Summer activities?

OK, readers, it's your turn to help me! I know that there are a lot of Jewish summer camps available, but with few holidays - most of them somber - until Rosh Hashanah, what do you do to keep your kids in touch with all things Jewish? Honestly, with a newborn, just lighting Shabbat candles without having the older son knock them over seems like an accomplishment. But I'm wondering what others do over the summer... Please let me know your ideas.

Mommy & Me at Chabad

There are only 2 sessions left of the Mommy & Me program at Chabad - May 27 and June 3. The program is suited for children from birth to 3 years and is held on Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15 at the Gan Israel Preschool (3939 Prince William Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031). The fee is $6 per class. For more information, call 703-426-1980 or email.

A Morning at "Spa J"

And speaking about moms...Take time out of your busy day to relax at the "J" on Sunday June 6 at 9:30 am. If you are a mom on the go, treat yourself to some relaxation and pampering. From skincare and hairstyle trends to makeup tips and other relaxing activities, you won't want to miss this morning just for you. Hair, makeup, skin care and nail specialists will be available to provide mini-makeovers, suggest color or style alternatives based on your face shape and coloring, and show you how to look your best in the short time you have to get yourself out of the house in the morning. Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP by Monday, May 31 to 703-323-0880 or drop the form off at the JCCNV. Online registration should be available soon. Cost: $18 per person

Our simchah

We are pleased to announce the birth of our son, Jeremy, on May 4th. He didn't hold out for my birthday (today), which is Yom Yerushalayim both this year and the year I was born, but truly, I am glad he didn't wait. Ooh - I'll have to update the photo. It is so amazing, if tiring, to grow a family... Mazal tov and yashar koach to all the other new moms out there. I know there are plenty!

Fun at the Israel Street Festival

Yashar koach to everyone who helped put together the Israel Street Festival today at Fairfax Corner. We were there for hours and had a great time. The entertainment was great, food was tasty (as my husband points out, it's always a treat to have kosher meat so close to home), and my son had a fantastic time with the many kids' activities as well as checking out the Magen David Adom ambulance. It was not the baby's first outing... still waiting on his arrival. (Yes, you can tell from the time I'm posting this that we did not stay to see the closing movie of the Film Festival - "Circumcise Me." Since we have one planned for the very near future, it seemed kind of a strange fit right now!)

Israel Street Festival - May 2

Come celebrate Israel's Independence Day at Fairfax Corner (off Monument Drive) from 1-5 pm on Sunday May 2. There will be food, entertainment, face painting, and dancing, among other fun activities. There will be performances at 2 and 3:45 and perhaps a few others, too. It should be fun for all ages. Let's hope the weather is nice.

We may not be there - there's this upcoming birth to think about! Maybe it'll be the baby's first outing, who knows?

The Washington Nationals Jewish Community Day - April 18

I will admit that we used to attend a lot more baseball games than we do now (in fact, we were married after batting practice and before a Bowie Baysox game at PG Stadium - see here for photos), but we still love them! So I was excited to come across information about this coming Sunday's Nats game. It's Jewish Community Day at the ballpark. Here's how the website describes it:

"Working with the American Friends of Lubavitch, The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Nationals are able to offer Upper Right Field Terrace Seats for $7, Scoreboard Pavilion Seats for $18, Mezzanine Seats for $25 and LF/RF Corner Seats for $36. For Jewish Community Day, tickets in most areas are being offered at discounted prices. These seats will be reserved through April 17th... so make sure to get them soon! Game time is 1:35 p.m., but be sure to stop by the Nationals Park Kosher Stand pregame to enjoy specially prepared Jewish cuisine."

Get out your Nats jerseys (you have one, right?), wear your baseball caps with "Nationals" in Hebrew (yeah, I have one!), and dig out your sunscreen. Hop on the metro and enjoy the game!