Hanukkah

 Hanukkah is very early this year, falling on the day before Save the Turkey Day (aka Thanksgiving Day). Folks are making a big deal out of the unusual closeness of holidays, calling it Thanksgivukkah because it is the first time this has ever happened. To be honest, I could care less. While I cherish time with loved ones, especially when we break bread together, I have long felt that Thanksgiving lost some of it's original meaning with the whole Black Friday thing. I am also an animal lover and I hate the idea of millions of turkeys cruelly raised, killed and eaten. Even as a child/teen my thoughts ran like this  (became a vegetarian at the age of 15) and one of the things I appreciated most about being raised in a Jewish home was that our holidays and holy days were never made to feel commercialized or mainstream. The days we held sacred felt insulated, protected, honored.  There was no materialism thrown on them. Yes, presents were given at Hanukkah but there wasn't the frenetic and chaotic that surrounds the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wish we could take the money making out of the equation and return to what Thanksgiving and Christmas were intended for; time to reflect and give thanks and time to honor the presence of the Divine and the changing of the seasons.  

I am not religious (a cultural Jew for sure, just not an observant one) and Hanukkah is usually celebrated in a very minimal way in our home but this year we did make menorahs with our friends (http://twosmallgems.blogspot.com/2013/11/menorah-making.html; ) which was not only super-fun but so much more meaningful than buying a menorah. I made latkes for the girls (once I learned that at least one of the girls would eat them-Amara-I was more motivated to make the effort) and I bought a few presents that were carefully thought out (I didn't want to do the one a day for eight days so I gave them a few things at once).  And during the days leading up to Hanukkah I went to Amara's class with a bunch of dreidels and gelt. The kids had a blast. And we read some Hanukkah stories where I emphasized the power of Creator to make a miracle anywhere, anytime for anyone.

This year, I have discovered that I love the rituals that I am familiar with. And I found myself surprised at the memories that kept popping into my mind. Warm friend potatoes reminded me of my father who loved latkes. And that memory brought a sense of peace and gratitude for my father who brought stability and comfort to my life. When I was wrapping presents I was transported back to my cousins house,  to a Hanukkah when my Uncle Norman gave my cousin Julie and I an Easy Bake Oven and my cousin Alaine gave me a blue stuff dog that played music. I remembered feeling included, a part of, my family and that was just as important, more so, than the gifts themselves.

So this year, we expanded our Hanukkah celebrations and in doing so I pray that we have created wonderful memories for my girls to carry forward with them.

We had to light two menorahs because the girls had to light their own.

Dream Time

One of my most favorite things is to watch the girls when they are sleeping. I love to watch their faces, so peaceful and angelic, when they are connected with the earthly world and the place from which they came.  

On this day, the girls were slumbering in our bed at nap time. The room toasty and cozy, just perfect for dream time.

Menorah Making

When I asked my friend Alissa where to get a  menorah she suggested that we get the kids together and make them. Alissa always has the best ideas! Seriously!

So last night, our families gathered at the Hauser-Brown home and set to creating our own menorahs. Alissa found modeling clay and wood. For the little people, these two mediums were perfect.

Setting them on the tray for baking. Such focus and intention!

Then we set to painting the wood for which the candle holders would be set on.

I just loved how they turned out.

The finished candle holders.

Next we set the candle holders to the wood.  We weren't sure it would work.

 

But it did! And the end results were just lovely!

Steve did a practice candle lighting! And now we are ready for Hanukkah!

Welcome to the 4th Bore

The bore opened the day before at 4:10 a.m. 

 I would love to be a fly inside the cars of other families who have drive frequently through the Caldecott Tunnel. I am curious if other families have been talking about the fourth bore that has been being built for the last several years. 

In our car, our conversations have progressed over time. When they were younger, the girls asked simple questions such as "Why are they building another tunnel?" or "When will it be finished?" to more older, more mature questioning like "How are they building the tunnel?" and "How do they build through the mountain without it falling down on them?" Don is usually the one who answers and he has shared with them that when he was a boy there were only two bores. He remembers when the third bore was built when he was eight years old. 

Our family has been eagerly anticipating the opening of the fourth bore and over the past year or so the girls have (loudly) called out the new things they have noticed when we made our way west or east through the existing tunnels. 

