The life and laughs of Ella

Leaves and a ride

2011-11-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

I loved to ride my bike and look at nature. It was fun! I loved to look at the leaves and flowers.

This blog post was scribed by Ella.

Trunk or treat

2011-10-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Boo!

It was fun scaring people and eating candy. It was a fun and scary Halloween.

I decorated my costume alone. I dressed up as a ghost.

This blog entry was scribed by Ella.

Time to go home

2011-08-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

Like all trips, this one had to come to an end as well.
Before we leave, one last time at the billiards table

Then another stop on the way in LA, at the science museum. Check out how strong we are - me and mother are lifting a truck by ourselves!!!

Last picnic with the class

2011-06-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

Almost time to say goodbye to Kindergarten. I designed a special project for this pot luck - we made cookies, and I made a fishing game. All the kids could come and try to fish, and they all caught cookies (I know cookies don't usually swim, but its my game...)

Then we had the picnic

And games.

And last but not least, time to say goodbye to Ms. Devon. She is leaving the school, so I probably won't see her again next year.

Garden Day

2011-04-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today I get to help out in the school garden.
Some planting as well as watering the plants.

These water cans can get heavy.

Well then, maybe I will fill them and get daddy to help me carry them.

Parade

2011-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Time for our parade. And as we are waiting to start the parade, look who is going to be just behind us. They seem a bit scary, don't they?

Ok, time to start, and I can help out with our school sign.

And here we are already at the end, going through the rainbow.

But it is just the end of the parade, there are games and other activities waiting for us behind city hall.

And we also get to say goodbye to our furry friends, which turned out to be not so scary after all.

More hiking

2011-04-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, we spent one restful day and that's enough. Time to explore some more.
Here are some more of the creatures you can find in the desert. Snakes are kind of scary.

After a bit of walking we stopped by a pool for a snack.

We also spent time with one of my favorite pastimes - throwing stones into the water.

And believe it or not, in the middle of the desert I found a new friend. She came all the way from England, and we had a lot of fun together.

We almost managed to catch a lizard.

And watch out on this bridge! It is the last hurdle on our way to lunch...

Museaum day

2011-04-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a museum. After spending all day yesterday in the sun, we needed something more restful. This was a discovery museum, but very different from the one near home.

There was a real car that I could paint over. Wonder if it can really go.

And a police motorcycle to ride on...

And a nice garden for eating lunch. Can we be friends?
After the museum, I spent a few hours in the kids camp at the hotel,
and Mom and Dad went up the mountain.

Joshua Tree

2011-04-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Joshua Tree park.
Near the entrance to the part we found a Geo Cache (look it up if you don't know what that means. Its fun.

The desert is blooming, and beautiful. We could not have picked a better time to come here...

Some hiking, got us to interesting places, though I can tell you hiking with sandals in the desert is not so easy...

More blooming flowers.

And even the cacti are blooming.

This bloom is apparently very rare indeed.

Climbing is also part of the journey of course.

Some of the cacti here look very strange.

Time for lunch. Can I have mine under this rock?

Oh look, we even spotted some wild life!

And I found more places to climb even higher.

Daddy had to climb after me.

This arch was easy to get to (easy for me at least)

On the way back to the car, which way should we go now?

Can I hold this rock? Its really heavy, I hope it does not fall on top of me...

Ok, time to fly home!
Up up and away!

And here is the Joshua Tree itself, after which the park is named. Also known under its latin name Yucca brevifolia this cactus looks just like a tree.
Great day which I hope I will remember for a long time...

Around town

2011-04-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hard to imagine we were hunting for snow not so long ago. Here in the desert it is quite hot.

I like being in the desert, it means lots and lots of ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is my favorite, but I guess you already know that from the picture.

We also found a nice place to play, but I am not sure I like having a hat on all the time. Oh well, if that;s the price for ice cream, so be it...

On the way to palm springs

2011-04-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Time for us to travel a bit. Well, actually quite a long ways, we are going to palm springs. At least we found a good place to stop on the way.

Check out some of the views as we get nearer the destination.

Art exhibit (ours) at city hall.

