X hard at work

Our geographical explorer.

Oh so true

I've so been there.

Thankfully, our new bedtime routine is working out fine.  Instead of me snuggling with the kids until they fall asleep, and then falling asleep myself, I stay for two songs from the CD only - for real - and then leave.  The first night we did that involved an hour and a half of crying, but now it seems to have stuck.  I've gotten out of the room by 8:20pm for the past three days, it's a miracle!

Weekend life of a rabbi

This has been a lovely whirlwind of a weekend.

Friday night was the last evening service I led at temple, and it was so nice, somebody new asked if I was a cantor, and not a rabbi, because they thought I had such a good voice!  Talk about a compliment. :)

Saturday morning started off fine, with a protein-packed breakfast and then a Jamba Juice on the way to Torah study.  Torah study was great.  The first quarter of the morning service was great.  Then I got completely dizzy, sweaty, and shaky, and had to sit down.  One congregant ran to get me a glass of water, and another handed me a candy during silent prayer, saying my blood sugar had probably crashed after the Jamba Juice.  I led the rest of the service fine, I think, just sitting down except for the Torah reading.  And everyone was so nice and kind, but I felt badly, I know they definitely weren't having such a spiritual experience because they kept being worried I was going to faint on the bima!  I let go of the guilt and was just grateful, especially when someone insisted on driving me home, where I then proceeded to crash for two hours.

I only woke up because another congregant called, whose husband was on her deathbed.  So I got all dressed up again and went out to say the Vidui, the confessional prayer often said before death.  That was amazingly fulfilling, actually, and I was so glad I was able to be there for that family.

I got home around dinner time, ate with the kids, played, put them to bed with Jonathan, and then it was game night!  Jonathan and I and two friends played Munchkin, a role-playing Dungeons-and-Dragons like game without all the boring combat.  It was more fun than I thought it would be.  And I got them all to promise to play Rummikub with me next time, so score!

Today started off by the kids climbing up onto our bed at 6:30am, as usual, and us saying, as usual, "Does the clock say 7:00? Go find something to do until it says 7."  And then... miracle of miracles... we woke up again at 8:30am.  God bless Netflix, Dinosaur Train, a four year-old who knows how to access it, and the small yogurt cups we keep on the low refrigerator shelf for self-sufficient weekend breakfasts.

A couple hours later we headed out to Placerville, so Jonathan could fix Tante Edna and Uncle John's computer.  Thankfully, that only took him about 15 minutes, and then we all went to lunch with Auntie Lois, Mike, and John.  After hanging out there for the afternoon we came home, where I tried to make a phone call (shout-out to Nicole L)... but kept being kid-interrupted so was cut short. Then more playtime and dinner, until Xander said he was feeling sick and went to bed early, and Ari followed shortly.

So now?  I'm searching Craigslist for more casual maternity clothes, printing out coupons for Wolverine for Jonathan's birthday on Tuesday, and will soon zone out to a movie.

Life is good.

5 completely random tidbits about my life

1) Ari pees on cue now (well, occasionally) on the potty!  Thank goodness.  I'm still hoping to have him potty trained by the time this baby is born.  I think it may actually be realistic at this point.

2) I wake up singing the Dinosaur Train theme song.  I don't know why.  It's incredibly insanely addictive.

3) Just finished The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi for a change of pace.  It's a real-life true crime novel about a serial killer in Florence in the 1970s and 1980s.  I got it as a gift, I'm guessing because the gift-giver thought it was a historical fiction novel based on the cover.  But I read it anyway... not quite my style, and I wouldn't highly recommend it... but it did give me a new appreciation for investigative journalism.

4) Since the senior rabbi has been at camp and then on sabbatical, I've been leading every Friday night service for the summer.  And tonight is my service before she comes back,  I can't believe it! The cantor is on vacation this week, so I've already led my last service with her.  I feel like we finally got a groove down, and now it's over.  Boo.  But still, what a joy to be able to lead for as long as I did.

5) I made Kraft mac n'cheese for the kids, and for once, it wasn't the 3 1/2 minute cup - it was the box version, 20 minute-boiling-noodle deal.  I wondered aloud how one prepares real mac'n'cheese and Robin told me his grandmother used to make it with cheddar cheese on the stovetop, or sometimes put it as a casserole in the oven, and that he and his brother would turn up their noses to it cuz it wasn't Kraft with orange powder.  But he also said he has no idea how she made it. So this is my new quest: anyone have a good recipe I can learn? Keep in mind I'm not exactly a cook, but I do follow directions well.  There are about a trillion recipes online, but I'd rather make something that has proven success from one of you.

