It was a very festive week with Hanukkah, the lead up to winter break, and helping people we love celebrate Christmas.

Every day at school was themed and Amaya participated in all of them which meant holiday PJs, glow lights, reindeer ears and her “reindeer” onesie.

As we’ve done in the past, the kids brought in little mesh bags with hanukkah gelt, a dreidle and instructions for the game for everyone in their class. All three kids’ classes played together and I got very nice notes from Amaya’s and Sammy’s teachers.

From Amaya’s teacher Mrs. Murrell:

I just wanted to send a heartfelt thank you from our entire class for the dreidels and gelt. The kids LOVED them and are still playing with them today. Amaya let me take one home to my daughter and we spun the dreidel allllllllllllll morning until I had to leave for school. I thought she would eat the gelt up first, but she actually enjoyed holding it in her hand and admiring the wrapper. 🙂 

Amaya did a great job with sharing facts about Hanukkah. She was very knowledgeable and confident. The kids were excited to learn from her. 

Thank you so much for this experience!

And from Sammy’s teacher, Mrs. Costello:

Thank you for sharing. The game has been an absolute hit, and Sammy also answered students’ questions about the gelt, dreidel, and about Hanukkah in general. He did an awesome job, and I am so glad that he, and that all of you, were eager to share some of your traditions with us!

All three kids really enjoyed sharing their traditions with their classmates and it’s become an annual tradition.

On Monday I hosted Amaya’s girl scout troop’s holiday party. It’s a relatively easy way to help out and I like seeing the girls in a casual environment. They had pizza and cupcakes, did a used book gift exchange and Amaya showed the troop how she lights the hanukkah menorah. It was a fun afternoon, and loud.

Everything about this moment made me think of Nana. Amaya was confident and proud to share her holiday with her friends. They had time to ask wonderful questions like “Does Hanukkah have a mascot like Christmas has Santa?” and “How do presents work for Hanukkah.” They also knew a fair amount about the holiday which Amaya thinks was aided by what she and her brothers shared this week.

One of Amaya’s gifts was a fashion design kit and she made this dress for her baby Olivia.

Lights/Glow day at school

Lighting the candles on day 4!

Bedtime with Amaya <3

Favorite holiday character day

A snowstorm was expected Friday so the district made a call on a snow day by midday Friday. She and her best friend, Dylan, both cried that they wouldn’t be able to see each other on Friday. As consolation, Amaya dropped off a card for Dylan on Thursday night and Dylan came by on Saturday with a small gift for Amaya. Amaya was happy, though, about a book she got at school continuing the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Since there was no school on Friday, the kids tried for a sleepover with daddy. Amaya made it until 9:45pm when she returned to her room.

Game a Clue on Friday afternoon. Amaya was the winner after Sammy, Steven and I all made wrong guesses. I need to up my Clue strategy.

My sweet girl on a CVS run with me.

On Friday night we lit the candles on FaceTime with Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy and then opened the wonderful gifts they sent. (And did the same today with Aunt Ouize and Uncle Todd.)

My Bubba, sleeping in the big beanbag.

Sammy and Daddy cuddles. These guys stayed home on Saturday while Steven, Amaya and I went to see Puss In Boots 2.

A dress Amaya made for her new baby, Daisy.

Sunday morning game time for Mommy and Amaya <3

Carcassone with the kids, using an expansion pack I was gifted for Hanukkah.

Final night of Hanukkah! It was a wonderful week!

That’s all for us! I told Amaya she was prominently featured this week and she loved it. Have a great week!

*Blog title by Amaya

This week’s blog is starting on Thursday because the back half of the week is where the fun happened. 🙂

Steven and I had a weekend trip to NY and we were both excited about the 1:1 time. This boy is my super cuddler.

On the plane, he played a game where he had to find counties on maps based on clues which mean I played a game where I had to play a game to find counties on a map based on clues.

We spent Thursday night at Nana and Papa’s house. It was a late night and Steven was out the minute his head hit his pillow.

On Friday morning, while I worked, Papa took Steven to breakfast at Venus. It sounds like the 1:1 time was great for Papa and Steven, too.

Then Savta and Auntie took Steven out for lunch.

