March 9, 2020 (Purim)

The Jewish festival of Purim, when kids dress up in costumes and celebrate the historic events described in the biblical Book of Esther.  Aaron says all Jewish celebrations are essentially the same:  "They tried to kill us, we survived, LET'S EAT!"

Tamar was Elsa from the movie Frozen. Daniel was the pokemon Bulbasaur, and Benji repurposed his Black history month costume and was Henry Johnson, the heroic and decorated Black American veteran of WWI.

I took a photo of Aaron standing by the sign that read "quiet area for little ones" because he's neither quiet nor little!

--Victoria

from March 2020 (visiting a big play gym)

There's one of these places near our new house. When the pandemic is over, we'll be going there a lot, I think! --Victoria 

from Feb 2020 (Daniel's Black history month presentation)

He presented on Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and then returned to lead other escaped slaves to freedom. He learned that the Underground Railroad was not actually a railroad (or underground) and that Harriet Tubman used the stars to guide her when she led escaped slaves to freedom (notice the stars in the sky of his diorama, on the back of the box, and the green paper taped to the bottom of the box in front of the row of figures in the grass they're walking on).

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--Victoria

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You can also click HERE to see a video of him practicing the presentation.

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from Feb 2020 (Tamar's Black history month presentation)

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Her diorama and presentation were about Misty Copeland, a famous Black ballerina.

--Victoria

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(catching up) Feb 2020 -- Tamar's birthday

This year, the twins had separate birthday parties and we had crafting activities and a pinata for each party. At Tamar's party, the kids got superhero capes and masks and played in the garden then smashed a swan-shaped pinata. Daniel graciously agreed to be "the bad guy" that all the super girls chased.
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--Victoria
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(catching up) Feb 2020 -- Daniel's birthday

This year, the twins had separate birthday parties and we had crafting activities and a pinata for each party. Daniel had a dinosaur party and the kids pressed a material like play-doh (which hardened) onto dinosaur skeletons, then they smashed a taco-shaped pinata (not pictured, unfortunately).
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--Victoria
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(catching up) Feb 2020 -- Benji's presentation for Black History Month

For Black History Month, Benji researched and presented information about Henry Johnson, a decorated World War I veteran who fought heroically in France in the first Black U.S. military unit (which were nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters" by their enemies because they were such a brave and strong unit). He's wearing two bandages on his arm because that's where Henry Johnson was wounded during the battle for which he is most famous.

--Victoria