Loping Labradors

Best piece of advice I was given in a long time, today.  From the school clerk in the annex office (catering to the 6th-8th graders, I think) Our sixth graders are like labrador puppies. All arms and legs akimbo, and not quite grown into their bodies and pretty harmless all around. It made so much sense. And also try8ng to impress each other, the other sex, anyone who will pay attention...
Puberty must also be a journey.  Some days I get the little boy who wants to tell me everything about everything and why this kid said this and how he thinks he's so kewl and how this one is a snitch.
And other days I get the sullen one syllable wonder who gets mad at me for trying to draw conversation out of him by asking questions he considers an interrogation.
I'm never quite sure who will show up and when and why.
Some nights he begs for me to tuck him in or stay so he can fall asleep clinging to my anrm for comfort or security or who knows what.
His upper lip is now permanently dusted with a faint smattering of a dark shadow that will not go away no matter how much he scrubs at it. And who knew I would have to remind him to keep his hands out of his pants so much. His legs have sprouted darker hair so I'm sure it's coming in other places, but I haven't seen any rogue chest or armpit hairs. Also, his poor genes have not gotten the memo that he needs to get taller to go along with the other changes.
Hanging on to the last vestiges of the baby I once knew, cradled, cuddled, but also learning to let him become the man he sometimes wants to be. This roller coaster keeps on rolling and we get to keep on enjoying the ride.
My oldest boybie. Forever young in my mind. Capturing the best of these moments to savor forever. His guffaws and giggles from his room when he gets alternately mad and joyful playing video games with his dad and the admonition to "go easy" on his brothers which ultimately results in one of the littler ones crying about how he is "going hard" on them.
These are the soundtracks of our evening and it is amazing and frustrating all at the same time.

English is hard

2 stories about my super 5.5 year olds
Ben turns into a superhero everytime he runs anywhere. :)
Daniel insists on volume control of the car radio. His most recent description is to lower up the music. He means to turn up the volume. So adorbs.

In case you were under the impression that English is an easy language to learn, let me put your fears to rest.  We were visiting the restrooms in a public place. They were clearly labeled as Men and Women. Daniel and I were discussing the two rooms
 He got that the mens room was for boys. And that the women's room was for girls, but he couldn't find the correct words on the signs. The Men's room didn't say boys and the Women's room had men as part of it's label. Why wasn't it the GIrls room so he could find a G or the Ladies room? So as a distraction I tried to point out the letters that he did know from his name. N E ... no go. The signs used all capital letters and he is used to writing and seeing his name with the capital D only. English is hard to learn. Even for a native speaker (or mother tongue - and there is a difference)

Jewish comfort food

Cholent hamin chunt dafina
Jonathan asked me to make cholent as I have here lately. I made a vegetarian version because Eran had made a beef flank dish already for the weekend and the chicken has not gone over well lately
SO yummy
What could be bad about potatoes that are cooked so long they melt and beans that soak up so much water they become mush?
So delish. I added some grated garlic as well as all the other spices and it was so garlic smelling that the whole house was filled with it. I guess the cooking of the meat usually drowns out some of the smell of the garlic. I can never keep myself out of the pot while it is cooking.

I just realized I cook in cycles. After the floods I prepared challah for us and other familes for several weeks in a row. Like maybe 6 or more.  I tweaked the recipe each time and it was never the same thing twice. Same with the cholent here latley. Tried it several ways and not quite sure what I like best. Just happy my kids actually ask me to make something these days.

Celebrating the half birthday for the twins which is apparently going to become a new tradition for our family because Daniel has latched on to the idea. Thanks mrs ortiz or as I refer to her Mary Poppins of Kindergarten , for trying to include the summer birthdays. I actually like it too because this way both twins feel like they are getting 2 birthday celebrations. Sounds like a win-win especially since I was able to give them leftover New Years noise makers and necklaces as favors first thing this morning as a happy half birthday surprise. Any excuse to celebrate. I think I like it, but really only for the twins which is not going to go over well for the needy middle child (at least here lately), Ms. Princess herself.  Hey, I'll be happy to celebrate her half birthday too if she wants to constantly remind me like Daniel did. Ben in his shy, reserved way enjoyed it too. He was smiling and enjoying it too.

