Weeks flying by!

February flew by with fun times and memorable moments...and somehow we're into March! Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to:

We cheered hard for the Bengals and pulled out all the stops on food, including my first batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili, which was DELICIOUS!! 

But we still lost. It was sad, but we loved the excitement in our town and beyond. Check out the cupcakes and cookies I bought the week of the game...

The fun shout-outs in one of the local papers...

The Bengals-themed Sunday School. Apparently, that week's Torah portion even commanded us to sacrifice rams! 😉

Brie and I made just the right shade of orange whipped cream to go on our chocolate mousse...

And Tony made yummy beverages...

Here we are ready for the game!

And here are Beth and Mom in VB! My parents and Beth donned their best orange and also made Cincy Chili! Even Tony's cousin Ralph and his family made Cincy Chili in Maryland. We were a united front!

Loved my dinner plate that night, including a Coney dog and nachos...

And Brie was our stadium vendor, selling lots of treats! 

Yet, we did not prevail. We'll get 'em next time, right?? 

It was so nice to celebrate Valentine's in-person this year! Look at the adorable cheese valentines that Brie ordered. I put a heart around my favorite...ha! 

Sebastian painted this canvas for his teacher! 

And, once again, made out like a bandit with candy. I've said it before...Valentines' Day = Halloween 2.0!

Brie's middle school had a very special visitor: Gordan Korman!! How many 11-year-olds can check "Hanging with a New York Times best-selling author" off their bucket lists?? Well, Brie can now! 

By all accounts, it sounded like his two-day visit was pretty spectacular. Not only did Gordon Korman speak in front of the 6th grade, but he signed books and met with small groups of students. 

Brie got to participate in a Q&A with him (he answered ALL of their questions) AND was selected to do a writer's workshop with Gordon (and about 10 kids from her grade). She even showed him how he was the subject of one of her virtual magazine issues in 2020! 😁😁 

Also worth celebrating?? Blossom turned one! The kids baked PB doggie treats for her. We used this recipe, but cut it in half (it still made A TON) and skipped the "frosting." They were easy and a big hit--for EVERYONE...the recipe used regular ingredients, so the kids were eager to try them. They reported that they tasted like not-very-sweet peanut butter wheat bread. Blossom gave them two paws up and a wagging tail! 

We thought it would be fun to share the love, so we put the biscuits in Ziploc bags and handed them out to all of Blossom's furry friends in the neighborhood. We got the cutest photos and videos of the doggies trying the treats!! 

A birthday snuggle! 

One tuckered out birthday girl.

And...here are a few more things that are fun to report! 

Our basement guestroom got a refresh recently. Now we just need some guests! 

Sebastian and his classmates at 2:22 p.m. on 2/22 in 2nd grade!

We hit the zoo on a warm day! It never gets old and the new Penguin Parade is the cutest!!

The 4th, 5th and 6th graders were in charge of Shabbat...they did a great job!

And...as if his Bar Mitzvah was not enough, Samuel volunteered to read Torah last Saturday. It was a shorter section than in October, but he still attacked it and was well-prepared that morning. Good for him!

Both Samuel and Brie had band performances at the high school last month!

And Brie's sushi art was in the art show!

Speaking of artsy skills, Brie's quickly becoming a crochet master. Here's the little bee that she made for a friend's birthday!

We were all so impressed with Sebastian's latest artwork, too. I feel exhausted just thinking about painting this!

Sebastian also started piano! He likes the lessons, but doesn't love to practice. Shocker...

And...speaking of piano...you all will love this: my parents saw Elton John at Madison Square Garden a few weeks back!! The concert was postponed multiple times due to COVID, but it FINALLY happened! They said he played all his hits and, lucky us, Granddaddy Rob video called me during the show, so we could listen in (you can see me and Brie enjoying it in the corner). He sounded amazing!! Can't believe this is his farewell tour...

That's it for now. Phew! We are ready for Spring Break!!