HELLO EVERYBODY!!

My name is Shalom Hayim Duker. You can call me Hayim.	My name is Tikva Haya Duker. You can call me Tikva.

Welcome to our web page!

Friends and relations: finding common ground

The first pictures of this section are from our summer trip to America. Since we weren't always in such camera-friendly moods, we didn't get pictures with all the relatives we met, but we want them to know that we still have happy memories of seeing them, so we'll just list the unpictured all real quick: Saba Stanley and Zayda (Bubby and Savta appear in later chapters), Zaidy Melvin, Uncle Mark, Doda Karen, Michael, Shelley, Uncle Mike, Aunt Varda, Uncle Jon, Aunt Susan, Uncle Ezra, Aunt Gila. We also met lots of new friends, most of them Ema and Abba's age but some closer to our own... too many to list; we love you all anyway.

August 14 Noah, Yaakov Moshe, Esther Basya, and I found common ground with Tinkertoys and Legos Shira Chaya and I found common ground in being two months old. Here is S.C. with her Tatty, Uncle Gershon

Great-Grannies Bubby Selma and Babi found common ground in being impressed by my charms August 15

Tani and I found common ground on Uncle David's lap August 26

Josh and Elianna found common ground in being on their way to bed when we came to visit. Here's them several months later January 2003

The Engels found common ground with us in two countries this summer- first in America and then in Israel August 10

Erev Shabbos- Avraham Yeshaya and I found a common outfit November 15

The Knesset is not a place for finding common ground, especially during elections, but we had fun doing abridged tourism with Shira at Mini-Israel. (Except when I innocently started to play with some rocks and Ema dragged me away saying, "Hayim, don't touch the mini-archaeological excavations!") December 30

Hayim and Tikva find common ground in enjoying Elie and Aviva's visits! February 4

We and Tziona find common ground in wishing she was in school less so she could also visit as often. But she's busy in 8th grade. This is what she looks like anyway February

Field trip: Keftzuba

On Bubby's visit she brought us, for a treat, to Keftzuba, a place where they have trampolines and a petting zoo and lotsa other fun stuff. (December 13- AY with short hair and Hayim's still long!)

Everybody bounce- you too, Tikva!

Avraham Yeshaya chauffeurs Meira and Miriam on a passenger-tricycle Bubby rides with Hayim... who's having more fun??

Hayim, Avraham Yeshaya, and Meira. I'm the one who's too little for the bumper cars

Bad pictures of Hayim

August 10	August 27	October 31	November 13
Surly (Wanna make somethin' of it?)	Swollen cheek (mosquito, not bar brawl)	Shaggy (clips squelch my spirit)	Peppy (about my pepper)

Events

My first meal: rice cereal. I sit nicely in the high-chair and this is how they repay me?! October 6

I was very proud of myself in this picture because I had just crawled backwards halfway across the room for the first time! October 22

We guess this is like a second annual 7th-night- of-Hanukah picture (Reference: first annual) December 5

23 Shvat - January 26: I turned 3 so I finally got my hair cut! We went up to Meron for the big event. Savta and Babi came in from America! Nachshon's 3rd birthday was just 2 days earlier so we went to Meron all together and got our haircuts at the same time. Everyone got to snip my hair a bit (there was sure enough to go around) but Nachshon's Abba did the main cutting. What a nice job he did!

Here's my "after picture" back at home! Ema showed me this picture and asked what I thought of my haircut, and I said, "Hayim's holding a tangerine and a banna!" Ema took that as a good sign.

Oh and meanwhile I learned how to crawl forward too, and patchy-patchy (patty-cake), and how to stand holding on, and how to wave bye-bye, and how to pull myself up to stand. *grin* I'm so pleased! February 20

Then here's what I did for the first time on March 16 (Ema and Abba's anniversary): I stood up for half a second without holding on!

Purim! (March 18)

We got dressed up for Purim! I was a bunny! I was a carrot! Well, you didn't look like a carrot. What did I look like then?! Maybe one of those prison inmates who picks up litter on the side of the highway. Silly, see the costume is pointy. Of course it's a carrot. Well, you should've worn your hat, so we could see the carrot top with the leaves! Instead, Abba is the only one who would wear it. I guess I just look like a carrot whose top had been bitten off by a certain bunny!

Days with Hayim and Tikva

August 20 August 8

August 23 August 28

November 19 September 6

Tikva fashion show

The sleeveless, backless sundress... a playful, flirty choice; perfect for a walk along the beach on a summer afternoon. (But *not* for grocery-shopping in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet) August 18

Ema's kinda girl: happiest in denim August 20, August 26, December 2

This extremely orange number features the combination (unique, in fashion) of bell-bottoms and math. As the shirt teaches: (flower) + (heart) = flower & heart How educational October 10

This hand-me-down from Hayim is as tasty as ever November 7

Speaking of cryptic clothing: This t-shirt shows a helicopter piloted by a cat. According to the shirt, this is "Ciao Ciao The Magic Kitten". There is also a seal: "Mister Tummy's Funny Club." The name of the company that makes the shirt is Mitz Petel which means raspberry juice. The only explanation: spy codes. Everyone knows I have a contact at the Pentagon... Hmmm November 10

Just plain pretty. It even matches one of the rings on the rattle. November 14

Headin' for the slopes November 27

Eveningwear December 12

Links and Excursuses (okay we admit we don't know what that means)