morning funny

Conversation when I got home from radiation treatment went as follows:
After finding the kids hiding under a sheet on the couch and squeezing little lady, she asked "why do you smell so good?" Since I hadn't showered or put in deodorant (not ok for radiation therapy to ad anything to thr skin before treatment) Today was one of those days...the first time I forgot to go out in the world and put a scarf or t-shirt in my bra as a prosthetic. [TMI Alert: period cramping-can't catch a break, but it's better than premature menopause I guess] so the only thing I did was put a dollop of mousse in my hair to spike it a bit.
Yael: "why do you smell so good?"
"I put mousse in my hair", I answer.
"Mousse? Eeeewww! Ohhhhh..."
maybe you had to be there to hear the inflections and see the realization flash across her face.

Danielisms #354678

daniel is still awesome sauce.
more Danielisms:
Orange Sprite = Fanta Soda
Apple juice can refer to any boxed drink or pouch drink for lunches.


Tonight I asked Daniel to sing me a night night song. I fully expected him to sing me the Shema like I sing to him when he asks for a night night song. Boy was I surprised when he climbed in next to me and sang to me the following:
if you're happy and you know it go to sleep, if you're happy and you know it go to sleep, if you're hungry and you know it have a snack
if you're thirsty and you know it get a drink because water is healthy.
love that kid!

He still staunchly refuses whipped cream and shaving cream for that matter... But tonight the kids made red white and blue cakes with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries (with cousin elliot too - yay!). he made his cake for me and even used the whipped cream (such progress) and probably more than half the tub of blueberries on it.

Stay Calm for Rashi - Baseball Expository

Last night was double baseball games (at the same time) and I could have made myself crazy trying to satisfy both kids who were playing by running between the games. Since I arrived late, straight from work in my mid-calf grazing dress and flats, (at least I had spare shoes in my bag) I made sure that both kids knew I was there cheering them on. First the younger one (who's team has only won a game the time she missed) then the older one, who was on 2nd base when I cheered his name from the back fence loudly enough for him to turn around to see that I had seen his hit. I watched the younger one's game and when they lost, I was there to hug her and escort her to get her sno-cone, and see the end of her brother's game. Thankful that I was calm enough to recognize that she needed me more at that moment, and that we all got to celebrate the win of her brother's team together.
Then after hearing the re-cap and getting the sno-cone for the second game, I calmly pointed out that my car was the one parked the furthest from the concession stand. That statement went over like a lead balloon. "Why couldn't you have parked closer? Look at all these spots that are here now," they half-whined. Calmly, I explained that when I arrived, there were no spots available since there were so many games happening at the same time. Then I reminded them how happy I was that I still had 2 good legs to walk on to carry me across the road to get to my car, that I suddenly remembered was woefully low on gas.
As we loaded up our gear and ourselves into the car, and when I cranked the engine I said a silent prayer that the fumes left in the tank would carry me home to see my loves, the ones that would have made staying calm at the baseball fields a near impossibility - the ones who got bored easily, couldn't follow the games and needed constant attention.
So much to be thankful for.
(not the least of which is that Yoni finished his 2 days of STAAR writing exams today-Hallelujah!)

BDE אריק אינשטיין Arik Einstein

HaDassah Sabo Milner feeling sad

Arik Einstein passed away. Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

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  Simone Greenbaum ??

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  Esti Berkowitz He was grear!! Baruch Dayan Emes

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  Vered Albelda 

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Iris Levi

ברוך דיין האמת..
אריק אינשטיין הזמר העולמי..נפטריהיה זכרו ברוך...עצוב מאוד מאוד.

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• ‎מאיה סול לוי‎ and 7 others like this.
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  יהודית אסולין מסכן יהי זכרו ברוך

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  Sigalit Assor יאוו אני לא מאמינהההה

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  Sarit Saadia עצוב!!!

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  Beni Almalich אני ואתה כבר לא נשנה את העולם, אריק זמר ענק ענק ענק גדלתי על שיריו אהבתי את המוזיקה שלו, את כל מה שהוא עשה, זכרו נצח !!!!

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  Iris Levi נכון..גדלנו על שיריו..אחד הזמרים הגדולים...

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