2011-03-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the opening night of our exhibition. When I say our I mean our school. We have a program called art focus at school, and at the end we get to exhibit what we made at city hall. Here you can see my creation - Gods' Eye.

After the opening, we had a pot luck dinner, and then all the children were looking for adventure. Needless to say we found some...

And some more...

And we even used the stairs as an obstacle course for our buddies.

Then we watched the exhibits some more, and it was time to go home to bed.
I enjoyed my art focus program. I learned a lot about various fibers and how to create using all sorts of cloth (and glue, and needle and thread...)

Matching outfits, and goodby Leilani.

2011-03-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

Check out my new outfits (and the doll in a matching outfit as well!)

Today is the last day for Leilani in the bay area before they go back to Kawaii. So we went visiting.
I brought a game with me (Gulo Gulo) and my doll (thanks for the outfit Mom).

Here you can see us catching bubbles instead of popping them...

Hunting for snow.

2011-02-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today we went hunting for ice. It seemed like such a nice day, but we heard there was some snow nearby, so we went looking on the ridge line.

Look, we found it. Look we found it. Look we found it. How about you?
(reference to I spy for those of you not privileged to recognize it...)

We hiked a quite a bit, and it was a bit chilly.

And look here, I got stuck in a hole. Who makes holes in the ground in the middle of our trail? Luckily whatever creature this was seemed to have been out or sleeping, so daddy helped me out of the hole before something had a chance to eat my leg.

And here it is, real snow, just 30 minutes from home. Not enough to sled on, but quite fun. By this time we were warm enough from walking that we started shedding layers.

Rancho again

2011-02-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Today we hiked the Rancho again, but this time Ethan joined me.
We started out with some frisbee chasing...

Then the tree house, where I played at being a bat.

And managing a restaurant.

Then we took flying lessons.

Made some potions.

Looked at the moon (a very confused moon to be coming in the middle of the day, but very fit for making potions).

Tasted some plants, and tested the stroller - it has been so long since last I sat in a stroller. I took Mei Mei's place, as her Mommy was carrying her.

Last but not least, Daddy spotted something strange as we were heading out of the parking lot, so we stopped and he took pictures...

Ski and Sledding

2011-02-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Time for a Ski trip. At 5am Daddy took me out of bed, and we went to a meeting place, where a bus was supposed to pick us up. The bus did not show up :(
Owell, we ate some junk food for breakfast instead, and carpooled with Nathaniel all the way to lake tahoe. A long drive, especially as we made a small mistake along the way, but at least I had a friend to talk to.

When we got there, we registered for a ski lesson, and here you can see me waiting for the lesson. The ski sled is a recent addition to our home, bought specifically for our ski trips.
Note the claim check around my neck, this is for me, and not for the coat. Once I go to the lesson, this is the only way Daddy can get me back. I will make sure to keep it safe, hope Daddy keeps his half safe...

Time for my lesson. First lesson, how to put on the skis.

And now its time to ride the elevator and actually ski down the slope.
I got it!

This is fun, can't wait for my turn to go again.

Ok, the lesson is done, and Daddy claimed me back. Unfortunately that means it is time to drive back home. Nathaniel and I want to stay a little bit more, and our Dads let us sled a bit more.

This was fun, and I hope I can go again soon....

Weekend stuff

2011-01-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today we had guests. Leilani came to visit from Hawaii...

We went hiking in Rancho san Antonio, and I showed her all of my favorite places.

We also had paratroopers. Here you can see me standing on the edge of a wing, and preparing to launch a paratrooper into the air.

Also worth mentioning is this bird of prey that was quietly eating a snake nearby. Usually we see quails and deer, this was very unusual.

LA Zoo

2010-12-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Today we go home, but on the way we stopped at the zoo.
Many animals live here, including strange ones like those meerkats.
I liked the flamingoes, and the monkeys.

But best of all, I like to win races, like this race with Dad behind me.
After the zoo, we started on the long drive home (well, we did stop for dinner in an Israeli restaurant first). The drive was very long, but it was hard for me to fall asleep.

LegoLand

2010-12-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

Today we went to LegoLand, and they do make everything out of legos. Check out this tree for example...

Or the guard we caught napping.

