A few photos now of the girls out and about with Maddie… The first one was taken at Golden Gate Park, and it shows the upside of all the rain we’ve had. (It’s so gorgeous and green!) The last photo, which Q sent to me really made me laugh. Of course he and Avery chose to ignore the huge “No dogs allowed” sign. (They swore later that no one else was around.)

-M

Last Thursday was Purim, and the girls had an all-day celebration (including a carnival and parade) at school. Avery and her BFF even decided (on their own) to dress up together – they were peanut butter and jelly! Her classmates got in the spirit, too, as you’ll see in the second pic.

-M

As I mentioned below, Zoe recently started a new activity: basketball! The coach kind of recruited her (she knew Zoe ran cross-country and then, of course, there’s her height) and to my surprise Zoe said she wanted to give it a try. She said she’s never done a team sport before, so why not?

Zoe is one of the only girls to not have played before (there was also a fifth grade team) so there’s been a learning curve. But so far so good!

-M

This has been the rainiest winter in recent memory, so on those days that the sun does come out we take advantage of it! Last Sunday, for example, the girls grabbed their basketball and jump rope and the four of us – plus Maddie – headed to a nearby playground.

-M

One week after her sister’s tefillah, it was Zoe’s turn. The sixth graders took to the bima last Thursday, with Zoe and some of her fellow students even reading from the torah.

-M

For the book sale at the girls’ school last Sunday, middle schoolers were offered the opportunity to set up individual marketplaces. Zoe decided to sell Rice Krispie treats, and she (and her dad) spent all day in the kitchen Saturday preparing, decorating and packaging. She wound up selling more than 100!

-M

Avery and her bestie Mila are beyond close (they call each other “Baby Love,” spent most moments at school together, and send sweet, nightly notes to one another) so of course we had to capture a photo of the two of them at tefillah. Though the colors of their dresses are different, they actually coordinated by both getting “high-low” ones. (“That’s what’s in right now, Mommy,” Avery told me.)

-M

As mentioned below, Avery and her fourth-grade classmates have spent the last few months preparing for their tefillah. Though this year’s service featured traditional prayers and songs, the kids also spent time talking about specific Jewish values and what they meant to them; Avery’s was chased (kindness) and she gave a brief presentation on it on the bimah.

Tefillah is an annual tradition at Brandeis and this year I was struck by how much these kids have grown up – they practically look like grown ups when compared to how they looked at their big one in first grade! And they were also really poised and confident as they spoke about their values – no shaky voices here!

-M

It’s been a while since I’ve written! Things at my work have been incredibly hectic, giving me less time to write (and to think about things to write about), but in general we’re all just swimming along…

Second semester is in full groove for the girls, and Zoe in particular has a lot going on. She recently added two things to her plate at school — newspaper club (where she’s working on producing the Brandeis Bulletin) and basketball (her first game is in a few weeks) — and she’s practicing for her second bat mitzvah, which is happening a week after her 13th birthday in November. Avery, meanwhile, has been working hard with her fellow fourth graders to get ready for their tefilah (prayer service), a big annual event that’s happening in a few days. More on that soon!

-M