December 2013 Updates Hahgoot, Alma, Mia and Sarah discovering the silly side of life.

We finished the last 4 days of Chanukah (here is the 5 th day). The girls enjoyed the candles lighting very much, and liked their new board game, “Pop to the shops”.

6 th day (top) and 7 th day (bottom). Here you can see I tried some veggie latkes who vanished quickly.

The 8 th day: Hahgoot, who was really into the spirit of the holiday, was quite sad the holiday was over, but Alma announced: ”Yippee! Now we can start the Christmas stuff!” She didn’t say anything about it for 8 days, I had no idea it was on her mind...

To celebrate the holiday in style, we got a fun package from my brother and his family in Boston. The girls were especially impressed by the chocolate coins with Menorah symbols!

Our fantastic friend Lisa in New Jersey sent the girls a Chanukah package too, with great craft kits. Lucky girls!

We had a pool play date at our friend’s Cheryl’s home in Leonay. Their house is on a cliff above a bush area, opposite the train tracks. Just stunning! Hahgoot was especially impressed by the unique design of the house: a square built around a central open area.

We said goodbye to our lovely neighbour Olivia, who moved back to New Zealand with her grandmother Patricia at the end of the month and will start high school. I bought her a “friendship bracelets” kit for a good start in her new school, and she made both girls bracelets. We’ll miss her, she is such a lovely girl.

The girls had a rare chance to speak with their grandma Eti (here with her carer, on Skype). Sadly, this was the last time they saw her alive, as she went back to hospital shortly afterwards and her condition continued to deteriorate in the next few months.