Even the animals in the zoo are made of legos.

And of course all the cities. Any other place where you can walk from the empire state building to the golden gate bridge in one afternoon?
Unlike in DisneyLand, the weather was perfect, and the lines accordingly long. I only went on 3 rides the whole day, but I still had a lot of fun...

Here is a picture I took, with Washington in the background.

Here you can see me climbing the pole while Mommy is waiting in line for the ride. The line was more then an hour long... At least there were other interesting things to do (slides and climbs for example).

Almost time to go home, just one more lego ride...

Oh, and I got a nice lego set at the gift shop that I got to choose myself!

Science museum

2010-12-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today we went to see a science museum.
Among the other attractions you can see the tornado (if you touch it it goes away, and they also had a water vortex, but you could not touch that one).

Some snow inside.

A light harp - I made pretty music with this one.

And the special for christmass - cookie decorating!

Check out my decorated cookie. Doesn't it look yummy?

There was actually a line to decorate the cookies, but it wasn't that long... Maybe 10 minutes.

And last, we went outside hunting for dinosaurs with a magic wand. We found them too!

Some of them were a bit scary, but it was still a lot of fun.

DisneyLand

2010-12-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

After a long drive, we came to our hotel, and guess what - I had a bunk bed!
Of course I could not sleep upstairs, but I did get to play, read and even drink my milk there.
And so we went to DisneyLand.
Twice.
In one day!

There was a bit of rain, but we had big umberllas so it did not matter. Perhaps it was even better that way since the lines were short.

A flying elephant, need I say more?
For lunch we went back to the hotel (nice to be near the park) and also got a little rest. Then we went back...

Oh, and I got to visit Mickey!
I think the best ride was the ride where we got to fly with peter-pan, and the ride where we got to shoot the aliens. We did that one maybe 5 times, until we got to rank 5 (did I mention that the rain really helped with the lines?)

Fungalafia

2010-12-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today is our show.
In the evening all of the school gathered, and every class had a show.
Our show was a song (you can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku9VbVlNNgE).
We started with a potluck dinner, and here you can see me after the dinner waiting for my turn with my teacher Ms. Devon.

A little bit more waiting with Reily.

And after the show I used the background for a photo-op.
Also, daddy decided to walk home instead of ride in the car with us, so we were not in a hurry...

Hanuka

2010-12-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

This week it is Hanuka, and every day we light candles.
Today we got breakfast in bed. Yay!

Every night someone else joins us to light the candles. Tonight JP, Mary-Ann, Sophie and Estelle joined us.

Last day in Big Sur

2010-11-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

So today is our last day.
We started with breakfast at the bakery, and afterwards went for a hike near a river.
Lucky I had my trusty stick so I could explore the river.

Among the many ferocious animals we encountered you can see this caterpillar. We used the guide to find out what kind of butterfly it turns into. Can you find out from this picture?

Even more hiking

2010-11-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

We started out the day with another small hike near the cabin.
Found an even bigger walking stick.
We found a nice bakery for breakfast. Definitely a place to return to.

Drove a bit to see some ocean views, and found a caterpillar along the way.

I also got a nice Big Sur coloring book.
To end the day we went to another park, and started hiking towards the ocean, but decided the hike is a bit too long, and instead just sat by the stream throwing stones to the water, and went back to the car...
Another wonderful day.

Around Big Sur

2010-11-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

After a night in the cabin, we started our day with a hike through the redwoods.
We found walking sticks that doubles as magic wands.

Along the way we found some deer, and Mom sat down to draw them.
We played games.

It was a bit of a walk, but at the end (or rather the middle) there was a nice waterfall, and surprisingly enough, hidden chocolate!
I was looking at the waterfall and suddenly I found chocolate! I now love hikes, especially if there is hidden chocolate at the end.

Oh, there was also a cute butterfly fluttering around the waterfall.

After the hike we used my book to find out what kind of butterfly this is. Can you tell from this picture?

After the hike, we had a little snack, and I went to the pool. A quick rest and we went to the aquarium in Monterey. I love the fish, and the games, and had a lot of fun. I think Mom and Dad also had fun.

