I figure I should do a wrap-up of the 2008 Holiday Season before I forget about it. We have had wonderful holidays, all things considered. Jacob really "got" Hanukkah this year, and that added a new level of joy and happiness than in years past. Hanukkah started last Sunday night, and we had a small gathering to celebrate. It was originally just going to be my in-laws, but then we realized we didn't know when we would see my brother & sister-in law again, so we invited them & their 2 kids, as well as our friends Mike & Christie (Mike was best man at our wedding), and their 2 kids. We also had 1 family friend come over. I bought a ton of food, we made latkes (they're like hash browns - you shred potatoes, mix in some salt, pepper, and matzah meal, and then fry them), and of course, opened presents.
My in-laws, who are always so generous to us, continued the tradition this year. In addition to buying us a pool table (Michael couldn't be happier!), they gave Michael a $100 gift card to Sears to continue building his tool collection, they gave me a $100 gift card to Macy's, which I figured I would save & spend on baby clothes, and they gave Jacob a ton of stuff. His favorite by far, was the Robo Raptor. He's absolutely terrified of it, but still wants to play with it. It's got a remote control, walks around, makes some noises, and responds to touch in a variety of ways. At one point, it got stuck in a corner, and Jacob refused to get close enough to it, deciding instead to come and get me so I could do it. He will only play with it from the safety of the couch in his play room. It's absolutely hilarious to hear him tell people about it. "It's a Robo Raptor. It scares me a whole lot. It's a great, big giant dinosaur." I'll have to take some pictures of him "playing" with it, and post them. Does that mean I need to clean his playroom? Nope. It's a playroom, it can be messy.
We got my in-laws a great gift this year. They are absolutely impossible to shop for because 1) they already have everything; and 2) if there's something they want, they just buy it. A few weeks ago was my niece's birthday party, and she had it at a paint your own pottery place. While we were there, I saw a nice plate that had a menorah painted on it. I thought this would be a great gift idea, but we decided to personalize it a bit. I took Jacob with me and we picked out a large serving tray. I drew the menorah in pencil (and trust me, I'm no artist), and then painted each of Jacob's fingers to make the candles (there are 9 total - candles, not fingers). I painted the menorah, wrote Happy Hanukkah 2008, and it was done. It took 5 days for them to cook it & cure it, or whatever it is they do it, and it turned out great. They loved it! I'll have to sneak a picture next time I'm at their house.
My in-laws went away for Christmas this year, but they made sure to leave behind 7 gifts, so that Jacob would have one to open for each night of Hanukkah. Each night, we would light the candles for Hanukkah, and Michael would try to teach Jacob the blessing:
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher
kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, king of the universe, who makes us holy through mitzvot and commands us to light the Hanukkah candles.
Jacob would follow along, and was getting pretty good at it, so we decided to let him lead the blessing one night. Here's his version that night, and every night after:
Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam, borei p’riy ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, king of the universe who creates the fruit of the vine.
You'll notice that instead of the Hanukkah blessing, his version is the blessing over the wine. Apparently, he really likes to drink the wine (grape juice) during Friday night Shabbat services, and this is the prayer that is stuck in his head.
