4 is a magic number

Some see the future in coffee, some in numbers. 

Though i usually don't get numbers but do get coffee there is one time (ok maybe more than one time) in the year where some numbers must be involved.

For each and every of my birthday a very good friend of mine predict how my year will be like thanks to the magic of very basic mathematics, let me demonstrate with a little twist :

2010 = 2 + 0 + 1 + 0 = 3
3 = triangle
triangle = dilemma 

( we all know the song "bizarre love triangle")

and as you said Arielle "2010 has been quite the year..."

Now lets keep our geek on

2011 = 2 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 4
4 = square
square = IS GOOD, balanced. 

Tables to have friends around are square, books are (kinda) square... you got the picture.

NOW here is something else :

A square is two triangles.

SO Maybe 2011 will bring resolution for some of the dilemma 2010 brought.

Drum Roll...

so 1/1/11 came and went and the name of baby girl friedman norman was determined... or rather, her 4 names were announced!

**(just for a little background, jews traditionally name children after loved ones who have passed away.  additionally, us jewbies typically have jewish (hebrew or yiddish) names in addition to our "english" names...)**

so our baby is: Olive Betula / Zayit Shaindel

and now for the reasoning and symbolism behind these names:

(fyi my sister has been a crunchy tree-hugger since she was just about little Olive's size.)  

Olive is meant to be representative of the olive branch carried by the dove. this image of the dove holding the olive branch has been a symbol of peace for centuries.  

Betula means birch tree in latin.  the birch is a rather elegant, delicate, and sleek tree - so by combining olive and betula - your result is an elegant, delicate, peaceful soul... which is already evident in our little, delicious, strong, growing Oli-lolly!

now, Zach, my brother in law, recently lost his grandfather whose hebrew name was Zev.  Zach was very close with his "Opa"and chose a "Z" name for little Ol as a way to name the baby after his grandfather.  Zayit also means olive in hebrew so this first name was a winner all around!  

Shaindel was my grandma janet's hebrew (well, yiddish) name.  In yiddish "shaina maidel" means pretty little girl and shaindel is simply a conjunction of those two names.

I am so in love with our bitty Olive Betula, Zayit Shaindel and could not be more thrilled with her names... any of them!

**(shira and olive after the naming sitting in grandma janet's [the original shaindel's]rocking chair!)**

2011 kicked off with quite a bang! xxa

heading into a prime year...

2010 has been quite the year...


a year of love, learning, heartbreak, reflection, anger, growth, birth, and change...
unbelievable, remarkable change.


december was a little up-and-down on this end... but i have to tell you, what might've been a blue year-ending has completely flipped... right now, i feel like i'm living in the middle of a gorgeous fireworks show.  the old is falling down around me while the new and unknown is revving up bigger and brighter in the distance.


i cannot wait to kick of this new year on the farm with my entire family, brand new baby girl, and friends.  tomorrow, 1/1/11, will be the baby's naming which will be followed by yet another gigantic shindig on the farm...

so much to celebrate, so much to give thanks for.
SO SO SO much to look forward to!  

this will be a prime year... i can feel it!  
get ready, em, it's gonna be a great one!

farewell 2010.  2011's gonna be a doozy, can't wait!!!

LOVELOVELOVEa

love, laughter, and smizing...

baby-amazing-gorgeous-engle-friedman-norman-girl is part of a family that lives through love and laughter.  she is certainly an engle-friedman-norman as is evident by her squeaky little gurgly laugh, cuddliness, and natural "smizing" (please tell me you've watched at least 1 episode of America's Next Top Model).


here are some more pics of baby girl during her second day of life and the ceaselessly laughing, kissing, crying family she has been born into...

*a born riot... cracking grandpa up already!*

*A.N.T.M. watch out... i SMIZE in my sleep, yo*

*foxy little family*

*my daddy likes nipples. a lot.*

baby-rockstar-stunning-engle-friedman-norman!

em, meet baby girl norman - the youngest rockstar of all time... here are some pics of the stunner!!

(Zach, my brother in law, showing me shots from baby girl's first few moments!!)

(Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship) 

Today is December 28, 2010

and that means it is one of the best days of my life...


My one and only AMAZING, incomparable, fearless, warior-godess of a sister gave birth today (without a drop of medication or pain killers in her system!!) to a STUNNING, equally courageous 5lb 8oz baby girl.  We will not know the name of the baby (as is tradition in Jewish culture) until the formal baby-naming ceremony which will take place this Saturday at my parents' synagogue.  All are welcome to come, celebrate, laugh, drink, and eat... Em, I so wish you could be here!

***

My paradigm has shifted, my world has truly evolved.  It is a new day, a new lifetime, and what might have bogged me down or soiled my spirits yesterday is actually of a different era...


I can't quite describe it but I truly, wholly feel that this is a new world full of life, love, and adventures unknown!  Baby Girl Norman, I love you so and you've been here scarcely 13hrs!  Thank you for bringing your clarion pipes and your perfect head of thick black hair to this world.  You, too, have brought life's revival and an astonishing re-writing of my perspective's boundaries.  I cannot wait to hear more of what you have to say and see what becomes of you!  Tomorrow I'm going to set up your little nursery and tell everyone that I encounter (as I did already today) that I am a brand new auntie of a PERFECT baby girl!  Welcome to a long line of ball-busting, hard-headed, strong, giggly, loving, passionate, sensitive Engle, Friedman and Norman women.  I LOVE YOU and will now scurry to bed so as to see you that much sooner in the morning!

LOVELOVELOVEandLight to all on this remarkable day!  December 28, 2010

(em, will upload pics as soon as I have my computer back!!) xxa 

Simon says... NYtimes says.... what does Ari says ?

Ok so the NY times reviewed one of your local. I would love to hear what YOU think about it.


http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/reviewing-anella/?ref=dining


Food does look really good (so does the chef)