This time I also got to play with the penguins. One of them was following my hand around, perhaps it wanted to play too?

Birthday trip for Dad

2010-11-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

As a birthday present, Dad chose to go on a trip.
So we went to Big Sur. This is a long drive, and on the way we stopped when we reached the ocean.

We spent some time looking at the waves, and playing with the water in a small stream.
It is too dangerous to play near the waves here.

Afterwards, I tested the slope. It is quite slanted, enough to roll all the way down.
This was so much fun I wanted to do it again and again and again.

Before leaving the beach we decided to make funny faces.

Trunk or Treat

2010-10-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the ghost costume Mother made for me.
What do you think?
Scary?

Today we had a special event at school for haloween - Trunk or treat. Instead of going door to door, people decorated their trunks, and we went trunk to trunk and got treats.

Here are a couple of examples...

Pumpkins

2010-10-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

It is pumpkin season, and while we have a pumpkin patch near home, today I went with many kids from my class to a new pumpkin patch. Along with the traditional jumpers and hay maze, we had a hay ride, and got fresh corn. The corn had caterpillars in it, which I collected from everyone.

I also got to ride a horse.

And here is the pumpkin I picked.
Daddy will help me carve it so we can put a candle inside.

The blue angels

2010-10-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today we went to San Francisco to see the blue angels.
Yankin and Dalya came with us.
We took the train, since the city was supposed to be pretty filled with traffic. We also took a taxi part of the way since the train station is not very close to the docks, which is the best place to see the show from. We still had quite a lot to walk, since it was faster to talk once we got to the waterfront on account of traffic.

We did get to see the angels though, and while they are impressive, it was boring for me after a while.
Daddy seemed to find it enchanting.

Afterwards we went for ice cream, checked the navy birds, and started on the long way back to the train.

Walkathon

2010-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day.
After school we had a walkathon!
I got a special shirt and a card, and we all walked. And every time we finished a lap around the field, we got the card punched.
I started out walking with Reily, but walked alone or with Mom or other friends as well.
Later in the afternoon even Daddy joined.

Here you can see me walking with Alison, who is another very good friend of mine from class.

At one side of the field there was an obstacle course, and I made it through every time!
The walkathon was very long, and during the afternoon it sometimes became a run-athon or a skip-athon or even a dance-athon.
But I finished 22 laps!
That is a very long hike, but I am sure I could have walked at least that much more if they only kept the walkathon going another couple of days :)

End of the fast

2010-09-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Daddy is really tired after the fast, so it is a good time to cuddle!

Rocket day

2010-09-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today we are flying rockets.
We made our rocket out of cardboard and tape, and we are going to fire it using air cannons!
There are all sorts of activities at school, this is just one of them.

After a couple of tries, I decided the rocket could look a lot nicer, so I took it to the decorating station.
Did I mention that red is my favorite color?

Looks a lot better now, don't you think?
After firing the rocket, we went home and daddy started fasting for Yom Kippur.
I don't fast, maybe when I am bigger I will.

Birthday party

2010-09-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Since I have the first birthday at school, I got the first birthday party.
I invited everyone at my class, and we celebrated in the park. Of course that meant we could not have the party right after school started, had to invite all the kids, and until the first day of school I did not even know who are all the kids in my class! So this is why we had the party today, 2 weeks after my real birthday date.

Balloons are of course, essential.

But we had many other entertainments, including a parachute, frisbees, and many more games.

Some arts and crafts (painting and modeling with clay).

And of course, the pineata I made myself at the CSMA art class!!!

Now that everyone is hungry we ate some pizza, and not just any pizza but my favorite cheese pizza from Amici.

Last but not least, it was cake time.

Afterwards we kept playing in the playground, and had a lot of fun.

Rosh hashana

2010-09-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

For Rosh hashana, Mom came and read us a book. We also got to dip apples in honey, and we all talked about Rosh hashana...

The bay

2010-09-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

So today we crossed the mountain and went to the bay.
It was chilly with the wind, but not very cold.
We started out with a snack, and flew the kite a bit.

Afterwards we went running on the beach.

Found a maze, and had to go through the whole maze. No shortcuts allowed.

Of course, I also had to check how the water feels.

