How is it almost Sunday?

It was just Tuesday, as we were madly prepping for Kol Nidre (erev, evening of Yom Kippur).  Then it was the longest and most fulfilling Yom Kippur I've ever experienced, starting by getting to temple at 7:30am to prep all the children's programming.  Then being on the bima for all the afternoon and evening services.  Then oneg, the reception.  Then break the fast at a congregant's house.  We got home around 9. It was insane.

Then Thursday, the day after Yom Kippur, possibly the most relaxing day in the rabbinate.  I didn't check my phone or computer once!

Then Friday, which was like a Monday.... everyone had saved up their "Judaism questions" all week, and we got slammed.

(That was also the night Ari decided not to sleep.  Like, just not sleep from 11 to 12pm, then 1 to 4:30am.  He screamed instead.  Fun fun.)

Then today was a Bar Mitzvah.

And tomorrow's religious school.

I blinked... and the week went by.


But I did manage to catch a few things as the days blurred in front of my eyes:

-  Xander decided to see what Creole spice tasted like.  So he opened up the spice container and poured it into his mouth. "Mommy.  MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  If he was a cartoon character, flame would have been pouring out of his ears.

- I still like David Tennant more than Matt Smith on Dr. Who.

- Ari's still teething.  Horribly.  Much worse than Xander ever did.

- I got an invitation to be interviewed for a newspaper article on Mattoon, but missed the deadline because of YK.  You should read it though - my last pulpit is now the smallest congregation in the nation.

- Our pre-fab sukkah arrived from The Sukkah Project.  The boxes look very intimidating.  We put it together tomorrow.

And that's that... off to prep for tomorrow!

Fairy Tale Town

Sacramento has some really cool little kid stuff.  Last week, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah when we all had off, we went to Fairy Tale Town with some friends.

Pirate Face on the Pirate Ship.

Ahoy mateys! 

 Focused on aiming the cannon.

 Steering to... he made up a name for it, I forget where it was.

 Post-nap "let me out of this stroller, people!"

 Xander, Shoshie, myself, posing on the big blue bunny.

Trying out the turtle.

 A train!

 Tunnel bliss.

 The next time, he and Shoshie had to go down together.

 The full slide experience was thwarted by his brother.

 Getting a closer look at the chickens.

 Holding on for dear life... this slide was really tall.

SO COOL.

Dads riding the huuuuuge teeter-totter.  Moms were at the other end with the other kids.

 Note the slide train they've got goin' on.

 This chicken perplexed us.  It was pure white.  And fluffy.  I wanted to "baaa" at it.

 The "underground" tunnel.  Ari was amused here for 20 minutes, climbing up it and then sliding down again.

Getting eaten by the hippo, oh no!

I love play dates with lots of running around.  Not only are they fun at the time, but they also - and equally importantly - ensure great naps!

Conversations with the kids

Overheard as I walked in from work today:
"Ari, don't throw that plane, you'll hurt someone... don't throw it!"
<BANG>
"Ari, we don't throw things that are hard."
<Ari looks at Jonathan's face and starts to cry>
"Ari, there's no need to cry.  It's called constructive criticism.  And you're gonna need to learn to take it without being upset, because that's how you learn to be a better person.  There are other ways to deal with conflict besides violence.  You need to learn to use your words."

I raise my eyebrows at Jonathan.  He shrugs his shoulders. "Well, he'll never learn if I don't explain, right?"




Talking about what Xander learned in K'tonton, the parent-child religious school program he and Jonathan attended:
"So what made the pinwheel blow?"
"God!  God created everything that's beautiful.  He used magic."
"Well, is God a man?  Do we know that?"
"God's... God.  She's invisible!"

10 things I didn't learn in rabbinical school

1) The days in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not a break.  They're a mad scramble to plan the programming for Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

2)  Always wear flat shoes when officiating at a funeral, because heeled shoes sink into the soft earth as you're on way to the graveside.

3) Minhagim, customs, during services vary wildly.  Congregations don't just sing at different tunes, they stand up and sit down and bow and face the ark at completely different times.

4) Writing a eulogy is exactly like writing a sermon, but the subject is the person's life.

5) Board meetings always involve food.  Lots of food.  At least where I am.  (And to think, I had been dreading them!)

6) Telling the teenage boys in Confirmation class of one's geekiness (i.e. that we host a regular D&D game) elevates one's status immeasurably.

7) Closely related to the above, congregations mean lots of active, involved, mensch-like teenagers.  This means built-in babysitters.

