Ari-ism, by Jan

Here's an Ari quote!

He turns two on Thursday. When I told him that I was going to go to the airport soon and that I would have to go bye-bye on the airplane, he scowled, looked me directly in the eye, and very clearly responded, "No Bubby bye-bye! No Bubby bye-bye!"

I could feel my heart melting.

Today's Xanderism....by Jan

When Michal asked our resident four year-old if he would like it if she or Daddy or Bubby would got outside to play in the sandbox with him, he responded, "I'll take any grown up I can get."

Peek-a-boo!

Who's there under that blanket?!

Pop goes the weasel!

A real book!

Well, it took over three weeks, but I actually finished a (gasp) real, meaty, hardcore historical biography!  Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie was very interesting, all 672 pages of it (hence how long it took... most days I only read 15-20 minutes a night before bed).  Massie has a knack for recreating people's innermost thoughts and feelings from journal entries, letters, and writings.

I learned so much about Catherine, the history of Russia and Europe in the 18th century, the assumptions of royalty, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, the prevalence of love affairs among the nobility, the attitude toward children... I could go on.  It was quite a read, and it's inspired me to do much extra research on that time period.  I'm pretty good at ancient history, but the 18th century has always been a bit of a blur, especially how all the countries related to each other.  Like, did you know that Great Britain appealed to Russia asking for tens of thousands of Russian soldiers to help put down that pesky Revolution in their overseas colonies?  Or that Catherine the Great was in close contact with Voltaire, and wanted to abolish serfdom in her land based on his writings?  Or that she, Frederick II of Prussia, and Maria Theresa of Austria were all related by marriage?  No matter that everyone was an-law to each other, alliances kept changing at the drop of a hat.

Fascinating stuff... thank you, Jonathan, for the Hanukkah present!  I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.  As for anyone else, if history is your cup of tea, I highly recommend it.  I'm going to search out some of Massie's other books; apparently his Peter the Great won a Pulitzer Prize.

Our little scientist

(written by Jonathan)

I know that every parent thinks their kid is a genius but seriously, Xander really impresses me sometimes.  He often shows me he's as bright as he is determined.  For example, one day last week I thought it important to teach Xander about the historically important movie "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise.  Now, I only played the scenes that had fighter jets flying, because as bright as he is, he's still a 4 year-old boy.  For those of you who haven't seen "Top Gun," most of the exciting scenes involve fighter jets training with each other, doing amazing high-speed maneuvers.  Xander LOVES anything that flies and was enthralled.  But in the last fighter jet scene the hero, Maverick (Tom Cruise), and his wing man Ice Man (played by Val Kilmer) encounter real enemy Mig fighter jets and have to put their hard-won training to the test.  At one point during the dog fight Tom Cruise fires a missile at an enemy Mig which blows the Mig's right wing off, making it tumble out of the sky.  The pilot parachuted out immediately.

"Daddy, Daddy..." Xander said to me, so I paused the movie.

"What's up, Xander?"

"The missile blew up the planes' wing!" he replied.

"Yes, it did," I said, wondering where this was going.

Xander continued, "Well, it can't fly after that because without a wing there can't be any air flowing over the wing, and that makes it lift, and that's how planes fly so now it can't fly!"

I froze, looking at him.  Replaying his words in my head to make sure I heard it right.  After what seemed a very long awkward silence on my part, I said, "Yes...Yes, that's right, Xander.  The plane can't fly without wings and air flowing over them.  That was a very good explanation on why that fighter jet can't fly anymore.  Good work, Xander!"

I thought I was just showing him an exciting fighter jet movie, but he was seeing a physics experiment in action.

"Happy Mommy," "Happy Mommy!"

That's Ari's refrain the past week, his version of singing "Happy Birthday to Mommy."

We have also sung "Happy Daddy" and "Happy Xander."

"Happy Ari" is the only one he doesn't seem to like, and his birthday is next!

Xander teaches Ari manners

(written by Jonathan)

I believe it was mentioned in an earlier post that Ari has somehow confused the meaning of "thank you" and "you're welcome."  The other night during dinner, Xander thought to share a piece of his dinner with his brother and decided to address the issue:

Xander (handing him some chicken): "Here you go, Ari."

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander: "No Ari, when I give you something, you say 'Thank you.'"

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander:  "ARI, you are supposed to say 'Thank you.'"

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander: "No!  Ari, you say 'Thank you!'"

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander: "NO!  ARI!  Say THANK YOU!"

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander: "NO!  SAY THANK YOU!!!!"

Ari: "Elcome!"

Xander: "ARG!!!  NO ARI, THAT'S NOT RIGHT!!  SAY THANK YOU!!!!"

Ari: "Elcome!"

At this point I intervened because Xander started to clutch his fork menacingly.   

