And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Passover is over, Aba is back at work, and our house guests have all returned home, and the children are back to their happy, playful, destructive selves.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, with the special activities at shul, the big gatherings at friends and families homes (especially when they are at my home!), and teaching the children why it is such a special day. But I also love when the holidays are over, especially the long ones like Passover. 8 days. 8 days of no breakfast cereal, no sandwiches, and no cookies; make it hard on the lunch packer (me), hard on the dinner chef (me), and hard on the grocery shopper (again me). I am so happy we are back to our daily favorites, like cheerios.

I also love when Aba is home with us. The kids get extra play time, we have 3 family meals a day, and go on impromptu outings, like hikes, fishing trips, and family walks to the grocery store. But, the laundry gets behind (even when he helps), the kitchen is a sight, and the floors are not vacuumed as often as they should be. But he has returned to work. The kitchen is sparkling, the floors have vacuum marks, and the laundry is waiting to be put into dressers and closets. Hey, I might even get to pre-iron his work clothes!

House guests...
I love them, I truly do, in fact I ask them to come, and to stay longer, and in a few days time we will be back to asking them when they will return since we miss them so much. House guests play with the kids and tell them stories, make meal times livelier, and afternoon walks something to look forward to. The kids love to see their family, and as J asked as Auntie LaLa was saying Bye and giving him one last kiss, "Bye?Why?Bye?Why?" (Try to explain to a 2 year old why their new favorite person is leaving, and you get an upset little boy crying and saying NO!!!) but it is nice to have the house back to ourselves, not wondering what to make due to dietary restrictions, if there will be enough hot water for every ones shower, and hoping the kids stay on there best manners through the whole visit (which never happens).

So, it is nice, to be back to our daily habits. Morning routines, breakfast and lunches, housework and all. Yes I will miss the extra hands to hold Baby B while cooking dinner, extra hands folding laundry, gossip on afternoon walks, and dueling blogs. But I am enjoying my morning tea, about to leave for ballet class for B and then off to Costco. We will return later, and while the whole house naps I would be getting the laundry put in its place. And when Aba arrives home form a hard days work (I think they said they were doing bubble blowing today), dinner will be hot and ready on the table to greet him. Who knows we might even get back to story time at night!

And this is why we hide the Afikoman inside...

We have a family near us that celebrates Easter (as many people do) who have now been standing outside with there 2 and 4 year old for the past 45 minutes in a fairly heavy snow, and it is not yet 8:30 in the morning. Why are they standing outside, you ask? Very simply they are looking for "Easter eggs" those pastel colored plastic eggs that have treats hidden inside of them.

If you will imagine the scene: It has been lightly snowing here off and on since Friday morning, and picked up considerably in the wee hours before dawn. I am assuming that these eggs were hidden last night after their little ones went to bed in order to be in place this morning for the festivities. Mom is outside in sleeping pants, slippers, and a heavy jacket, dad and the kids are bundled fully in snow pants, jackets, hats, mittens, and boots (most probably with PJ's still on underneath). Not a single plastic egg is visible due to the falling snow, and they are searching. And searching. And searching. The children's baskets (which I am assuming should be quite full, still have lots of neon colored straw visible from my vantage point at the kitchen sink where I stood carefully washing the shabbos china. As the family finally gives up and heads inside, I see the dad take a confused scan of the yard, wondering no doubt where the rest of the eggs are that are sure to turn up days from now one at a time as the snow melts.

And that is why we hide the Afikoman inside. No bundled up feats digging through snow banks for us!

101 things I wish someone had told me sooner:

