Songs About Love and Friendship

Pretty good theme for a 3rd grade concert.

Holden Rocks

Riley Rocks On

Riley's first rock climbing adventure that involved going all the way to the top AND repelling down!

Riley Keeps Him Down

Disney Adventures

For Hanukkah, the boys agreed that a bunch of small gifts each night was not the way to go when they could, instead, spend two days at Disneyland. And because they're both such great students, they earned the right to miss school for those two days to go. So in mid-January, we left on a Sunday, checked into a motel and then spent Monday at Disneyland and Tuesday at California Adventure - which none of us had ever been to before. (Some photos out of order since Blogger doesn't make it easy to re-arrange!)

The Disney Force Was Strong with These Two

Monorail

 

Autotopia is the Only Place He Can Drive, But is Looking Forward to 16

Every Ride Where Riley Was Scared or Anticipated the Unexpected, This Was How He Rode

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Still Great

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - They Don't Say "... 'Cause This is Here's the Wildest Ride in the West" Anymore, and That Messed With Me

Tower of Terror. None of Us Knew What to Expect.

Luigi's Ride - RIP

Seven Rows Back is Kevin's Calm Face, Just Before California Screamin' Blasts Off

WHOOOA!

A Very Wet Raft Ride

Riley Dances On...

This time, our little show man gets his groove on as he Eases On Down the Road with Music 'n Motion:

And Lobsters to Eat

Oh, December. Here you are again with all your high-caloric food, back-to-back festivities and bank-breaking shopping trips. Every year, from the day before Thanksgiving until the Monday after New Year's, it's like we're sucked into a vacuum of too much to do, and not enough time, money or waistband to do it in. This city transforms into one big traffic jam and don't EVEN THINK about trying to make a quick Target run. No. Such. Thing.
Among the normal day-to-day hustle and bustle of work, sports, Cub Scouts, homework, chores, school activities, errands, etc., we have to fit in all the holiday stuff. This year, Hanukkah up and thwacked us over the head with an early Dec. 1 arrival. And, despite a new job that does not allow for much in the way of lunch-time errands, we totally saw it coming and beat it to the punch. Take THAT, Hanukkah. We've managed to light the candles and say the prayers every night, and have supplied the kids with total winner gifts that were not obscenely expensive, extravagant or all that big. We even made latkes for dinner on Sunday night.
The kids have re-learned, as they do every year, "Oh Hanukkah," and Riley is going to be singing it solo Friday night at his preschool winter performance. Holden has schooled all his classmates on the Hanukkah story, and even helped his first grade teacher, Mrs. Laster, with words like "Maccabee." He brought some dreidels from home and taught them how to play.
We haven't done much to further their Jewish education. I think they've gone to maybe one or two Tot Shabbats at various synagogues, and I somehow haven't been bothered enough to get Riley's Hebrew naming ceremony scheduled and done. I've always figured they'd go to Sunday School and Hebrew School when they started regular school, but there are excuses.... er, reasons why that just hasn't happened (read: time and money).
But, our Hanukkah observances, where Holden mumbles along with great effort as I say the prayers over the candles, has reminded how great it was to be a part of the Jewish culture as a kid. Sure, a big part of why I loved Temple was my friends, but isn't that what being a part of a community of shared heritage is all about? I don't know if the boys will be Bar Mitzvahed, as much as I hope they will, and I don't know if they'll embrace religious practice at all. But I think I owe it to them, and my ancestors, to expose them to it and then let them decide for themselves.

During bedtime story and song time, Holden often asks me to sing Shabbat songs. Maybe, soon, he'll be teaching me some new ones.

Happy Hanukkah!