Sam all set for his first Passover Seder.
Passover began at sundown on Monday, so Uncle Mike and Aunt Susan opened their home to all of us as they hosted the first night seder. I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous about it. For any of my readers who don’t know, Pesach, or Passover, is the Jewish holiday and festival that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. It is celebrated with a ritual meal (I love how so many important holidays in Judaism revolve around food!) – the seder –  in which all the participants take turns reading from the Haggadah (the text of the seder). It’s a VERY important holiday to celebrate. It’s also about a three-hour-long meal. With a 10-year-old, a 7-year-old, and an almost 1-year-old. On a school night. An hour’s drive from home. Can you begin to see why I was nervous? I just knew that Sam would melt down, or the big boys would be hiding under the table, or something embarassing and catastrophic would happen that would be my fault or the kids’ fault.
As usual, I worried for no reason. Of course, Jacob and Caleb were incredibly well-behaved. They listened quietly when others read. They read along when we responsively read. They might have disappeared under the table a time or two, but it was to retrieve a lost napkin ring or a toy for Sam. They both read aloud – PERFECTLY (and this text has some big words, and some Hebrew words, and some big Hebrew words!) – when it was their turn.
–You’ll have to forgive me as I digress for a minute to brag on how well they both read. I’m just SO, SO proud of how well they both did. And this year was Caleb’s first year to read from the Haggadah! And, I don’t think it’s wrong to say that I’m not the only one who was impressed with Caleb’s reading. :)–
Now, back to why I worried for no reason. The big boys were pretty much perfect, as usual. Sam, too, was on a roll. He was happy and charming. He ate his food during our readings (thank you, again, Sara and Erin, for letting us borrow the portable high chair!), and happily played with a shape sorter that Aunt Susan thankfully supplied (he had quickly decided the books and quieter toys Mommy brought to the table were just not going to cut it) while the rest of us ate. He played peekaboo with Grandpa Daneman, and shared his shapes with Daddy and Grandpa.
The food and ambiance were fabulous, as always. I know Mike and Susan always put a lot of work into these family dinners, and Pesach is even more work than a regular Daneman family gathering. I know other family members also contributed to the food, flowers, and other touches, so a heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to all of you. We really had a wonderful time Monday night, and the long drive and late night were WELL worth it. Happy Passover, y’all!
