After 8 years…we are going back
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Category Archives looking back
Stuffed animal love
I admit it, I am a recovering stuffed animal addict! I believe that this illness began as a child. Of course, the addiction really grew during my Care Bear and Pound Puppy years in elementary school. I believe that my parents were quite lucky that the Build-A-Bear Workshop did not exist when I was little, or more stuffed friends would have joined my world.
NHL was given his first stuffed friend, a My First Big Bird, from Uncle I. Bird was loved from day one. He would chew on his beak and he traveled all over. Bird was quite yellow in the early years. Here is NHL kissing bird and Bird watching over sleeping NHL.
Of course a boy can not have Big Bird alone. Thanks to Bubbe and Grandpa, Elmo and Cookie Monster joined the crew. Over the last five years, friends have come and gone, but the three Amigos remain on NHL’s bed. Here they are today along with his two favorite "squeaky" buddies.
As you can see Bird has been very well loved over the years.
Tara at Feels like home is having a contest to win a $25 gift card to Build-A-Bear Workshop. All you have to do is tell about a most loved stuffed friend like NHL’s Big Bird. I sure hope her hubby Joe appreciates a boy and his love for Big Bird!
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Our Festival of Lights
This week it is time to dig out our menorah, dreidels and get ready for the Festival of Lights.
Yes, Chanukah begins next Sunday at sundown. Chanukah is a holiday about a miracle that happened long ago. JL and I have been working really hard to try to show our boys the meaning of this miracle. We read lots of Chanukah books, sing songs, bake/make traditional goodies, and try to make it less about gifts. It may be hard to believe, but traditionally Chanukah was not a time for gift giving. Over time, it has gotten that way because of the proximity of the holiday with Christmas.
Each night for Chanukah, we light our menorah as a family and sit watching the candles burn bright while eating our dinner. A new tradition that we have started with our boys is to play Chanukah music during this time. Of course we love Adam Sandler’s Chanukah song, but a new favorite is Hanukkah Blessings by Barenaked Ladies. The song sends chills down my spine. It is absolutely beautiful and includes the blessings that we say over the candles each night. The songs have helped NHL, now five, learn the blessings.
How lucky are we that we
Have lights so that we can see
All though the day is done
What a miracle that a spark
Lifts these candles out of the dark
Every evening one by one
Until the end of Hanukkah
Of Hanukkah
With the jingle bells and the toys
And the TV shows and the noise
It’s easy to forget
At the end of the day
Our whole family will say
These words for Hanukkah:
Barukh Atah
ADONAI Elohaynu Melekh h’olom
asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu
l’hadlik nehr shel hannukah
We light the candles for Hanukkah
For HanukkahWe remember how Maccabees
Fought so all of us could be free
So we celebrate
On this festival of the lights
There’s a joyful time every night
Where we illuminate
The candles of Hanukkah
Of Hanukkah
Barukh atah ADONAI
Elohaynu Melekh ha’olom
She’asah neesim l’avotaynu
bayamim hahem ba’zman hazeh
Hanukkah
Hanukkah
JL and I also love to share our traditions with NHL’s peers. In the past, we have gone in to celebrate with his classes. JL went to NHL’s daycare to play the dreidel game with them. Last year, I went to NHL’s Chanukah party at school.
This year, NHL’s kindergarten teacher asked me to come in next Wednesday to do something with the kids. I believe they are buying the materials to make potato latkes. We already bought each of the children their own dreidel. I plan on playing the game with them and doing some sort of craft.
Last year, we were lucky enough to celebrate part of Chanukah with our extended family. My parents had a Chanukah party during one of the nights. We had a wonderful time. JSL and Cousin S were celebrating their first Festival of Lights. My how the two of them have grown over the last year!
As you can see, we feel that it is very important to show the boys where our Jewish heritage is from and how to carry it on. We have been doing this since December 2003 when NHL celebrated his first Chanukah.
It is our hope that our two boys will carry on these traditions for generations to come.
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Yet another year older
It is official, I am now a year older. Wow, time sure goes by quickly! It is still hard to believe some days that I am married, have two little boys, and am not a kid anymore. I know I will always be a kid at heart, but man the body reminds on occasion that it is getting older.
I really need to find some of my baby photos to scan and show someday, but I do not have any today. For now I have a few from my childhood that are here to share.
Here I am with my favorite amphibian pal showing how rough the 70’s really were in furnishings.
This is me at about the same age as NHL. During this time I refused to wear anything but a dress or skirt. There is a story behind that for another day.
Here I am in my Girl Scout uniform 23 years ago. Yikes, hard to believe it was actually 23 years ago! I believe this would also be around the time that I ditched bangs forever.
Thank you to my mother and father for making my birthday possible (*wink* *wink*). Mom, I am SO glad that you questioned the doctor about my position and opted for the c-section after they gave you a really stupid choice.
To my boys, thank you for all of the cards and hugs this morning. It was so cute how NHL remembered that it was Tuesday and Mommy’s birthday. I love you all and am so glad that I am older more mature (most days at least) and have all of you in my world.
P.S. Do not forget to enter in the Memories of my childhood – Giveaway
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Memories of my childhood – Giveaway
Shhhhhh. . . . I have a secret for you. Tomorrow is my birthday. As a reminder that my birthday is in December the temperatures finally took a major nose dive. This morning it was only 6 degrees outside with a windchill of -11! Happy almost birthday to me!
When I was in Elementary school, I have fond memories of my birthday parties. Many years I had them at an indoor pool and friends would come for Carvel ice cream cake after the swim. Of course, many years my goodie bag of gifts for friends was always Avon related. Why? Well, my mother was an Avon lady for many years. So we would give away funky nail polish, fun chap stick, or whatever was big at the time. I also recall having friends over and playing with the little Avon lipstick samples. Oh my, there were so many and they were all so very different, it was so neat as a young kid.
My mother stopped selling Avon a long time ago (more years than I care to mention), but my love of Avon has continued as an adult. When teaching, the homeroom teachers and I would buy our kids (all girls) Avon Christmas presents. Now, I often purchase makeup, chapstick, moisturizer, jewelry, Breast Cancer Awareness merchandise (love my pen from them), and even hair care products. Of course, the holidays are also a fabulous time to stock up on Avon items to add to gifts. I love their bath gels that are great with my knit washcloths.
Giveaway:
I am giving away the following items to one winner.
Grey Root Touch-Up (brown and black)
In addition to this, everyone is welcome to use a free shipping code for holiday/birthday/everyday shopping on Avon.com. By entering the code JINGLE30 you will receive free standard shipping with a $30 order when they shop with an eRepresentative. This offer expires on January 1, 2009.
Rules for Giveaway:
- MAIN RULE – Leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is from Avon. This must be done or all bonus entries will not count.
- 1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
- 1Bonus Entry – Stumble this post and leave your Stumble name in a separate comment.
- 1 Bonus Entry – Favorite TheAngelForever in Technorati and leave your name there in a separate comment.
- 1 Bonus Entry – Follow me on Twitter (@TheAngelForever) and tweet once about my giveaway. Leave a link to your comment in a separate comment.
- 1 Bonus Entry – Add TheAngelForever to your blog roll and leave a separate comment.
- 3 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra credit.
My Avon Memories of childhood giveaway will run through midnight (EST) on December 13, with winner being announced soon after. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by e-mail for address information. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, sorry shipping is rough these days.
Have fun and thanks for participating in my birthday giveaway!
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