end of Hanukkah 2012

 The 5th night of Hanukkah our front window is starting to really glow!  It was art night and the kids got some new art supplies, markers, paints, colored pencils, drawing pads, etc.  Fun and useful gifts!

 On the 6th night the kids got to open gifts from Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Brian and Mama and Daddy - it was an exciting night, especially because the next day the kids had NO SCHOOL!!!

 Zoe got a nail set and Zachary got a catapult and trebuchet.  They both loved their presents, thank you Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Brian!

The 6th night was also book night from Mama and Daddy and the books the received included Zoe's first dictionary and Zachary's 3rd Guiness Book of Records (the 2013 edition) and they were both excited.

 And, the 8th night of Hanukkah - didn't our window look great!

 Snap Circuits Light for Zachary and Zoe's very own microphone (even though she keeps calling it her  microscope).  Both kids also got gelt from Aunt Marcia, thank you so much!

3rd and 4th nights of Hanukkah 2012

Here are photos from the 3rd and 4th night of Hanukkah at the Schulman's:

 This picture came out blurry so we could capture the glow of the candles on the 3rd night.  Mama posed this time with the kids.

 Zachary got a game he had been wanting, and his reaction upon unwrapping was, "YES!"  Mama and Daddy were very pleased.

 Zoe got the hair salon chair for her dolls that she had been wanting and as you can see above, her reaction was a giant hug to Mama - and she said something to the affect of, "This was what I really wanted!" Again, Mama and Daddy were very pleased, we love when the kids are happy on Hanukkah.

 The 4th night of Hanukkah was GG and Zadie's gift night and we skyped with them via Glenn's new iPad.  So as we snapped some pics, the kids made a more silly pose followed by 'normal' smiles.

 Here we are skyping - we sang the brachot and Maot Tzur with them before they watched the kids open the presents that they had sent.  GG and Zadie enjoyed our virtual menorah lighting together.  We enjoyed it too.

 Zoe got some of the 'girly' legos, a nightgown set for her and her doll, and a hanukkah set for her doll. She was thrilled.  Although the nightgown was short sleeve, Zoe and her doll slept in them anyway, she just couldn't wait. Her doll, Rebecca Rubin, is already enjoying her hanukkiah and dreidel.

Here is Zachary with his new safe and lego set.  He was so excited both to build the legos (which came with a lego light brick - too cool), and to put his money into the safe.  The safe even counts the money so he enjoyed seeing how much money he actually has, and Mama was happy the money was being moved from various bags and things it was currently stored in throughout his room.
Thanks GG and Zadie for the wonderful gifts.

Zoe's TV debut ...

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/ct_style/stage-8-presents-the-southern-connecticut-hebrew-academy#.UMZ5Z4e9KK0

Zoe and her 1st grade class at SCHA sang Hanukkah songs on the local news station.  It aired yesterday for the 3rd night of Hanukkah.  They were adorable!  Enjoy

1st 2 nights of Hanukkah

Here are the kids on the first night of hanukkah - we set up our hanukkiot (menorahs) in the kitchen window this year as now that we have the piano our 'old' spot isn't available.  This works better as now when we display our burning candles people might actually see as they drive by!  Of course we still have our light up menorah in the window too - and the house is decorated with lots of the kids old decorations from preschool.  We are using both hanukkiot the kids  made and hanukkiot we already had each night - always fun to pull all that stuff out.  No one made a hanukkiah this year, they are too big we guess.
First night was movie night, the kids got new DVDs and they watched one afterwards (Tom and Jerry). Daddy got an iPad, which he loves, well, we all love!  And Mama got a bound book of the blog so far, what a treat to look at the last 3 years of posts, can't wait for you to see it too.

On Sunday was the shul hanukkah party which Mama helped to organize.  The kids had a lot of fun - and here you see them showing the hanukkah cookies they decorated with edible paints.  They enjoyed eating them too - but they were very sweet, as Zoe gave Mama a taste of hers.

After the Hanukkah party , we lit our candles at home and Daddy and the kids posed for another picture.  The kids each lit their own hanukkiah, but Daddy helps to put the Shamash in after they light. 

The second night was presents sent from  Grammy and Grandpa - Zoe got a fashion designer set and Zachary got the Crayola light designer.  They also each got a book of Judith Voirst poems, which Zoe and Mama read some of at bedtime.  They were both excited, although the light designer was the big hit (we can see why this is a 'hot toy' this year) - kids had a lot of fun playing with it that night and in the morning.  However, Zoe also designed a beautiful dress with her kit and we think she will enjoy it for a while, plus it is a lap desk so it is good for travel.

Everyone had fun testing out the new gifts.  Thanks Grammy and Grandpa!!!!