Even though Isaac already saw Santa this year, we couldn't let the holiday pass without getting a mall photo...so here it is!

Breakfast with the Big Guy!

Last weekend we went with Bubbe and Zayde to our 2nd annual breakfast with Santa at Indian Ladder Farm. The breakfast is held in the tiny cafe in their gift shop. It is nice a quaint. The difference with this Santa meeting and the mall is Isaac got to go a talk to Santa throughout our meal, by the time we were done eating Isaac and Santa were very buddy-buddy!


Isaac and Santa.


Isaac took this picture of Santa.


Our family with Santa...I think that I am giving Santa a real run for his money in the belly department!


Isaac's Christmas tree pancake.


A group shot!

Springerle Cookies

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Poggie made Springerle cookies with Isaac, a Haft family Christmas tradition.

First you have to squash the dough:



Then you roll it out flat:


After the dough is flat, you press it onto a carved wooden board:


Once you think the designs are pressed in well enough, you flip it over, take the board off, and cut the cookies apart:



Then you transfer them to brown paper and lay them on top of anise seeds to dry (or don't lay them on top of anise seeds if you don't like the flavor):




Then you squash the scraps that got cut off and start again:


Isaac and Poggie show off their hard work:

Happy Hanukkah

Tonight we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah. One night down, seven more nights of fun to go!

Just a quick update from Aunt Laura

I don't have any of the other pictures from Thanksgiving weekend, but here's Isaac in his Dash costume. When I first put the mask on him, he immediately said, "Want it off!" But I asked him if he could just keep it on long enough to show mommy. He said that was OK. Once we showed everyone (including himself in the mirror), I went to take it off, and he said, "No! Want it on!"