It's been a while...

Whew! Spring Break is over and we are struggling to keep our mind focused on getting through the next couple of weeks of school. Our Countdown to Cayucos, CA timer is set and we are under 85 days now
Our last month has been busy with all sorts of events. The majority of them were new religious experiences. This year we were invited to a Passover Seder at one of my friend’s house. At first I wasn’t quite sure just because I had no clue what a Seder even was. We make it a point to try and go to church every Sunday, the boys go to youth group, and I do a bible study, but this was something new that I had not even heard about. Since the family was going to be apart for Easter, (Steve’s boys were with their mom), Steve and I figured it would be a great new experience for not only us, but the boys as well. That Wednesday we dressed in our best and headed to embrace this new adventure. Upon arrival the boys and Steve were instructed to put on yarmulkes. At first the boys were not real excited about messing up their hair or in their words “looking stupid” but when we all sat down for the presentation it was a must so they had to buck up and join in. To our surprise we had assigned seating. Sean (16) was at a table with young adults his age, Jason and Blake (both 13) were at another table and Steve, Austin (11), John (6) and I were at another table. The tables were beautifully decorated with all of the traditional items for a Seder…the different elements, glasses, dinner wear, etc. We sat down and begun to look through the booklet on our plates that was basically a program for the night’s events. As we sat there listening to our leader read from the first couple of pages I noticed John was flipping through the pages. He takes a break and then leans over to me with booklet in hand. “I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries,” he whispers very seriously. It took all I had to not burst out laughing. It was the funniest thing I have ever heard. Once I explained to him that it wasn’t a menu I tried to compose myself and listen attentively to the leader. We all had a great time! The boys were tickled with the whole concept and we even decided we are going to have our own Filley Passover Seder next year.
A couple weeks later, Jason and Blake were invited to one of their friends Bat Mitzvah. They’ve gone to the after parties before but only Blake had participated in the morning ceremony at the Temple. Steve and I decided that it would be a good idea for both of the boys to go and show respect to their friend. Steve took them to Temple in the morning. Since they had to wear the yarmulkes at the Seder this was not a surprise for them. They happily put them on and listened as their friend read from the Torah. The next day we had lunch with Steve’s parents and grandparents. We asked Jason and Blake to tell their grandparents and great grandparents how the Bat Mitzvah went. As their grandparents awaited the story, Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his yarmulkes from the service…lol! He was so happy to put it on as to get into character. He has even started wearing it around the house while he does homework. I guess it helps him focus.
Steve and I both are busy at the school getting ready for our Art Festival, the end of school festivities, and the summer camp which starts right away. Steve still works away at www.organizemydad.com, getting ready for a big media event coinciding with Father’s Day. There’s always something to be working on. Everyone is looking forward to some time off in July, and our annual pilgrimage to California. We hope to be able to stop by the eHarmony headquarters and see where all the magic happen s!