March 12th. A good day. Oh yes, and kid pics.

So my birthday was awesome today.  They gave me a surprise party at work, complete with cake (!), people wished me happy birthday all day, and my Facebook page near exploded with well wishes.  I feel so loved. :)

And as for the rest of the family....

Ari at school.

 Xander working hard on his kiddush cup at the Chocolate seder.  

 Mom and I in the three hours we spent together when I was at CCAR in Long Beach.

Bathtime fun

Wet happy boys.

Showing Ari how the water falls from the boat.

How the lion got his "roar"

Once upon a time in 2012, there was a 30ish year old girl.

She wanted to get the boy she loved a Hanukkah gift.

So she asked her eldest son what they should make.

Her son said, "Let's make him a lion!  He loves lions!"

So together they went in search of a lion that they could make.

The girl found a 3-D lion puzzle that she and her son could make together.  The son would paint it, and the girl would put it together.  It would be perfect!

Exhibit A: Front cover of lion puzzle.

So the girl and her son went about decorating the puzzle. There were four flat wooden sheets, and each sheet was punched so that individual pieces could be popped out.  The son diligently painted four sides of the puzzle one night, and then left them to dry.  A couple nights later, he diligently painted another three sides.  Then he got tired and colored the last one in with marker.

He was proud.

He decorated the lion!

Then it was the girl's turn.  She was to put the lion together.

She felt very much like a girl, and not a woman.

Because....

SHE WAS STUCK.

Exhibit B:  Why the girl was stuck.

The girl tried and tried.  It did not work.  

Hanukkah was one night away.  She kept trying.

It was the 1st night.  She kept trying.

The 3rd night.  She kept trying.

The 7th night.  She gave up.

In desperation the girl asked the boy, "Please can you put this $%&* puzzle together?!  Your son worked very hard on decorating it for you and I can't seem to make it work.  I get stuck at step 2."

The boy laughed.  "Sure," he said.

He tried to put the puzzle together.

He, too, failed miserably.

The boy and the girl were sad.

The flat sheets that-were-not-a-lion sat on the girl's desk.  

Hanukkah ended.

December ended.

January ended.

The son completely forgot about the lion.

Then the boy had an idea.  "Let's send it to your dad!"  he cried out.  "He's a mechanical engineer.  If anyone can figure out this lion, he can."

"But... he lives in Israel," the girl said in confusion.

"So what?  It's not like we're doing anything with it here.  If you pack it up, I'll mail it out to him."

So she did.  And so he did.

And less than three weeks later, a package arrived in the mail.  It contained a note.

Exhibit C: The note.

The girl's dad had put together the lion one day when he was home sick!  It took him three hours to do it.  

(And he later explained over the phone that it would have been much quicker except that Step 1 of the instructions were wrong.  So he ignored the instructions completely and did it "by instinct."  The girl possesses no such instincts.  Whatsoever.  In her entire body.)

The girl's dad also sent Israeli chocolate in the package. :)

And finally, the boy had his Hanukkah lion.  In March.

Exhibit D: Boy and his lion!

And this, my friends, is the story of how the lion got his "roar."

ROAR!

Back from CCAR

The annual Central Conference for American Rabbis convention was held in Long Beach this year!  I spent three days with my colleagues learning and laughing, and had a great time.  On the last day Mom picked me up and we went back to my childhood home to see the changes she'd made since last I was there, then she took me to the airport.

When I called Jonathan to tell him I had arrived, Xander asked to speak to me.  He told me over the phone, "Mommy, you were gone a long long time, but I was very patient.  But don't go away ever again!"

Kid creativity

Ari painting at school

As a late Valentine's gift, Xander made this necklace for Jonathan.  I asked to wear it to work, since it was so cool, and ever since, it's been "for the family."  I wear it with a black top so it's really noticeable.  Not surprisingly, I've gotten lots of compliments! :)

Purim 2013

Our senior staff last Saturday night at the Megillah reading and schpiel.  My hair is slicked back to better show off my Vulcan ears.  To quote Ryan on FB:  "I'm detecting signs of hamentaschen on the surface, Captain."

Sunday morning: spring is here!  I love this shot (Jonathan's, of course), of a big tree outside the temple entrance.

 Xander making his gragger.

Having fun with all the games.

 Storybook corner reading in the midst of carnival festivities.

 Enthralled with the ducks.

 Bounce house!  His face looks odd because it's decorated as Spiderman.

 More bouncing.

At home after the carnival:  full shot of Ari's Darth Vader outfit.  Jonathan was a Jedi knight.  I wish we could have taken pictures of us together, but we had our hands full with the kids.  People kept commenting on the Star Trek/Star Wars dichotomy, and I told them we were in an interfaith marriage. :)

 When the mask matches the clothes:  Spiderboy in his PJ's.