This Saturday I finally got to take the children to synnagogue wo celebrate the holiday of Purim. A brief breakdown of the holiday for you: a young girl named Esther was sent by her uncle Mordechai to marry the king of Persia. She was Jewish and had to hide this fact from her new husband. At the time, King Ahashverosh's advisor Haman was plotting to kill the Jews. Mordechai found out and told his niece who exposed herself and the plot to the king. The king told her that her religion did not matter to him and had Haman executed. Now we celebrate our victory by wearing costumes, eating triangular cookies and drinking in the good king's honour.

This year, I felt the kids were old enough to stay up late and participate in our synnagogue's reading of the story of Purim, and the carnival that happens afterwards. During the reading, we all get noise makers so we can drown out the mention of Haman's name. (I thought the kids would love that. And they did.) I also tried to bake the triangualr cookies called hamentaschen with the kids. Those were a little less successful. It doesn't help when you're trying to bake and three toddlers think the dough would taste so much better with crumbled aeroroot cookies, eggshells, and wrappers in it. I think I removed all that...

Anyway, I feel this will fast become one of their favourite holidays. What's not to love? Costumes, cookies, carnivals, it's all good when you're a kid! 

I am also making some headway on the next Hadariah novel. I am enjoying where the story is going. However, I am going to miss these characters greatly when this is all over. Ah well, I suppose I could revisit the land if I choose, but is there's no story left, what would the point be in that? To quote a beloved musical: "It's a puzzlement!"

Joseph, Phillip, and Hailey's second birthday is tomorrow. It's shocking how time seems to fly by. We had their party yesterday with their friends at an indoor playground, and they seemed to have a good time. The boys loved climbing the giant climbing structure and zooming down the massive slide in my lap, while Hailey had a blast in the inflatable bounce castle. The kids dined on pizza and birthday cake and sugar highs ran rampant!

Today we had an adventure in baking. I had the kids up on the kitchen island helping me make their birthday cupcakes. Phillip put the oil and water in the bowl, Joseph helped crack the eggs (I think the cupcakes may have some crunch to them), and Hailey poured in the cake mix. When all the ingredients were in the bowl, we all stirred it together. I then put it in the oven, and the babies licked the spoon. I will serve them tomorrow at dinner.

On the writing front, I think the zombie novel may almost be ready for edits, and my third Hadariah book is being written.