8) Rabbis get up earlier on weekends than they do on weekdays!  I suppose this makes sense (nobody cares when you get in on Wednesday, as opposed to services/religious school), but it's still very very strange.

9) Okay, I'm tired. I can't think of a #9.

10)  Yeah, this one's not coming any easier either.  But "8 things I didn't learn in rabbinical school" just doesn't have that same ring...

Our Pirate King

It all started with select segments of Pirates of the Caribbean.  It has now expanded to 1960's The Boy and the Pirates, and 1982's The Pirate Movie.  

The video game of choice is LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean.  The CD in the car is Disney's Swashbuckling Sea Songs.  

Today Xander told me that his full name was "Alexander Loving Captain Jack Sparrow."

Unless, of course, it's "Alexander Loving Captain Jack Sparrow Butterfly."  Because what pirate is worth his salt without wings?!

Rosh Hashanah by the numbers

4 temple children's programs running simultaneously, successfully
6 minutes spent in services today, because of running said programs
8 big cartons of apple slices and 3 containers of honey eaten (by temple kids)
2 birthday cakes of the world decorated and devoured (by temple kids)
1 caramel apple eaten (by me)
1 storybook read (twice) to different kids (by me)
1 husband (mine) who took care of cranky toddler (ours)
1 three-year old who burst into tears when he wasn't first at blowing the shofar (guess who)
1 birthday card of the world presented to me, made by first-grader
1 request by first-grader to "please bring my card closer to God"
1 rabbi who melted in sheer adorableness when receiving said card
4 loaves of bread donated to the geese at tashlich
countless renditions sung of "Apples and Honey at Rosh Hashanah" (make it stop!!!!)
2 children (mine) covered in markers and dirt (from art and the playground, respectively)
1 pair of shoes kicked off the moment they crossed the threshold of our house

Pre-Rosh Hashanah relaxation

Click here to see me fold laundry and the kids play the game that Xander dubbed "Fall"

Hanging out at home

Simcha accompanying us on our bike ride

And I like Ari's card from school a few days ago: "Today, I.... said 'mine' when one of my friends tried to take the stroller I was playing with.  [Teacher] Jenn was so happy!  I also got a ball that was under the picnic table by moving the table.  I'm a great problem solver!"

The playlist of our lives

Thinking about leading Tot Shabbat this evening (service for little kids), I asked Xander if he had any requests for what we should sing.

He was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"Bim Bom, ABCs, Alef Bet Vet, and It's a Pirate's Life for Me," he said slowly.  "Those are the best ones."

Yes, they are, child.  I will do my best. :)

Self-sabotage 101

Xander came into our room at 6am this morning in search of a Kleenex.  The box by our bed was empty (I suspect Ari, who likes to pull them out of the box.)  In a grumpy, sleepy state, I told Xander to wipe his nose on the bottom of his PJs and we would wash his PJs later that day.

Yeah.  For future reference?  Don't do that.

Today is picture day at the boys' school.  Jonathan wrestled with both of them to make sure they were in the cute outfits we picked out.  But then Xander ate grapes for breakfast... and needed to wipe his mouth.  "Go wipe it yourself," I told him, pointing to the kitchen sink where he washes. off. his. face. himself.  every. single. day.

So he did.  Exactly as I had instructed him earlier that day.  He grabbed his pristine white shirt, brought it to his mouth, and began to wipe.

Sigh.

No one to blame but myself.

Gold Rush Day

Last weekend, on Labor Day, we went to the Gold Rush recreation at Old Sac.  I'm short on time tonight, so the tale shall be told through photos:

 All of Old Sacramento was transformed.

 Old-time bowling.

 He SCORES!

 Give us the vote!

That bullwhip was LOUD.

 Mesmerized (and yes, Xander is wearing his "pirate ponytail.")

 There were gunfights every half hour on this corner.

 The sheriff and his men won out.

 Posing with two Native Americans.

 Learning to play croquet at the children's area.  They had tons of period-appropriate toys.

 Putting a ball through a hoop is harder than it looks...

 I forget the name of this game, but it involved moving your hands out at the same time so that the ring flew off the sticks, and then the other player tried to catch it.

 The moment he figured out how it worked.

 Some rich businessmen in the Wild West.

 Native American tribal dance.

 In front of the Pony Express area (this was word-for-word a real sign).

 Showing us how ladies rode sidesaddle.

She dismounted so we could see the saddle itself.  Weird!

Lunch was a mom-and-pop Italian joint next to the bowling area.  The kiddos were enthralled by the 1980s arcade games.