In case you are wondering, it was quite cold, but still fun.

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

As you probably know by now, every year on my birthday I wakr up to find a baloon and a cake waiting for me.
This year was no exception :)
Can you guess what my favorite cake is?

First day of school

2010-08-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day of school.
I am starting kindergarden at Stevenson PACT.

Daddy came with me to make sure I get to class on time.

Mommy also came :)

And here you can see me sitting in my brand new chair. The desk has a note with my name on it.
I am in room 10, and my teacher is Ms. Devon.
Oh, and Reily is in the same class as I am!

Hiking Rancho with Ethan

2010-08-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Weekend and it is time for a hike.
We went to see the animals in the ranch, with Ethan (Dave and Rebecca joined with Megan as wlel of course).
Check out the improvised airplane we found along the way,

We also decided the day needs a bit of rain, and used leaves to make sure it happened.

Culture day

2010-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

After all the rides, we decided to get some culture today.
Started with walking around stanford.

Afterwards we spent some time in the museaum.
The paintings are nice, but my favorite part is the gift shop with all the toys.

Oh, and let us not forget a cookie. Just as important as art.

When we were getting ready to go, the wind started, and I could try some fancy dancing moves.

Great (in) America

2010-08-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today Mom took me to Great America.
Plenty of rides here.
I really like rides.
The ice cream selection could be better though.

Clifford is here!
Yeah!

The water slides are also lots of fun.

Zoo with Mommy

2010-08-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mom took me to happy hollow today.
Fun rides and some interesting animals.

School playdate

2010-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

As an introduction to school, we got a playdate in the park.
I found a new friend that lives just down the street!
Hope she will be in my class...

Kites

2010-07-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today I got to go with Dad to the kite festival in Berkeley.
It is a bit of a drive, but it was worth it.
This was my first time in a kite festival.
In this picture you can see some of the kites at the entrance (a diver, a shark and some fish, an other more conventional ones in the back).

We met up with Ethan, and I got to choose a kite for myself, and even better - fly it!
Ethan also had a kite, but it did not fly so well.

Dad also got a kite, though it was smaller then mine, and we flew our kites together.
After a bit, a girl flew a kite and it got tangled with mine.
Daddy helped untangle them and we flew the kites some more.

Afterwards we went around to see all the strange kites. A lot of sea life, including giant octapi that you can see in the picture above, and also some birds and even a beatiful dragon.
Other highlights were a kapuera exihbition and ice cream. My favorite flavor is chocolate... What's yours?

Rancho with Dalya

2010-07-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

I like haiking Rancho San Antonio, but it is even better when I get to bring a friend along.

Check out the tree climbing exhibition.

Paratrooper training...

And just a little rest.

A day in San Francisco

2010-07-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend is free museum day in San Francisco.
We went with Ethan (and Dave and Rebecca).
First to the park to see a show and dance.

Then the modern art museum where we got to see art and make art.

And crafts.

Afterwards we went to play in the park, swing on the merry-go-around and even went to Zeum.
A very fun day!

Flying back

2010-07-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

The long way back starts on the train.
I am flying with Mom since Dad needs to go give a lecture in a conference.

Goodbye grandma Nava, and see you all next time.
Of course, you are welcome to visit me too!!!

Sahne

2010-07-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

Almost time to say goodbye, but first we are going to swim in the Sahne.

Here you can see a group picture.

And here I am checking if Uri likes his ears being eaten.

And here we are packing the rest of our bags and going away...

Gidona

2010-07-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Today all the families are meeting together in one place.

We go on a guided tour, and on the way I get to play with uncle Tal again.
The tube in turn serves as a phone, an airplane, and even a caterpillar.

The hike itself is fun, but the guide is talking too much.

Instead of listening so much, I got father to play with me and tell me stories.

Birthday!

2010-07-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

At night we celebrated my birthday.

Check out my cake - with the my favorite caterpillar...

Almost time to blow the candles out.

After the cake, we cracked a pineata, and I got lots of presents from all of the family.

Pictures

2010-07-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Later in the day I went to get some photos. The best part - there was an air vent just outside the building.

