lead to a whole discussion at his playgroup about the customs of Orthadox women covering their hair.

Special Breakfast

I made a special breakfast for Gabriel the other morning. A smily egg face. When I told Ellen about the special breakfast, she wanted one too. She said she wanted a tushy... So, I made her one. Complete with a prune coming out :)

Gabriel's 3rd Birthday Pinata

Here is Ellen showing off the pinata she made for Gabirel's 3rd Birthday party at Playgroup.

There is also a picture of Gabirel with his birthday hat, and of Gabriel trying to hit the Pinata. I heard that Ellen and Mora Shirah had to work together to get the treats out of the pinata.