Happy Passover

Chag Sameach, everyone. Happy Holidays.

We had our second night seder tonight. It was a small, short affair with just the immediate family...plus about five stuffed animal and dolls that my sons set up on the other end of the table with a children's Haggadah propped on one of the doll's laps. Just a typical dinner in our house.

We went to a family friend's house for the first night seder up in South Bend. We haven't seen most of them since last year at Pesach, so it was great to see them all again. Of course, by the end of the seder, we're all getting punchy. After the seder meal as we were nearing the hallel (songs of praise near the end of the seder), after everyone was questioning whether they should have had that last macaroon or piece of chocolate torte, as everyone was calculating the number of pages left in the Haggadah, I said...just loudly enough for my side of the table to hear... "if you roll doubles three times, you have to go back to page 26." Everyone thought it was pretty funny. Or maybe it was the fourth cup of wine kicking in.

Micah sang the Four Questions this year and did an outstanding bang-up job. I was so proud. Older brother Omri had to do them for a couple of years before Micah was old enough, and I'm sure he's happy to pass on the torch. Of course, my friend Rafi, who is about seven years my junior, had to say the Four Questions for 26 years straight until Omri finally took it over from him. I remember when Omri first recited the Four Questions at the seder. Everybody was very impressed. Rafi was ecstatic.

Yes, Pesach is a time to be thankful. I'm mostly thankful that my weigh-in day for the Biggest Loser contest was one day BEFORE the first night of Pesach. This is definitely NOT the holiday to try to lose weight. I think Jews are single-handedly supporting the egg industry this week. I love reading recipes for Pesadic (kosher for Passover) sponge cakes that start with 9 eggs. Yeaaaahhh! Now, that's a celebration!

It might be time to get my cholesterol level checked soon. But not for another week. And then it's back to eating water.