Technoda

2010-07-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ready, steady, go!
This is a turtle race...
Many other attractions here. Robots among them, but not least.
We met Dafna and Sivan here, and I had fun playing with Dafna.

Here we got to build our own bride and walk across it to.

There is a real plane here, and I got to clim over it and even stand on the wing!

There are many things to play with here. Light and sound, pressure and more.
A very fun day...

caterpillars adding color in Kiryat Haim.

2010-06-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

We are staying with Grandma Nava and Grandpa Arik this week.
My caterpillars are checking out every corner of the house.

Up north

2010-06-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Grandma Nava took me to another park.
Rides and games galore. Here we are playing air hokey together.
Grandma plays well, but I won!

Oh, there was actually a zoo here, but I did not like the smell.

In the evening we went to visit uncle Dan.
He knows how to make all sorts of shapes from baloons. I am also learning.

Heading north

2010-06-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

On the way we stopped in Cesaria.
And not just any place, here is where Father and Mother go married!

I decided this is a good excuse for me ot get the camera.

Then we found someone to take a picture of all of us together.

Lunch we ate in Zichron, and we found an ice cream parlor with ice cones seats. I am not sure I want to be in one though, since I don't want anyone to eat me.

Central

2010-06-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

We are now in the center of Israel.
Turns out the pigeons made it all the way here.
You think they came in the place from San Francisco like we did?

And check this out, uncle Yonatan lets me sit on the table!

Hello uncle Tal

2010-06-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

And thank for the book!

Chocolate milk

2010-06-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Is best in Israel.
If only my stomach would not get upset when I drink it...

More fish

2010-06-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Guess who is under the yellow snorkel?

You guessed right.

I am not sure how the water can be sol cold when it is so hot outside.

Southwards to Eilat

2010-06-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

We headed south to Eilat. Spent the night with uncle Uri and his family, and now we are looking at fish...
I like snorkeling, though the ocean here is colder then in costa rica.
The hotel we are staying in has a pool with chairs and a restaurant inside the pool!

Rides!

2010-06-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

We went to a park, and had lots of fun :)

Around Gevim

2010-06-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

More guests came to see us today.
They took me around, so Mom and Dad could sleep for a bit. I slept quite well tonight, but Mom and Dad didn't.

There are plenty of playgrounds in Gevim. This one has a car I can drive or climb on.

One of the best features of this house is the couch. It has the bestest hiding place, where all the kids can go hide.

New places

2010-06-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Grandma took me to see a new place today.
They had some animals which I did not like so well (they smelled), but they also had acitivities.

Running around the millstone is always a favorite.

Taking the train is another fun game.

And then, when it got to hot, just sitting in the shade and drawing is also fun.
Daddy stayed home to work today. Maybe he can join us tomorrow.

Israel here we come

2010-06-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Now that school has ended we can go places.
So we flew to Israel...
Our first stop - Grandpa Arie and Grandma Nomi.

I got a baloon at the airport!
(And also a caterpillar)
And I got a new book.

Not sure why I am tired in the middle of the afternoon. Could it be Jet Lag?

Yep, must be the jet lag. Playing outside with my nephews helps though.

Graduation day

2010-06-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day in the childrens house!

I wonder what will happen next, and daydreaming while this ceremony goes on.

Ah - ha! I get a telescope!

Check it out, the telescope is actually a graduation diploma...

Hiking weather

2010-05-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

It is a bit cold, but we still decided to go hiking.
We took the frisbee with us, and here you can see me playing.
After it flew into the bushes a few times, we decided to stop playing though.

Snack time?

I wonder if these flowers smell as good as they look.

Hmmm, I don't want to go on trips where there is nothing special at the end. Its boring!
But it is almost the end of the hike now...

Out of town trip

2010-05-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today we are heading up north, past the golden gate bridge (in the background)

2010-05-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

School is almost over. It is time for pet parade again, and I bring my caterpillars (which are actually sleeping inside their crysallis right now).

Plenty of other pets around, some doing tricks.

And here we are representing the childrens house.

Hoe Down

2010-05-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

A play date at the park with all the kids from the childrens house.

And then a hoe down where we sing songs (some did anyways) and dance.

And clap.

And have lots of desserts!

