It snowed. It hailed. As we lit the candles a rainbow appeared. It hailed again. Elijah was probably pretty knocked about by the time he made it to our door.

After my first seder with kids where it drove me crazy that I spent all my time attending to their needs and couldn’t actually sink into the story, I’ve lowered my expectations. If I can enjoy one song, one plague, one glass of wine I feel present at the holiday. I definitely got that this year.

Even better the kids are starting to participate. Last year it was all and only about finding the afikomen. This year Rose wanted to know where we were in the service. Is it time to dip the parsley? They chanted the first of the four questions beautifully, and during the closing songs they did We Shall Overcome which they learned for the Martin Luther King celebration at school.

David eagerly put on his fancy dress-up clothes and looked smashing in slacks, a belt, button up shirt and tie. (All courtesy of Grandpa Jere and Barb.) This was his first time in the full outfit.

Because it’s Saturday and we don’t keep Shabbat, we got to start early and end before the kids’ bedtime. And Rose ate three portions of carrot soufflé.