Zoe's Pesach Play at Gan Hayeled Nursery School

Zoe's school, Gan Hayeled Nursery School, performed a Pesach (Passover) play telling the story of passover. Most of the girls were Egyptian princesses who rescued baby Moses from the river Nile (note Zoe's baby). Zoe, being dressed as a pricesses, also had to carry her magic wand. As the director of the school Lana, told the story, the kids acted out the parts, thus the worried look on Zoe's face. Seated behind Zoe is her teacher, Connie. The boys in Zoe's class seen below on the left, all were king Pharoah who wouldn't let the Jews out of Egypt. After many plagues, Pharoah let the Jews leave, but then changed his mind. So G-d had to help the Jews cross the Red sea by parting it for them (note the blue towels which Zoe is helping to move for the Jews to pass through) and then the sea closed back up before the Egyptians could cross it and catch the Jews. The play was peppered with songs and all the plagues - always love the frog song and of course the kids were adorable.


Here we are with Zoe at the school seder which followed the play. She loved the chocolate caramel matzah (as did we) and we made it at home for Pesach. It was so nice to be able to watch Zoe perform, and a treat that we could both be there.

Pesach/Passover Prep

The night before Passover begins, each family is supposed to perform a Bedika Chametz - or inspection for leavened food items. This custom has been changed such that one of the parents hides about 10 pieces of bread throughout the already immaculately clean house and the children are supposed to use their bedika kit (wooden spoon, feather, candle) to find and collect this bread and place in a paper bag to be burned the following morning. Note that our kids also used a flashlight - much safer than going only by candlelight. The next two pictures show the kids before the inspection and then during with Daddy. They did a super job and found all the pieces that Mama hid.

Also exciting was the parsley that Zachary grew and harvested in time for our seder. Here he is cutting the parsley to place on our Seder plate. See the previous entry for more on the parsley.

And finally - we needed a new family portrait - complete with Zachary's parsley. The kids did a super job during the Seder -- saying blessings, singing songs, and finding the afikomen. We were grateful to share our first Seder with our neighbors and friends and then the second Seder, Grammy and Grandpa joined us as well as more friends. It is wonderful to celebrate such a fun and yummy holiday with so many wonderful people.

Zachary's Parsley plant for Passover

Zachary planted parsley seeds in kindergarten with his teacher Morah Nettie in hopes of harvesting them in time for our Passover Seder. Some of the childrens plants hadn't even grown much when it was time to bring them home early last week. Meanwhile after Zachary's sat in the car for a few hours that day, it made it to the kitchen window where along with Zachary's watering it has grown a lot. We think we will surely have some to eat next week at our Sedarim, as well as some to transplant into our garden. It looks as though Zachary has a green thumb :)
Happy Passover planning and cooking to all!

Spring has sprung

Just before Spring, Zoe helped Mama bake a blueberry crisp. We were trying to clear out our pantry before Passover, and create a yummy treat for shabbat dessert. Zoe likes to wear an apron and work in the kitchen. She is a super helper and she likes to sample everything as we measure and mix.



Hooray for Spring sunshine ... and chocolate mustaches!


The nice weather got the kids outside - enjoying chocolate popsicles and swinging! It was lovely to rediscover our love of cold treats, grass, and games in the backyard. Here are some pictures of the day before the official day spring began, enjoying treats out in the back. Zachary is wearing his new Ezra shirt - he just keeps growing!

PURIM 2010

Purim 2010 was fantastic ... and way better than 2009 (check this blog for that entry when Mama and Daddy were bedridden with the flu). Zachary was Darth Vador and Zoe (of course) was a princess. Zachary even had a light saber which he borrowed from his pal Eitan, who was Luke Skywalker. Zoe wore her "glass slippers" as well as a tiarra and wand. The kids were very excited for Purim, they helped to make mishlach manot bags for the friends, they made hamentaschen at school (Daddy went to Zachary's class to help) and they made their own groggers at home using soda cans. Happy happy Purim for the Schulman family!

Here is Zachary following along during the Megillah reading at Shul, and a picture of Zachary with his mask on (it was hard to see with it on). He loved the costume and despite not having seen the movie we taught him the sound Darth Vador makes when he breathes. Also note that Zoe's dress even has a hoop in the skirt!

After the Megillah reading, Daddy took Zachary and Zoe to the JCC for Zach's karate class and a concert by Shira Klein (aka Shirlala). Zoe ran into her pal from school Eydan, and they also saw Zachary's pal from school Camila, who like Zoe was dressed as a beautiful princess. So Daddy had to snap a picture of the two princesses together.