1. Always check that the memory card is in the camera before taking pictures.
2. There is not a garbage disposal in the dishwasher.
3. They make washable crayons
4. Only use spray on oils) over the kitchen sink, or you will fall on your butt repeatedly.
5. A good driver is better than a good car
6. Kids will climb anything
7. You should lotion your leather sofas to keep them soft and supple for years to come.
8. A dog should never smell doggy..
9. Homemade French fries need to be fried twice to be crunchy
10. Oxy10 dries out your skin
11. Rabbits will eat the only thing your husband wanted planted in the garden
12. Bleach and water will clean most of your house: bathrooms, kitchens, doorknobs, light switch plates, etc.
13. not all 3 digit area codes belong to the US
14. Crock pots are wonderful
15. If you have ever worn braces, you must wear your retainer for the rest of your life, or your teeth will move back.
16. Never leave a 2 year old unattended with scissors (even kids scissors) unless you want things not meant to be cut up, cut up (like curtains, siblings hair and PJ’s).
17. Pictures on a cell phone, can not be put into a computer, without buying tons of extra stuff
18. you only need ½ the manufacturers recommended amount of laundry detergent
19. My Babies are like koalas, they must touch you at all times to be happy.
20. if you don’t eat enough you will lose muscle, not fat.
21. Juice should be watered down, way down (like 1 cup water to 2 tbsp juice) and can be watered down well past the age of 5!
22. never trust your attorney
23. a candle can keep you warm in a car, in a snowstorm.
24. The baby will try to eat the dog toys
25. a squeegee and squeegee off cleans windows much better than windex and a paper towel or newspaper.
26. Grass won’t grow under a pine tree.
27. Always buy chip resistant plates if you have little kids, or else your plates will get chipped within the first month of having them.
28. frozen is often times better than fresh
29. If you want an all red garden, see the plants actually flower before planting them, even if the nursery or catalogue says they are red
30. rechargable batteries are a must for anything that eats batteries, toys camera, etc.
31. Your home office/ study should always have a door, unless you don’t mind the kids rearranging everything important like your bills, and drawing with permanent markers.
32. fabric scissors are only for fabric, paper scissors are only for paper etc.
33. dishwashing soap and water cleans small scratches off of CD/DVD’s
34. a good soaking in oxiclean overnight will remove almost every stain in the world
35. always keep baby wipes, diapers and a change of clothes in the car.
36. Wet carrots go bad faster.
37. a washed piece of flannel works the same as a swifter cloth.
38. dogs like to eat dirty underwear
39. frozen string cheesemakes an excellent teether.
40. magic eraser will take the paint off if your walls (and varnish off of your floors).
41. always wear gloves when using wallpaper paste.
42. you can make homemade playdough
43. keep water and snacks in your car just in case for little ones
44. Ross, the rack, and outlet stores
45. dog toys and baby toys are the same
46. Diaper genies are a waste of money
47. Digital cameras are awesome, and so are memory cards.
48. Do not buy generic spray on oil with flour, it is not the same as the name brand.
49. you only need to eat 3 TBSP of peanut butter extra a day when pregnant, not a pint of hagen-daz
50. a puppy should be trained from day 1 to poop in one section of the yard.
51. proactive gets rid of pimples
52. Potatoes and onions should not be stored together.
53. White vinegar can be used in place of jet dry
54. ear wax removal is considered a surgery by insurance companies.
55. fry oil can be used more than once
56. 7up extends the life of cut flowers
57. You can cut baby nails shorter with scissorsthan clippers.
58. Google has spell check for internet posts
59. cast ironcan not go in the dishwasher, ever
60. Grass should not be cut shorter than 3 inches.
61. Jelly fish can still sting you when they are dead.
62. infant carseats allow the baby to sleep while you run errands instead of waking them up every time you get in or out of the car.
63. you will always have a pile of un-matched socks
64. every kitchen needs a pair of scissors.
65. Never use liquid dishwashing detergent
66. Dress shirts need to have the collars and armpits pre-treatedfrom day 1, or they will discolor.
67. All screws should be anchored.
68. With super glue
69. less is more.
70. Sometimes babies cry for no reason.
71. Bagged salad lasts longer if removed from the bag and put into a glass bowl.
72. dehydration can make you cranky
73. There is a flat rate long distance from the US to Canada.
74. when diapers leak on a regular basis they are not the right size
75. Kids can turn anything into a toy gun.
76. soapy water gets rid of aphids
77. When you teach a child to cut with a knife they will cut everything possible.
78. dogs like to eat dirty diapers
79. keep a swiffer clth in your car
80. As soon as you get rid of the rabbit (that ate the garden) another will move in.
81. a frozen wash cloth is great for owies.
82. never substitute laundry detergent for dishwashing detergent
83. the dog will chew on the baby toys
84. fabric softenershould be watered down
85. Never leave a sippy cup of milk (especially chocolate) in your car.
86. wipe warmersare a waste of money
87. always look behind you before casting your hook over your head
88. you only need ½ the manufacturers recommended amount of dishwashing soap
89. the dishwashing coil can and will melt plastic utensils
90. Kids will climb things and then get stuck at the highest and most awkward positions.
91. Deadheading flowers promotes more blooming.
92. babies sweat profusely when they sleep
93. if wearing all black, make sure the blacks match
94. wash all parts of zipoff pants together
95. Always use spray on oil for bundt pans.
96. dogs will eat anything including lettuce and cucumbers if coated in gravy
97. As soon as you throw away your unpaired socks, you will find the match.
98. dog toys and baby toys are the same
99. always get the best attorney
100. You can take videos with your digital camera
101. you can not go off-roading in a Mercedes

I know it is wrong...

but I nominated myself for a blogging award. I have also submitted a picture to topmamma. What is wrong with me??? I am usually ( okay never vain), I don't worry about my hair, I hate to shop for myself, and forget to put makeup on more than half of the time.

