Keep It Local: National Menorah Lighting

Our Hanukkah is off to a good start this year. After realizing on Friday afternoon that first night was actually on Saturday (not Sunday like she thought), mom whipped home, dug out our three menorahs, rigged some candles, and rapidly wrapped our first night presents. But, she's on a roll now. Last night we attended the lighting of the National Menorah across from the White House. And, even better, our good buddies from Kaleidoscoping Chaos got there first and snagged some first row seats for all of us! It was a nice event -- great music, thoughtful stories and comments, and piping hot latkes and donuts. Oh wait, we didn't get any latkes or donuts. Because after standing in line freezing my tuchus off for fifteen minutes, Cam threw a fit about her thumbs fitting in her mittens (to be clear, the thumb was where it should be, snug in it's own little part -- that just wasn't what she wanted) and we had to jet.

No worries. We set off on a family race to Eli's Restaurant in Dupont from which we regularly order some pretty bomb-A matzo ball soup. A short while later, we had scarffed down latkes, a bowl of pickles, challah french toast and scrambled eggs (you know what's better than brinner? Hannukah brinner) and mom and dad sufficiently split a triple decker Monument sandwich. We were stuffed and ready for our race back to the car.

And even though I protested my Hanukkah gift last night (tzedakah money to give to a charity of my choice - I chose school until I realized that that was all the gift I was getting last night. Cam chose "for animals"), I think the holidays are starting to look up.