6!

This past Monday, Aug 19th, our dear sweet AlteLu turned 6!  We spent the day getting 3 fish--Waffles, Bus, and Birdy, and then had a fabulous pool party!  Lots of friends, family, pizza, swimming, and ice cream sandwhich cake.  Our girl is a true delight. When someone complimented her mermaid bathing suit, she replied, "I am a mermaid!"

Hersh and Sender also enjoyed the party, and are relishing the last days of summer,and having Savta with us:)

1st tooth out & almost 6!

Our dear, sweet AlteLu lost her first tooth, and is moments away turning 6.  She told me that she heard the tooth fairy's wings flapping, and that her tooth fairy is likely Israeli, since she left AlteLu a 5 shekel coin:)
On Monday Lu will turn 6, and wow, what a lady she is!  Reading, dancing, swimming, drawing, and almost bike riding!  We love our chit-chatty girl so much--life would be much too quiet without her around:)

Dreams do come true

We've just arrived home from an adventure--our trip to Norway and Israel.  This trip has been in the works for quite some time, and it's hard to believe that it is now behind us.  The kids were amazing.  There were some really long days of travel, some intense hangriness, and a lot of togetherness.  But, honestly, it was a dream come true.  There where all of these momentsof awe and gratitude--like swimming in the Meditteranean at sunset every night, with the kids, and feeling the beauty and magic of Israel.  Being in Norway with Kate and Meghan, and the amazing little family that Jacob and I have created--so many moments like these.

In Norway we--swam in fjords, took boats, trams, and buses (Sender is really into buses (and owls).  Learned about vikings, ate waffles with jam and brown cheese, took an amazing hike, and enjoyed both the playground and sculptures of Vigeland Park.

In Israel we --tiyuled to Jerusalem (ramparts walk, kotel, old city, Mehene Yehuda, falafel, shopping, Ben Yehuda street), beached in Bat Yam and Caesarea, drove through the dessert to Masada/the Dead Sea, saw camels, walked to and from Banana Beach during Eid.  Hersh gained a strong love of "toast" and everyone ate lots of ice cream and croissants.  Oh, and Sender lived on burekas.  Our airbnb was nasty, but we made the best of it because of the amazing location.

The kids are incredible, and were great travelers.  I think they truly enjoyed the magic that is world travel.  Hersh was a wonderful help, AlteLu sunny as usual, and Sender a go-with-the-flow 3rd child, who is fine with dinner at 830pm, and bedtime at 10pm. 

We also stopped in Iceland on the way home.  It was incredibly beautiful and freezing.  Also hard to catch a cab.