So Yehoshua’s school had a program where they earned points for doing their homework and getting to school on time and participating in class, etc.
Then, the boys turned in all of their points and received a “check” worth real money in the sale of books games cds and toys.
Yehoshua and I went together to the “father and son open market” with his check on Tuesday and we bought a calculator, a book ("Abba - I bought the book with Shira in mind because she likes to read"), two packages of marbles, a fun eraser, and a cassette tape.
What a great day. I’m so proud!

Mazel Tov to Uncle Dod (Dr. Cory, for those of you keeping score at the hospital) and Rachel on the birth of a beautiful baby girlie.
May we see much Nachas from the whole mishpach!

Here’s the details we receive via electronic communique:

Hi Everyone,
We’d like to introduce our new baby girl, Emma Dalit, who was born on Jan.13th! She is 6 lbs. 1 oz. and is perfect in every way! We are having a Simchat Bat in Boca the weekend of February 14th. All are welcome! We hope you are all doing well and that we have the chance to see you soon!
Rachel, Chanoch (Cory), Aiden, Ami, and Aliyah

So Yehoshua asks:
Why does a Donkey say “EE- AAH?”
Answers Yehoshua:
Because when Hashem made the donkey he told him “you will have to work all day long!”
Replied the donkey “EEE!”
Said Hashem “But on Shabbos you can rest”
Donkey: “AAAAH!”

So I’m on the top floor of our building, changing light bulbs in the hallway and my neighbor’s son says “what’s that noise?”
And I’m like “it’s the wind howling, you just aren’t ever up here to hear how loud and crazy it can get.”
So then I’m thinking, “wow, the people who live up here really have to live with this noise?”
And then it hits me - (no not a rocket, silly) - that up down up down tone of the noise is way too consistent to be just wind. (unless you subscribe the Darwin’s big bang theory, at which point incredibly harmonious natural phenomenon can be created chaotically)
So I ran downstairs to my bomb shelter room and turn ion the radio
“Air raid siren tests in and around Jerusalem today...”
Baruch Hashem , may we never know from such things. Not here, not down south and not up north.
Now, in Tehran…