At the beginning of the project were the first work trucks and  work signs; for a long time we weren't sure what the workers were doing but then we eventually observed the beginning of the bore when the digging began on the east side. That brought up a lot of questions and discussion! For a long time we were in awe of the huge cranes and other equipment that seemed to be a permanent part of the scenery. Then the new road on the other side began to form which brought a series of other questions such as, "What will happen to this road?" "How will the cars get over here" (there was the cement barrier blocking the work site from the active freeway). And when we first saw the opening on the west side, man, the girls were all juiced up. All that excitement from the building of a tunnel in the mountain! 

Having children opens up life in a way that is truly a gift; they bring wonder and joy from some of the most mundane things and they teach us to see the beauty in things we might normally take for granted.  Although building a tunnel through a mountain is a quite a momentous task. 

Had we not had the girls, we might have just driven on by these past few years and not noticed all the effort and hard work of that was going on in the building of the fourth bore. But children notice everything and so Don and I get to see the world through their eyes and in this instance, the fourth bored has been a topic of discussion and learning for all of us. 

So today when we drove through the new bore it was a big event. The tunnel was new, wide, modern, exciting! I am sure in the minds of a 4 and 6 year old the building of the fourth bore took forever and finally the day when we could pass on through was here.  All this from a tunnel. A simple, mundane tunnel.

Sometimes the most mundane things are the best things.

We talked about the new bore for about five minutes before our approach. Havana asked about three times if we could drive though. Both girls didn't want to miss it!

Protector Bodhi

Sweet Havana feel asleep on the couch the other night about forty-five minutes before her bedtime. This was a first in our family. Neither of the girls has ever fallen asleep like that. In the car maybe but to declare "I'm tired" and then within 60 seconds to be out like a light, so soon before bedtime, that was new. Baby Girl was clearly, very tired. 

Within minutes of her drifting off into dreamland, our mellow Siamese, Bodhi (we have a not so mellow one too!) jumped up next to Baby Girl and laid on her feet. He didn't move for the half hour or so we let Havana remain on the couch. Intuitively, I knew immediately he was standing guard over Havana. Bodhi doesn't usually sleep with the girls, so this was a first too. But Bodhi has always had a monk in a cat body like vibe, peaceful yet always knowing what time of day it really is. It touched my heart that he felt he to look out for his human sister.

Sweet Bodhi and Sweet Havana, a good match!

"Faster Mama, Faster!"

Said Ms. Amara pearl on the tilt-a-whirl at Six Flags!

Homemade Corn Muffins

Last November, during our trip to see the girls great grandmother in Southern Georgia, we traveled back in to time to a 19th century historical village. The highlight of our visit  was the grist mill where we ground our own corn meal. Well, a year later, that cornmeal had been half used when I came upon a recipe for homemade corn muffins. The timing couldn't have been more perfect (ah, Divine Timing!), as I have been trying out new recipes for my finicky girls (well, Havana is the has the more selective palate) as well as to get the girls used to being in the kitchen. They love learning how to cook. So on this particular Sunday we got out all the ingredients and went at it. 

The muffins were a success, even Havana ate one. And that we actually ground the corn ourselves may have made them even tastier. 

We used a sifter we inherited from Aunt Merce, which has a bit of history itself. It's probably several decades old.

Here we are a year ago, grinding the corn.

Recipe (from  Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen-author of the infamous Moosewood cookbook- the one we used is a cookbook for kids)

Preheat oven to 375

You will need:

-Can of cooking spray or canola oil

-3 tablespoons butter

-1 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla from Stonyfield Farms as I am not a plain yogurt fan.)

-1 large egg

-1 cup cornmeal

-1/4 cup brown sugar (the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon white sugar which I didn't use.)

-1 cup unbleached flour (I used organic, which is what most of the ingredients were.)

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt (I always use sea salt)

Once ya got what you need:

spray muffin cups

cut the butter into 3 tbsp and melt

put the yogurt in a measuring cup

mix egg in a separate bowl and add butter and yogurt together

measure cornmeal into mixing bowl and put in sugar

use a strainer or sifter with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt  and then mix together well

mix in yogurt mix 

spoon in mix to the muffin tray

make for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy with butter or jelly or plain.

The recipe says it makes 6 but we got 9 out of the mix.

Avila Beach

  We stayed in Avila Beach in honor of the girl's cousin, Joanna's, wedding.

   In 2 short days we packed in dinner by the waterfront; a park overlooking the ocean; a walk/run through
   a labyrinth and a hike in the woods. Oh, and how can I forget, soaks in our private hot tub filled with             mineral springs water.

   The girls have a good life. I hope that they realize this and come to be as grateful for our good fortune
    as Don and I are.

...and the best way to end  lovely days

was to get into a luxurious bed together for a night of  warm cuddles and sweet snuggles (and a few giggles!)