The only bad part about the day was that we had to skip panning for gold because it was naptime.  And then they never did nap! Instead, they were so exhausted they were wired for sound.  At least they went to bed early!

First day

It was a FANTASTIC first day of religious school, if I may say so myself.  The kids had fun, the parents were smiling, and there were no major glitches.

The only difficult part came in the morning, before I even left the house.  As I was getting my stuff together to head out the door, I heard meowing.  I opened the door to let Simcha in, and who came in instead?  An injured bird, fleeing from Simcha the mighty hunter, who was obviously trying to finish it off so he could properly leave it on our doorstep.

You've never lived until you've had the "why do creatures die and what happens at death" talk with a near-4-year old spontaneously at 7:30 in the morning.

Cute things

1) Sebastian, the five-week old baby of Megan and Matthew.  Megan is one of my old college roommates, and she and Matthew stayed with us for a day and night on their way to the Bay area from Portland.  His adorable-ness almost gave me baby fever.  Almost.

2) The icons at this site, totally made for people like us: Sac Geeks unite!

3) Xander last night, sobbing hysterically because of a mistake.  I mentioned to Jonathan that I was going to call my mom on her home phone (not her cell), because she was at her house.  "She's home?" he asked.  "Yep," I said, and I moved toward my phone to call her.  But my phone happened to be our entry hall table, near the front door.  Xander saw me move toward the front of the house, RACED forward with lightning speed, and jerked the door open.  But no one was there.  He looked at me, confused, thinking that Bubby was supposed to be standing outside and was now missing. "Aww, honey, she's at her home, not our home," I said.  He burst into tears.

4) The fact that life doesn't change, whether it's school or work.  At school, crunch time is December and May, for finals.  At work, finals is NOW.  Religious school starts Sunday.  Rosh Hashanah is on the 16th.  Cue the late hours.

5) Ari's communication.  Tonight after closing the last page of the 100 Machines book, Ari opened it back to the beginning and looked up at me.  "Uh?" he asked.  "Nooo!" I groaned.  "Can't we pick another book??"  "Uh?" he said again, cutely, and then he made the sign for "thank you."  I couldn't resist.  We read about tractors and excavators yet again.

Laughing laughing laughing

From http://thehonesttoddler.com/im-sorry/

The Honest Toddler

Juice. Crackers. TV.

I’m Sorry

Look mom. I can tell from the way you haven’t looked me in the eye since fetching me from my crib well before dawn that you’re upset about last night. Waking up every 45 minutes to 1.5 hours isn’t easy for me either.

In my defense, my blanket really did keep coming off, I wasthirsty, and…I can’t remember the other reasons, but I’m sure they were equally valid.

There was at least one nightmare. I was in a strange house. I knew it wasn’t ours because the dishes were washed and your hair wasn’t everywhere.

I do want to thank you for bringing back the 3AM milk that you worked so hard to get me off of. It was delicious and instrumental in helping me wake up soaked in urine at around 4. Can’t wait to have it again forever.

You seem tired and short tempered this morning which is why I felt more comfortable writing this than having a face-to-face. Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee? While you’re up please bring me a sippy cup of juice and some unbroken crackers. Oh that’s right. We don’t have crackers… I recall you saying that around 1:15. That’s OK. Why keep the house stocked with my favorite foods? I’m sure we have two kinds of wine though. But that’s fine.

Anyway I wanted to thank you for changing my pajamas and throwing that towel down on my pee pee sheets. I noticed you didn’t open your eyes once (weird). It’s also OK that you didn’t actually change my sheets. I find the faint smell of ammonia comforting. Love means doing things halfway.

I mean, I know another mother or a grandma might have removed the soiled sheets and replaced them with freshly laundered ones but you just do you.

There is something I did want to discuss now that I have your attention. It’s none of my business what goes on between you and father after I go to bed but if you could just throw on a robe before coming into my room, that’d be awesome. I think you should definitely rock what you’ve got but angry nude lumbering zombie isn’t your best look. I want to be honest.

This seems like as good a time as any to bring up the possibility of reintroducing cosleeping. I can’t promise I won’t judo kick you to the face like I used to but at least one of us will get a good night’s sleep and isn’t that what matters?

Anyway. I hope this note brings you some comfort. You really do look awful. Maybe you’d feel better if you made us some breakfast?

love and hugs,

your HT

Butterfly pirate

A few days ago the emphasis was more on the butterfly part than the pirate.

SOO happy with Bubby's gift.

 Fly, butterfly Xander, fly!

Reading a story before nap.