I made my very own Challah

2010-05-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

A-hiking we shall go

2010-04-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Time to hike up to a new viewpoint.

In the middle I found a good place for a snack.
So we stopped.

It is fun hiking, and even better when we do it with friends. Today everyone got to the top!

Oh, and there are plenty of wildflowers since it is springtime.
Here are a few examples.

Bath time

2010-04-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

2010-04-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today a rabbit came and hid eggs in Dalya's back yard.
I am not sure why, but collecting them is fun.

Lo and behold - the eggs have small eggs made of chocolate chocolate inside!

Baylands

2010-04-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Mom went painting today, and here we are visiting her.
First a stop at the duck pond.

I like climbing. Trees will do if no walls are available.

Wow, painting is going on. It is not finished yet, so we will go on a little hike, and see the museum as well.

The museum was fun, I got to look at samples of the water under the microscope. There was also a cute puppy...
Now it is time to run. If only the wind was not so cold, I would stay out here longer.

Seraphina

2010-03-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Seraphina came home with me, every child gets her for only one day. Yesterday was mine.
In case you didn't know, Seraphina is the puppy sitting next to me.

Hey, I'm making breakfast

2010-03-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Until now I could only make cereal or cheese sticks for breakfast.
Now I am learning how to make the oatmeal...

Hidden Villa

2010-03-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Breakfast at Esther and then I had a play date with Dalya. We took her to hidden villa.

Here is some of what we discussed on the way... (it may take a couple of seconds before you hear anything, and make sure your volume is set high)

(Click here to listen.)

When we got to Hidden Villa we had a surprise - it was sheep shearing day!
Actually they almost didn't let us in, but we asked nicely so they let us park with the volunteers near the horses.

Then we played in the garden for a while. Found some chickens, and pretended to be chickens in a coop ourselves.

Also had a pretend snack.

And we learned a lot about plants.
Then I played Frisbee and soccer with Dad, while Dalya made a pouch straight from the wool. She got to card the wool and make cloth out of it, but the smell of the sheep was too much for me. I decided I'd rather play ball.

Then we went on a hike.
On the way we found a little stream where we could fish and throw stones.

And some more flowers. Wild ones this time. Can you see the bluebells?

More water to play with next to small bridges, and we had a small snack (various nuts) on the way back.

Last but not least, I got to play with a spinning wheel, and Dalya got to dye her pouch.
What a wonderful day.

Pinnacles

2010-03-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today we are taking advantage of the spring and hiking in pinnacles national monument.
It is a long climb to the caves, but I am hiking on my own.
We are hiking with the Zohar family, and everyone is hiking together.
Before we started the hike, we saw a condor - turns out this is one of the only places in the world you can see condors. Mom even got interviewed for the radio about it.

Here we are above the caves.

Fishing the lake with daddy...

Looking at the strange flowers, and more...

Last but not least, I completed enough pages in the workbook and got sworn in as a junior ranger! To tell the truth I was a bit disappointed, since I was expecting something tasty as a reward, and instead I got a badge and a patch. But I got ice cream later, so all`s well that ends well.

We stopped for dinner on the way home, and I got to watch some dvd on the way as well (the way was long enough for me to see the whole dvd...)

Next weekend maybe we can hike again?

Creation

2010-03-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

I like projects. Here is a sample in lego, and I also like to draw.
At the childrens house I also make books (with the help of the teachers).
We are going to make a project corner in my new room. I cannot wait...

Caterpillar time

2010-02-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

Today I get to wear my caterpillar costume all day long!

Check out some caterpillar leg action.

And caterpillars can also climb trees.

Mommy, do I have to come down already?

Purim

2010-02-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

This purim Mom is making me a costume.

I get to be a caterpillar, with caterpillar feet.

Caterpillars crawl...

My new bike

2010-02-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Our new house has a nice ceiling to walk on...

These are my new bicycles.
Daddy is putting them together...

Can I go for a ride?

Heritage Museum

2010-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

We went to visit a small museum, turned out they have a new kind of lego. Or rather an old kind, it was just new for me.

They are called lincoln logs.

And I spent an hour building towers.
Later we went to visit Ayla and Dalya, and turned out they also have these logs.

