363/365: a new pet

For the last night of Hanukkah, we surprised Sam with his first pet, a colorful betta fish! His name, Mr. Maccabee Latke Dreidel Goldsteinfish, so we are sure to never forget when he joined our family! Here's hoping that the way the oil lasted 7 days longer than expected, that Mr. Maccabee lasts longer than expected, too! Thank goodness for a new pet

362/365: reaching new heights

We are like broken records in this house, "Sam! Please stop throwing things!" This time he went too far and Murphy wound up in the fan! I would like to think that maybe this would get Sam to learn his lesson, especially when I said that Murphy may be scared up there, but it doesn't take long before something else is whizzing past us...thank goodness for reaching new heights

360/365: digital watch

Sam's first watch was a Sam-I-Am flip-up watch that he got for his 4th birthday and he loved it...until it went one too many times in the water table at school and that was the end of that. Then Mimi and Pop replaced it with a Spiderman watch which also didn't make it too long in the life of a toddler. We are hoping the third time is a charm with this camouflage Gap watch! Sam was pretty excited to get it on and test out how the numbers light up in the dark...cool! If we can only get him to stay in his room until the numbers say 730 A.M., then it will certainly be money well spent! Thank goodness for (hopefully Sam's last) digital watch

359/365: Hanukkah on Ice

What a great way to spend Christmas...on the ice! Sam laced up for the first time and Jay took him out on the ice at the annual Chabad event, Hanukkah on Ice at The Flyers Skate Zone. We enjoyed fun Hanukkah music, yummy traditional foods and of course, some ice time, too! Sam braced himself with a big orange cone and did awesome for his first time...no fear and determined to do well! Sam and Jay's matching Flyers cold gear got them some attention and they are going to be in the AC Press tomorrow! Luke and I were great spectators, too! Thank goodness for Hanukkah on Ice (a great way to spend Christmas)!

358/365: luminaries

One month after we moved into the neighborhood, we got a notice on our front door about the neighborhood tradition of Christmas Eve luminaries. It was made to be a "mandatory" obligation that we felt forced to comply with but after a couple years of seeing the beautiful finished product, we now enjoy seeing the streets of Schoolhouse illuminated for the holidays. Thank goodness for luminaries

357/365: peanut butter and jelly muffins

Some creamy peanut butter mixed into the batter and a little spoonful of strawberry jam in the middle makes these little treats a yummy favorite! Thank you Parent magazine :) Thank goodness for peanut butter and jelly muffins

356/365: festival of lights

Like Mimi shared with me from the Jewish Exponent, the real miracle of Hanukkah is not that the oil lasted for eight days, but rather that someone tried and tried seven subsequent nights. Thank goodness for the festival of lights