It's Rosh Hashanah.

Those of my friends who celebrate, of course, have a good holiday and a happy new year. And those who don't, well, enjoy the next two days anyway. Any day is a good day for apples and honey :)

Interestingly, in a tangent from a conversation I'm having with leora right now, I'm quite impressed that the Kindergarten standards for Social Studies in NYC say that by the end of the year your average Kindergarten student should be able to "identify with his or her ethnic background" and there's something in there about being able to identify and enjoy ones traditional celebrations, food, stories, etc.

Perfectly correct, if you ask me - but I wonder, is this something common to most of the country? Or is it only common to areas like NYC, with high immigration?

Today was a magic day!

Ana had off for Rosh Hashanah, of course. So first we went to Manhattan to have lunch with her mom, and since it was the end of the lunch rush the waitress was more than happy to give the girls each a balloon from the display.

Then we walked to Central Park, we went to the Billy Johnson playground, and Ana - for the first time - was allowed to go to the slide while I stayed with her sister in the sandbox. It's a big playground, that's why I never allowed it before.

We got more balloons in the park. We got our faces painted - and mine was thrown in for free, yay! - and really, I think $10 for 3.5 facepaintings (Evangeline moved away from the painter and promptly smeared her picture, so she redid it for us) is more than reasonable. We saw the end of a show with juggling and the girls got to pay the man. And they paid the park musicians. And they paid the singers in the train. Can you say delighted?

We met up with my mom on the way home and played a new card game on the boat. Ana doesn't quite grasp it yet, but she will.

And except for some serious whining at the restaurant, their behavior was beautiful. A little hyper, but wonderful.

I told Ana that today is a "memory day", she'll remember it for years. Even if she doesn't, I sure will. What a happy day!

Oh, and happy Eid, by the way, to anybody who happens to celebrate it :)

I heard a new Belgian joke today, and just in time for the holiday!

I'm sure it exists outside of this poem, and with different nationalities slotted in where they belong, but I quote unaltered. Easier to just c+p, really.

In the Belgian Army, the feud
Between the Flemings and Walloons grew vicious,

So out of hand the army could barely function.
Finally one commander assembled his men
In one great room, to deal with things directly.

They stood before him at attention. "All Flemings,"
He ordered, "to the left wall." Half the men
Clustered to the left. "Now all Walloons," he ordered,

"Move to the right." An equal number crowded
Against the right wall. Only one man remained
At attention in the middle: "What are you, soldier?"

Saluting, the man said, "Sir, I am a Belgian."
"Why, that's astonishing, Corporal–what's your name?"
Saluting again, "Rabinowitz," he answered