Purim

Purim came once again. A few days earlier on Shabbat, we were celebrating Spencer's first birthday, and what better dessert to make than the seasonal treat of hamentashen! With some little helpers in the kitchen, we got ready to bake!

(With hard work comes tasty responsibility.)

Yummy success! (Even Aunt Mor was still in town for the sweet treat.)

With preparations ready, the holiday arrived. We showed up for a fun kid-friendly program at shul, dressed in fabulous costumes, and each of my children celebrated in his or her trademark style.

Gabi (the pink butterfly) stuck to the crafty activities:


Ethan (the super dude!) preferred the music and entertainment:

And Spencer (the pumpkin) stayed under tables or cried.


The Gildens were there to party with us!

Then, there was Mommy, the festive Purim zebra.

After plenty of sugar and junk food, we ended the night with smiles and hugs. (We missed Daddy, of course, who had to keep Austin's air space safe.) Chag Purim Sameach!

February Fun 2018

In February, we had a roller coaster of freezing days and warm sunny days and back and forth and back and forth. We enjoyed the weather when we could and tried to have fun inside too! Below is the assortment of pictures and videos randomly taken over the month and quasi-organized for your viewing pleasure.

Once again, February 6 rolled around, and we got duped into participating in National Fro Yo Day.

The many pleasures of having a mobile baby around the house:

rearranging furniture

sorting through the recycling

He was even strapped in this time!

Having a baby around the house also lends itself to messy but cute meals. (Also, hooray for the collage setting for pictures!)

Apparently, the mess doesn't end with babies.

Maybe it would help if we could afford bowls for the children?

I only snatched a couple pictures of a lovely playdate with Maven and Addi.

This nut loves babies, says hi to all puppies, gives sweet hugs and kisses, and won't eat anything that's associated with onions.

Ethan got very brave at our playground one afternoon:

Grandma and Grandpa sent some new soft friends to snuggle with for Valentine's Day.

Gabi insisted these pictures happen when we were walking around the mall. I obliged. I then thought to delete them because...why do I need these pictures? But I couldn't because my babies are so cute. Sigh.

The girl who does not nap:

The girl who does not nap made a nest for herself on the floor and passed out once afternoon until 5:30. Then, she had no pillows in her bed that night.

Then, she didn't nap and was tired enough to spend entire nights in her floor nest.

Sweet sib moments from the month:

pushing sweetly

pushing maniacally

I don't know why he smiles. (Spencer REALLY loves his big brother and sister.)

I love how each one has a different dance style.

shimmy shake

dynamic duet

Our coloring table moved positions last month and that only encouraged this crafty creator to spend more time coloring away (with the help of a set of 140 colors from Chanukah).

This Mommy and Daddy spend a lot of time with these children, and SOMETIMES, there are pictures to show for it!

monkey boys

typical

I have never felt more like a mother duck before:

ducklings

In the month of February, this big boy learned how to walk, grew his first 2 teeth on top, and celebrated his very first birthday. He became happier with strangers (although very much prefers mommy), learned that his brother and sister are downright hilarious, and continued to grow into his snuggly adorable self. He quit breastfeeding (literally) and picked up clapping. We know more teeth and skills are yet to come, but we're enjoying the ride in the meantime.

music man like big brother

finally caught clapping on video