I am very happy with my family and my little piece of the worldwideweb, yet somehow I can not resist adding my blog (and therefore myself) to these things. They are all just a bunch of virtual popularity contests. I wonder if it is because I have so little time for real life friends, I hate to talk on the phone and email family and friends any new news (maybe it is because they can't judge me? Yet, I put myself out there and ask them to judge me anyhow we these stupid contests).

Well, anyways, will you please vote for me? (Grinning at you sheepishly)

You can vote for me for best blog here

Thank you!!

Bampas visit

Bampa and Nana just went home from there annual visit (okay, not really annual, more like a new baby has been born and they haven't seen it yet visit, so what is that a bi-annual? visit or whatever once every 2 years happens to be.

We had lots of fun, the kids stayed up late, and skipped naps (so of coarse now we are trying to fix the crankiness), but I (well, actually Auntie LaLa who is still here) managed to get a video of Bampa and the bigger kids.



And on achievements for today: J has finally decided he likes milk! It only takes me microwaving it (like I have to for B), and adding Ovaltine. He has had 3 cups so far this morning. I wonder why N has always drank milk anyway he can get it like it is going out of style, while with B and J I am having to jump through hoops to get them to even think about it (I mean really who else has to Microwave the milk!!!)

Salsa fresca and guacamole

During Passover it is difficult to find yummy foods that don't contain chametz to make a whole meal out of, but not to worry, many ethnic foods are great alternatives, especially Mexican (well if you are Sephardi like we are anyways). And what says Mexican food more than salsa fresca and guacamole, and they are both super easy to prepare.

Salsa Fresca
1/2 onions skinned, cut into 4 large chunks
5 roma tomatoes, slices 3/4 inch thick
a large handful of cilantro
1/2 TSP salt (kosher of coarse!)
1 tsp lemon or lime juice

throw everything into the food processor with the chopping blade and let whir for 30 seconds or so, till chopped fine.

Guacamole
1 avocado
3 TBSP onion, chopped fine
1/2 TSP salt ( kosher!)
1 TSP lemon or lime juice
cilantro 1 TBSP chopped fine

slice the avocado in half, and pit and put all of the "meat" put into a bowl. Smash with a fork, add the salt and citrus juice, then add in cilantro and onions, stir to combine.

For a fancy presentation, put the guacamole back into the avocado shell.

When do we eat has just outplaced click for top movie of the year

So far. I don’t know if everyone would enjoy it as much as we did, maybe you have to be part of a large Jewish family in order to see all the humor, but it is defiantly worth a try! And since it is Passover now would be the ideal time to see it (that is if you can get your hands on a copy of it!) This movie is definitely adults or older children only, not for the younger crowd. When do we eat . is a must see! You will find your family in the movie (at least we did)

But the younger crowd would defiantly like Eragon ., that is if they like Harry Potter ., the violence (if you would call it that) is about the same, and the Dragon is Awesome! If you read the book, like I have you will notice lots of gaps and things edited out of the movie.

Happy Feet Happy Feet . was a hit with everyone young and old and had J up and dancing around.

And I still have not seen Merchant of Venice . and it is now starting to gather dust, maybe that will be tonites entertainment (with guests in town they get the final say, and I have been outvoted for many a night now).

So a bit last minute...

but tried a new cake recipe today that is perfect for passover, quick and easy to do, and actually tastes really good! It was in this months sunset magazine.

Almond Torte from Sunset magazine April 2007

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds (or blanch them yourself, super easy, just pop into boiling water for 3 minutes, then immediately drop into ice water and squish out of the skin)
pam cooking spray
1/2 cup sugar + 1 TBSP sugar
4 eggs separated
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees, coat a springform pan with pam and then sugar.
2. in a blender or food processor whir almonds till finely ground ( be careful not to go to long or you will make almond butter!)
3. Mix egg yolks and sugar together till light in color, mix in almonds, salt, and almond extract.
4. whip egg whites till stiff peaks form.
5. Mix 1/3rd or egg whites into almond mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites
6.pour into spring form pan and bake for 30 minutes.

* I made mine into cupcakes - 18 per batch and used cup cake papers.