A new playground

2010-02-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

A short walk (or bike ride) from our house there is a new playground for me.
New adventures...

Lots of sand...

Check out the sand bath!

New house

2010-02-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

We moved in to our new house...

Here is the view from the breakfast table.

Here I am checking out my new room.

And here we are relaxing a bit in our living room...

Little gym

2010-01-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

Time to say goodbye to the little gym.
We are going to move to a new house, so we will go to a different gym.

This is exactly the end of the session, so we all get to show off what we learned.

And get our ribbons.

And here are my favorite teachers.
Perhaps I will se them again some other time...

My very own playground

2009-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

Climb and then climb some more...

I wonder if I can climb this as well?

And now it is caterpillar time!
(I like caterpillars best)

A day in San Francisco

2009-12-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today we went with Ayla and Dalya to the city.

After a bit to eat, we went hiking.

The ocean looks so nice, I wanted to go down there. Turned out there were stairs that went all the way down.
We watched the waves, played around, and daddy even made small towers from rocks (I knocked them all down afterwards).

Dress up

2009-12-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes...

Happy playground

2009-12-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

In the afternoon, I sometimes like this playground. We need to drive there, but there are lots of kids to play with.
Also a big climbing wall that I can traverse all the way now, with almost no help (if I can take my shoes off).

Hiking

2009-11-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today I went hiking with Ethan.
This is very close to Rancho san Antonio, but a different trail then the one we normally take.
Fun though.

Daddy's birthday

2009-11-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

Is today, we we went to the beach.
(Well not before starting the morning with a selection of cakes).

I found a strange circle of sticks. I have to check if they really grow out of the sand, or if I can move them to new configurations.

There is also a light house on the other side of the road.
All in all a nice day for going to the beach.
Happy birthday Dad!

A-hiking we will go

2009-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Nice weather, time to hike.
Rancho san antonio is a fun place!

Lots of trees to climb and walk on.

Slopes galore.

And even a tree house (or at least a tree hollow).

Nighttime trick or treat

2009-10-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

I went with Dalya (Ayla and other kids too) and we went when it was getting darker.

Funny ghosts around.

And other denizens of the night welcomed us as well...

Haloween and visitors

2009-10-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Time to dress up an I am?
You guessed right, a butterfly.
I love butterflies in case you forgot.

Here we went trick or treating, and Grandma Nomi and Grandpa Arieh joined us!
They came to visit us exactly when we came back from Costa Rica, what a great sense of timing they have :)

Trick?
No - treats are better :)

Back home

2009-10-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Good bye costa rica

2009-10-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Time to go home.
We had a lot of fun, and hopefully we can come back again soon...

Another day at the beach

2009-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to take the camera along.

Surfing is fun, and I can help the waves along!

Also found a cute butterfly. It came to visit us after I went snorkeling.
It tried to eat some salt from my snorkel - I tried the salty water myself, and they actually tasted quite good. Think I can catch the butterfly?

Almost got it, but not quite.

Enough with snorkeling, now I just want to see the fish that are close to the beach.

Goggles are enough for that.

Here you can see Pa helping me go back to shore. This is a neat trick. If I am snorkeling and feel too tired, or water goes into my mouth piece, I can jump on his back, and he will bring me back to shore.

I really had a lot of fun today.

Can you tell?

Beach day

2009-10-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Many things you can do on the beach (asides from the obvious).
For example climb trees.

Weight lifting.
And of course swimming, but our camera is not waterproof so not too many pictures of that.

Later in the evening I found some new friends to play with.
They live up the hill, in the middle of the jungle, and it was a bit scary getting the car up the road.

Dinner we ate at the local french restaurant, and found some interesting bugs to play with.

Botanics

2009-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last today but not least, we went on a botanic tour in a cocoa farm.
Here you can see me holding vanilla bean in one hand, and a bug in the other.

Here we are picking a cocoa bean from the tree to make chocolate.
Pa really liked the chocolate...

After the tour we were hot, and they had a pool. Naturally we ended in the pool and played there for an hour or so.

Also, at the entrance to the farm they had an old train engine.
I really liked this place.