Catching up

So it's been a while since our last installment, but a few highlights...

Sidney started taking ballet. Her class meets in a room decorated with hearts and ribbons. The bathroom mirror is framed with a pink feather boa and the toilet seat is gold glitter. Really I should have a picture of the place and her dynamic teacher, Sharone Kisharone. Here is a great picture of the ballerina:

Then Sidney was chosen as the Eemah shel Shabbat (the Shabbat mother) for her class. Every Friday her class prepares for Shabbat by reenacting a family Friday night dinner and one girl and one boy get to be the eemah and abba. Sidney was so excited to get a turn to be the eemah. You would have thought that she won the lottery. She did get a crown which she keeps on hand in the house for special occasions:

Of course that was followed by a turn as the malka (queen) of her afternoon class--a reward for good behavior. She got to bring a special toy and the other kids had to guess what she had brought.

In the meantime, Sidney's Hebrew is developing immensely. She understands everything being said but is still reluctant to speak--except with me and Josh. She carries on full conversations with the two of us. It's pretty amazing.

The winter rains have started. For here, it's winter, but Sidney still insists on wearing short sleeves and skirts everyday. The teachers and parents think that she's crazy, but it does make it into the 60s everyday, so...When I ask her if she wants to wear her winter clothes everyday, she says, "Not until it's winter--not until there is snow." We've tried to explain... That doesn't stop the old ladies on the street from telling us what bad parents we are--oh well, if she's cold, she'll put on the sweater that I carry around for her everywhere we go:>.