Postcards from Israel

Dear friends and families,

Last week I became a world traveler. It was great.

First we sat and sat and sat in a boring room with lots of other people and nothing to do but try to get snacks out of this annoying contraption.


Then we were in this other room where it was dark outside even though it was the middle of the afternoon and time to play! And there was nothing good to play with but sugar packets. (Yum!)


Then we walked all over the place taking pictures. I got left out of this one.


Here I am!


I was in this thing the WHOLE TIME and my parents wouldn't even let me out to play with the nice kitties that were everywhere.


Then I got tired and took a nap.


Then we went to the beach where my dad dressed up like a smurf.


I do NOT like sand on my feet.


I only like it in my hands from a small container.


And then I got so tired I had to take a nap in my swimming shirt.


We went to Jerusalem, which was very pretty.


Here I am in this thing again.


We stood around a lot. Some guy was always talking. I had to talk and talk too so that people would remember about me. (That's my friend Toby in the background!)



I swang in a swing once.


And we went for sandwiches and ice cream, but I didn't get any.



I had lots of friends in Israel:

Jason and Galit who hogged all the attention just because they got married,


Matt, Raya and Danny who I just didn't get any good pictures of,

Abby and Elise

(Abby gave me rides sometimes),


Anthea, Oran (not pictured) and ...


...Toby,
and this funny looking horse.


Then when we got home I was very tired, but it wouldn't stop being day for a long, long time and I felt impatient and confused.


I liked Israel.

Shalom!

Just a quick post to say hi from Tel Aviv! We arrived on Wednesday and spent yesterday at our friend Jason's wedding. The flight wasn't as bad as I thought--though man those airplane seats are uncomfortable and Twilight New Moon is a really bad movie (I mean, I knew it would be bad, but woah). Ella is sleeping well in our giant king size bed.

Today we go to the beach--Ella's first time! And tomorrow we go to Jerusalem. Monday, I'm not sure, maybe the Dead Sea? And then flying out at Midnight and getting home Tuesday am. We'll post pictures of our big adventure when we get home!

Incredible Expanding Baby IIII

Ok. So I know we've done this before, but we think it bears repeating.

Let's review.

Ella at 2 days old:
Small, wrinkly with some vernix (womb goo) still in her butt crack. (Seth: thin, trim and neat.)

Small and Wrinkly

Ella at 3 months old:
Chunky, lumpy, dimply. (Seth: Slightly lumpier, still neat and trim.)

Chunk-style

Ella at 9 months:
Leaner but still smooshy, large, in charge. (Seth: love-handled, bushy, smiley.)

Large and In Charge

It's getting harder and harder to hold her still for these pictures. They're becoming action shots.

Squirmy and Wormy

I can't wait to see how Seth will have grown by July! (and Ella too...)

Music II: An Update

Since my last posting Ella's musical interests have expanded. She has now taken her piano skills to the next level and assembled an acid rock band with a duck, a very small bear and a fuzzy turtle, called Iron Binky (notice that drugged out groupie in the background).

They are quite good, but I don't foresee a long future for them, because Ella is a very strict band leader, and there are often heated disputes over practice times and artistic differences. Occasionally things get out of hand ...


She is also experimenting with some new vocal techniques




It's customary to throw the instrument away when you're done, like smashing your guitar at the end of an awesome solo. Here's some more footage from a recording session:




As soon as we get their tour schedule we'll let you know.