Yes, we know that we have been very bad - we're back, we're posting, and we're sorry - but we've been a little busy. Things like getting a job for next year, making Pesach, and spending time with family have taken up a lot of our time! But here we are. Rather than trying to summarize the past month, we'll just post some pictures, and an update of Noam's latest accomplishments...

Tiyul (trip) to Arad with Eema's school. The bus ride was long but (at least on the way there, when it was light out) very interesting. We saw sheep, goats, and other buses. Noam got to play with lots of Israeli children, but the highlight was the singing before Kabbalat Shabbat. Noam was transfixed for a solid half hour!

Over Pesach, we went to visit our cousins on Moshav Massuot Yitzchak. Noam is ready to be a moshavnick - he loves it there. Here he is playing in grass...

...and checking out the dog with Cousin Moshe...


...Cousin Shuval plays the guitar, which of course made him a huge hit with Noam. Here they are jamming on the porch.
Noam's most willing victim was Cousin Ophir. Not only did he push Noam on the tricycle and play ball with him......he also let Noam ride his big bike! Noam wasn't too interested in the helmet, but he loved watching Ophir ride around in full gear.


Chilling with Ariel
The boys have spent a lot of time playing together lately. Probably their best game consists of Noam sitting on his car while Ariel pushes him all over the house. But here they are taking a little break together.


Too cool for words...Bubbe sent lots of great Pesach gifts, including some cars which Noam adores. But never underestimate the plague bag. Though he didn't attend the seder, Noam later appropriated the sunglasses (representing the plague of darkness, in case you didn't get the significance). He has since worn them not only for trips outside, but also to eat dinner, to read books, to drink his bottle, and yes, in the bathtub. Kudos to Grandma for successfully confiscating them before Noam actually went to sleep in his crib.


Cuddling with Aunt Debra W, who was expected to be fully at his service on her last night in Jerusalem.
Noam was very excited about his Aunts Debra, this being the first time in a long time that he saw both of them at once. "Debah! Debah! TWO!"

Another great Pesach gift...Grandma and Debra bought Noam his very own backpack, just like Eema and Daddy! Noam packs it up and carries it with him for trips both within the apartment and outside. Here he is getting ready for an outing with Daddy, one on which Eema's new measuring spoons were a necessary provision as well.

In other news, Noam now talks a mile a minute. Even just in the weeks since Passover ended, his vocabulary has increased and he is constantly surprising us with his new words. He also remembers his family in America...
Noam: (out of the blue, just looking out the window) Bus!
Eema: Did you hear a bus?
Noam: Grandma.
Eema: Did you go on a bus with Grandma?
Noam: Debah!
Eema: And Debra?
Noam: Grandma! Debra!
Eema: They're in America.
Noam: Hi! Hi!

So Eema had to convince Noam that we couldn't call America at 1am East Coast time...and Noam then remembered Bubbe, Gigi, Hannah, and Mike. He's quite the conversationalist.

Oh yes, and quite the driver. Noam is extremely attached to his car. He rides his car. Maggie rides his car. Noam and Maggie together ride the car. The car is the only way to get from point A to point B. For example, in order to take a bath, Noam must ride his car from the dinner table to the bathroom, at which point he parks the car outside the bathroom door (we know this is what he's doing because he says "park! park!" while he's parking). Then he rides the car back and forth between his bedroom and the bathroom (a space of maybe three feet, for those of you who haven't seen our apartment) in order to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Before he goes to sleep, he parks it outside his bedroom door...where it waits until the morning.

Noam is also a collector. In the course of doing laundry, Eema frequently finds rocks, pinecones, and other treasures in Noam's pockets. Outside, he both collects pinecones that have fallen, and attempts to "return" them to the trees (by flinging them in the direction of the branches). He also makes piles of rocks and twigs. We are trying to discourage bringing these things into the house, but it seems to be a losing battle.

More soon (this time for real)!