Meanwhile, Mama went to Brooklyn and back to pick up the food for the Purim Seudah (meal) at the Shul. The kids and Daddy met up with Mama at the Shul where Mama snapped this picture of Daddy in his costume and the kids who are holding their homemade groggers. Zoe is holding the one she made with Mama this year and Zachary is holding the one he made last year at school (I think it is supposed to look like King Ahashverus).

There was face painting during the Shul party, so Zoe got Elmo on her cheek. Meanwhile Zachary had a light saber "fight" with his pals Sapir who was a hockey player and Eitan aka Luke Skywalker. What fun everyone had. The kids got prizes for their costumes and we all ate well and Mama and Daddy enjoyed some L'Chaims (toasting of drinks) with their friends to celebrate this fun holiday.


On Monday, Zachary wore his veterinarian costume to school (see Halloween entry) and Zoe again dressed as a princess as she was supposed to be Queen Vashti in her school's Purim play. Mama and Daddy both went to watch Zoe's Purim play, and we must say she did a FABULOUS job. Check out the video below of her big moment.


Here are Zoe and some of her classmates. They were absolutely adorable.

Enjoy the video of Zoe aka Queen Vashti during Gan Hayeled's Purim Play.

Snow Day!

We had another snow day -- probably the last of the season and both Mama and Daddy were home, so we really tried to enjoy the day together! In the morning, Zachary and Zoe helped Mama make french toast - even flipping the toast in the frying pan. Mama hadn't showered yet, so please forgive her bed head. The kids did great cooking, and really enjoyed helping as well as eating. FYI wheat challah (homemade) makes extra yummy french toast.

Later in the day after braving the snow to run a few errands Zachary and Daddy set up to build a castle from a set that Grammy and Grandpa got for the kids. They both worked hard at it, and here you can see them working together. Zoe and Zachary also helped Mama make "kitchen sink cookies." It was a yummy fun snow day and it was nice to be all together (for a change).

Stay tuned for Purim 2010!

Visiting our cousins in Maryland - and GG too!

Mama drove with Zachary and Zoe down to Maryland during the February break - they get an entire week off! The kids were SUPER DUPER stars on the ride, Mama was so pleased. Grandma Gaile was already in Maryland so when we arrived it was great to be with Joshua, Ethan, Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Brian and GG too! On our first full day we had formal pictures taken -- it went pretty well, and there was actually one of all four kids together and several other individual shots we like, and of course a cute pic of Zachary and Zoe holding hands. On the second day since there was still alot of snow around we were looking for some indoor activities and we decided to bake cookies - with m&m's in them. What fun. Here are some pictures of baking and eating those yummy cookies. They were especially yummy dipped in milk.
Of course Aunt Rebecca had a bakers hat, that both Zachary and Zoe wore while mixing. Also note the aprons they wore.

Joshy loved eating the cookies the best. He also loved eating the m&m's during the mixing. After we made the cookies, the kids also helped Mama and Aunt Rebecca make homemade pizza. That was a delicious dinner treat for everyone, even Uncle Brian who came home later hungry enjoyed eating the pizza.

How about Ethan, could he be any cuter! He is such a sweet easy baby, and Zoe especially enjoyed loving him up. She likes to call him Eeffey guy ... but don't worry she does know his real name. It is great seeing Ethan in the exersaucer that now all four kids have enjoyed. Thanks to Mama's labmates who bought it for her when Zachary was born.

Zachary has really shown tremendous development during this kindergarten year. His reading has continued to expand, and it looks as though he might be a bit of a book worm. While we were in Maryland, I (Mama) took both kids to a book store to pick out some new books for our ride back to Connecticut. Zachary found a Henry and Mudge (an early reader series he loves) and plopped down in the bookstore and began reading. He found a certain section of one of the stories that caused him to laugh out loud - so loud in fact that I had to remind him to keep it down. We of course bought this book, and again later he was chuckling as he read the story - something about Mudge (the dog) and an old shoe in the trash. Aunt Rebecca had another Henry and Mudge book which she gave Zachary and when he read that in the car, he found another part that made him crack up, giving GG and me a big smile. I am so pleased that now he is comprehending his reading and getting joy out of what he reads so I had to share this picture of him and his new books just after he had been giggling about the contents. We hope he always finds pleasure in reading.