Cousins!

On Friday night, Amaya had her very first sleepover. It was at her friend Dylan’s house and she was ecstatic. She and Dylan made a whole list of plans – paint nails, bake peppermint cake, watch a movie… and it lived up to all of her expectations.

Since Sammy and Jason had a night to themselves, they went to Dave & Busters where Sammy got a print out of the games he played and tickets per game so he can analyze which games have the best payout.

Cooking Saturday morning breakfast.

On Saturday, we had two Hanukkah parties at Aunt Sara and Uncle Dave’s house. The first was with Nana’s side of the family – Papa, Savta, Auntie, Joe, Nicole, Eli and Dalia came for lunch and presents and a belated celebration of Papa’s birthday.

Steven and Chase – focused intently on the Vikings/Colts game. I think Steven would want me to document that it was the largest comeback in NFL history.

Amaya, Sammy and Daddy cuddling back at home.

And out for dinner in Ann Arbor.

In the evening, we had our Goldstein cousins Hanukkah. Everyone was there – Glori & family, Heidi and family, Spencer and family and Alex & Chadwick.

Glori got the women these awesome Hanukkah sweatshirts.

The kids all played together really well.

All the kids! Only Sammy and Amaya were missing.

The grownups!

And all of us <3

Steven and I made it home in time to rest (we both napped for a while) and celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.

That’s it for us! For those celebrating Hanukkah, have a wonderful holiday week!

I didn’t get to a blog last week. I was close, but it didn’t happen, so this is a double-up catch-up.

We’re getting ready for Hanukkah here. The house is decorated and we have supplies to send Hanukkah treats for the kids in SSA’s classes. Steven was counting dreidels to see how many more we need.

Amaya is writing a story about Hanukkah and is adamant we use the C in front – which is as valid as just an H but she’s been told otherwise and is making a point.

When the US had World Cup day game, Thornton Creek celebrated so the kids made signs of support that they taped to their body.

We had parent teacher conferences on 11/28 and the teachers made it optional for kids to attend, too, which Steven and Amaya did. Amaya and Jason did a little basketball skills work while we waited for Amaya’s conference.

Conference coincide with the school book fair and all three Cline kids used some of their money on posters: baby animals, star wars and minecraft.

Because of conferences, there were half days on Thursday and Friday. On Friday afternoon, Sophia took Steven, Sammy and Amaya go glow-in-the-dark mini golf, to the TC playground and out for dinner at Applebee’s.

Last week, Steven missed three days of school – Wed, Thurs, and Fri – due to a cold and fever. It sounds like illness is rampant at Thornton Creek (and most schools) this year. It was so bad at TC last week that one kindergarten class only had give kids in attendance on Friday. Fortunately, no one else caught it.

Steven felt poorly enough on Wednesday and Thursday that he didn’t watch any TV. He tried to read a little but mostly sat on the couch in the quiet. By Friday he was feeling much better.

Nico is a classmate who lives on our block and the boys are starting to play with him after years of not really being friends.

Sick Bobes. 🙁

Amaya got new cozy PJs and a new winter hat. She’s holding her favorite stuffy – Izzy – which she got with Jason at the mall when we were in NY for the funeral/shiva in August.

Amaya, looking through her Disney photo album. She still sends videos and texts to Nana on messenger kids.

Friday night Sleep with Parent Night started for Sammy and Jason with a game of chess.

We had a wonderful Saturday visit with Grandma Sunshine and Aunt Annette to celebrate Hanukkah together. Lots of gifts and games and love.

Amaya worked very hard on special gifts for Aunt Annette and Grandma – homemade crafts and a book with poems about each of them.

Aunt Annette and Sammy working on his crystal growing kit.

Grandma Sunshine and Steven setting up his underwater volcano.

It was a lazy Sunday. Hebrew school in the morning and then Jason took Amaya and Steven to get frames because Uncle Dave printed a photo for Amaya and she needed a nice frame for it. The picture in the frame feels like yesterday. It was early August 2021 – Jason was away at the national ball card collector’s show and Nana was visiting us in Michigan for the first time since covid.

That’s it for us! Have a good week.