A Minecrafter and Festigal

Benjo was turning 10. In recent years I have shown him swimming and playing basketball on his birthday cards. This year his mum told me that he is very into Minecraft. She sent me a screenshot of a Minecraft world he has created and asked me if I could somehow include it on his card.

My boys never really got into Minecraft, so I know very little about it. I searched Minecraft tools and learnt that they include axes, pickaxes, shears, shovels, hoes, flint and steel. I decided to show Benjo with a pickaxe in one hand and a fire torch, used to light your way when you are mining underground, in the other. Next to him is a Creeper, the Minecraft monster which resembles a snake in appearance. Instead of slithering or crawling, however, they tend to "bounce" in the air! I added some blocks, the basic units of structure in Minecraft that can be directly placed in the game world, along with a shovel. Finally, I added a big number 10 to mark Benjo's age.

Mum told me that "Benjo LOVED LOVED LOVED his card!!!". She sent me these fabulous photos, telling me that he opened the card so quickly and was so excited that she almost missed photographing it!

Last year I showed Ma'ayan surrounded by balloons and flowers on her birthday card. Now she's into Festigal, the annual Israeli song and dance musical show for children which is held every year at Chanukah time. The show includes performances by well-known Israeli singers and actors. The pop star Noa Kirel, who seems to be a firm favourite of Ma'ayanei's, has appeared a couple of times. I have shown Ma'ayan posing in her orange and black Noa Kirel fancy dress costume. Apparently the photo showing her wearing it is one of Ma'ayan's favourites.  A big number 9 marks her age.

"Amazing as always!" her dad wrote to me.

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