January 2011

Highlights of this month include Ella's first solid food experience, learning to sit up by herself, and Ema and Abba's 5th wedding anniversary. Ella loves her peas and carrots (literally), as well as her bananas, avocados, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, squash, rice cereal and oatmeal. She also tolerates prunes and green beans. More foods to come! In the meantime, Avi is enjoying life as a preschooler, learning new songs, catchphrases like "listening ears," and having great success with the potty, at long last.

Hannukah: December 2010

Ella's first day of chanukah also marked Avi's first day of preschool at Sweet Pea Cottage Preschool of the Arts, where he is charming his way through two mornings a week away from home. The kids both loved the candles, and Avi, of course, enjoyed opening gifts every night. He also loved to celebrate the holiday with his buddies Jacob and Sophie, and with Aunt Daya.

November 2010

November's highlight was the amazing SNOW we got just before Thanksgiving. Avi had a blast getting all bundled up and playing "in the winter-time" and it was hard to convince him to come back inside to warm up! Ella had her first Thanksgiving with Chuck, Simon, and Mimi Broches (Connie was on vacation!), and started to use her jumparoo for the first time!

Shoshana and Reuven's Wedding: October 13, 2010

Shoshana and Reuven tied the knot on October 13, 2010, in Zichron Yaakov. Avi had a blast at the party, and even managed to stand with us under the chuppah for a good 40 minutes, insisting that it was shabbat because of the candles and the kiddush cup. Ella got all dressed up in her blue dress and gold shoes, and then slept straight through the ceremony and most of the party in her car seat while we used her stroller as a cup holder. We were so happy to be able to share this special day with Doda Shosh and Dod Reuven and the whole family.

October 2010

Some pictures from our time in Israel this October--the kids suffered from terrible jetlag, and we all managed to get sick, but we enjoyed our time in Jerusalem, Zichron Yaakiv, Karmiel, Tzfat, and Tel Aviv with the family and our friends. Here are some of the highlights!

Happy New Year 5771

Shana Tova U'Metukah to everyone! We have been very busy in the last few weeks. Doda Elisheva and Dod Danny were here for a great visit before they went off to another adventure at the Burning Man Festival. Danny taught Avi all about "Hakuna Matata" and how to "be optimistic," and Ellie got a new name, "Ella-sheva." Next, Aunt Daya came back, and she will be with us for a few more months as she is going back to work at the Gates Foundation here in Seattle! Ella is growing into her personality, and she loves to smile and show off her dimples. She also loves to go througha record number of diapers every day, and sleep for very short periods of time at unpredictable intervals. In the meantime, Avi is becoming a little man, and has decided that his new friend Sophie is in fact his "girlfriend." We are thrilled that he is starting off with a nice Jewish girl!

Ella flirts with the camera.
Avi flies a helicopter at the Museum of Flight with Aunt Daya
Ella Flirts with her Uncle Danny
Doda Elisheva helps Avi cool off on a hot summer day
Avi and his new girlfriend Sophie

August 2010

The last few weeks have been exhausting and exciting. Nana left last week, and Abba and Ema have been very busy and TIRED during Seattle's annual heat wave. Ella is starting to show us her personality: stubborn but sweet, strong and serious. She doesn't stand for "tummy time" and has flips over from her tummy to her back as soon as we put her face down on her play mat. Avi is a great big brother and he loves to kiss his baby sister whenever he sees her and bring her toys and tell her stories. Unfortunately, he also wants to be babied himself these days, and asks us to swaddle him and cuddle in the middle of night, after over a year of sleeping through the night without a problem. C'est la vie!


Avi shows Pop-Pop Richmond Beach

One month old!

Avi and his Baby Sister

5 weeks old

Doing Pushups on Abba's chest, 6 weeks old