It was the night before...

and Maya was already enjoying one of her presents. Tonight she opened her bath time pirate friends package before bath time. We originally thought we would bathe her every other night out of convenience, and because in the winter at 15 months old she doesn't really get all that dirty. But Maya threw a fit when Grandma told her that it was straight to bedtime stories and no bath. Maya came into the kitchen in a fussy mood to get our attention. Ido decided to challenger her to see if she was really sophisticated enough to know what she was missing. He asked her what she wanted. She walked into her bathroom, pointing her finger the whole way, and when the bathtub was the target of her pointed finger, she said "bath". We all a laughed. And Maya took her bath.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Several more inches of snow fell today and I have been loving the idea that Ido might get to take another snow day from work. He spends the day working from home, but it's nice to see him and drag him away from his desk for important adventures...



Greenlake was bustling with families sledding and skiing. Maya, Ido and I took the opportunity to refine our snowflake eating.

Greenlake is frozen!

Also, today marks the first day of Hanukah. Ido sang a song and set the candles ablaze.

Our celebratory feast was pinto beans (seasoned with bacon) cornbread and peppered pork tenderloin. Not so traditional as far as Jewish meals go, but it was delicious!

Maya makes the cornbread

Seattle took a few snow days and we have been making the most of it. One thing about living in Greenlake that I love is the abundance of life around. This life is especially present on the days when school is out! Kids and parents were everywhere-- lined up on any available downhill slope taking turns sledding down the streets.

We decided to stay close to home and enjoy the luxury of not having anything pressing to take care of.

We visited the snowman,

made chicken succotash soup,

and made pumpkin bread with raisins and toasted pecans. Maya enjoys helping in the kitchen. It usually means the task takes twice as long, but it also means that it's twice as much fun.

Split down the middle and packaged to deliver to John and Scarlett down the street.

House pics :)

From the street

Living

Dining

Kitchen

There's not business like snow business.

Three inches of snow fell on us this past weekend. My mom (who has been staying at our house to help with Maya and making my life so much better!) squealed and ran down the stairs as soon as it started falling. In Woodinville we got snow every year. I was hoping the city wouldn't dampen the winter spirit and leave me without my snow. It would be quite an adjustment for me to be without that quiet calm that snow brings to a neighborhood. And, of course, the snow ball fights!

View from the master bedroom deck

Maya was having the best time riding around in her cart with Grandma. They rode all the way down to visit John (two blocks away) and up and down the sidewalk in front of the house several times. Maya didn't want to come inside, but I insisted after her lips and hands turned an eggplant shade of purple!

Maya and Grandma going for a ride

To keep us warm and well fed, I made one of my favorite comfort foods: Moroccan Tagine with Chicken and couscous.

Moroccan spiced chicken with raisins, honey, and almonds. Very warm and tasty!

The Travel Bug bites again!

In anticipation of our January trip to Morocco, I feel it is time to post about our trip to Israel
earlier in this year when Maya was in her ultra portable five month state.

A week into the trip we decided to explore the ethnic culture in Israel. We sat for tea and coffee with a Bedouin man while he told us about how the Bedouin live. The traditional Bedouin are nomadic. They live in one tent made from hand spun goat hair and wool. Handmade blankets hanging on the inside of the tent partition off sleeping and living areas.
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If the host pours half a cup of tea or coffee for you, this means you are welcome. If he fills your cup, he is asking you to finish and leave. The men drink first, then the women. The green coffee beans are roasted over an open fire, then crushed in a special wooden or metal bowl in a musical fashion:
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We visited a village of land workers known as Falahem who used to lived in caves as recently as the sixties. A local family prepared a feast for us in the salon area of their cave. The interior was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. The temperature outside was sweltering, yet the interior of the cave maintained a comfortable 60-70. Our host poured coffee from a feenjan and we feasted on Arabic vegetable salads and roasted chicken.
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This day with the Bedouins was just enough to wet the appetites of Jean-Claude and Ido, so we left Maya with Safta Ella and the three of us set off to Jordan, where the Bedouin still live the traditional nomadic lifestyle. We drove with our Bedouin guide for an hour past the Jordan-Israel border. Most of the drive was off-road into the mountains.
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We visited around six families. Every tent we visited had a similar process- the Bedouine woman sees a vehicle approaching, quickly gathers up the children, and runs out of sight into the sleeping area of the tent. The man invites us in for tea and conversation, smokes tobacco he grew himself, and we say goodbye. They are very poor, very dirty, and very friendly. Most of what they sustain themselves on is what they can provide for themselves in the wild.
The Bedouine woman is not allowed to speak to or be seen with a man other than her husband. I was the only one allowed to speak with and photograph the women and children.
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As you can expect from a trip to Israel, we ate very well. Mimi and Batia filled our bellies with delicious Mediterranean and Moroccan food. Most of the trip was spent with family. The first few days were all about showing off Maya. She was having so much fun with all the smiling faces and people speaking to her in Hebrew. And she enjoyed something she had never experienced in Seattle-- warm weather! Maya played in the backyard and spent time relaxing in the shade with only a single layer of clothing on. She would have been perfectly happy to stroll naked through the streets of Israel.