Xander finished camp!

One of Xander's counselors told me last week that she was sitting down looking out at all the kids, and must have looked sad, because Xander went up to her and rubbed her back so she would feel better.  "He has a good heart and open eyes," she said.  That's our empathic boy.

Getting hooked up to the harness to go rock climbing.

 Chilling with a counselor afterwards.

 With a friend in the social hall at the end of the day.

22 weeks

Three cheers on the royal birth!  I like how they haven't announced a name yet because they're still deciding; hopefully Jonathan and I will have that part down by the time ours is born.  If only the Loving baby could warrant a 61-gun salute from the Tower of London and a three-hour bell peal from Westminster Abbey!  He may be worth it, but I have a feeling he'll only be royalty to us. :)

Just as in London, all is well here. I may not be anywhere near delivery, but Jonathan can now feel the baby kick!  (As of last week on the 14th actually, but who's counting?).  He's definitely growing... I'm in size XL shirts now.

Front view.

Mini-beached whale is among my better looks. 

Blueberry picking

Back in May, when Jonathan and I went to the temple Wine and Food Festival, complete with auction (where we got the Sheraton certificates), we also went in with another family for a day at the farm.  The other family couldn't work out a good date to go in July, so we postponed the whole-day event until August or September.  But our hosts were gracious enough to offer our family alone a chance to come up for a morning of blueberry picking!  (It's way more fun to pick berries than peppers or squash, or other fall veggies.)  

 Showing off the blueberries.

 Oooh, so many to pick from the bushes!

 I'm holding the bowl... the kids just wanted to eat.

 Ari the taste-tester.

 Xander literally grabbing handfuls.

Myself with Roger and Laura, our gracious hosts.  I'm holding the huge bag of berries we picked, plus walnut butter made from their crop of walnuts!  We had the walnut butter for lunch, along with humus made from their garbanzo beans, pita, home-grown tomato/avocado salad with mozzarella and their garden's basil, chicken salad... it was heavenly.  I can't wait to go back for the full day!

In the meantime, we've had blueberries with cereal, blueberries with whipped cream, blueberries and yogurt, blueberries by themselves, and the kids' favorite, blueberry waffles.

Progression of a nap

We told the kids that "Simcha is on vacation at Bubby's house," and we're holding true to that.  Mom sent over some photos proving that yes, Simcha is definitely enjoying his time away!

Mmmm lap cuddles.  Let's hold paws.

 Getting sleepy while Bubby watches Mad Men.

And.... he's out!




The next day....

Relaxing all by himself.  

The rest of Mom's visit, that doesn't fit into categories

Ari helping Jonathan scramble the eggs for breakfast one morning.

Cantaloupe is a superior snack, especially when eaten in one's pajamas!

 Xander reading Ari a book at naptime.

 Beading - I think while watching Dinosaur Train.

Wearing the fruits of his labor, entranced by the singing, dancing Pteranodon family.

Two thumbs up for chicken nuggets for dinner.

Mom reading the kids a bedtime story.

Showing off their new spiffy Bubby-bought shirts.

 Xander cracking up as I put suntan lotion on his forehead.  Apparently it tickles.

Model shot as he gets out of the car.

How to brighten one's day

I was having a bad day at work today, so I decided to cheer myself up.  The best way to do that, I found?  By visiting our on-site day camp.

There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like tie-dying white t-shirts and making "dirt cups"* with a bunch of 5-7 year olds to make one feel better.  The kids are so enthusiastic, you can't help but be happy!



*Dirt cup recipe: mix milk with instant chocolate pudding mix, add whipped cream and stir. Put in bottom of cup as the mud.  Crush Oreo cookies into crumbs, put on top as the dirt.  Add gummy worms!

At the playground a week ago

 This is the playground on our temple grounds; Mom was dropping Xander off at camp and got there early, so he got to play during registration.

 Wheee!

Just about to shoot out of the slide at warp speed.

Artsy shot.

 Hi!!!!!

 Our monkey boy.

Camp check-in may be going strong, but balancing requires fierce concentration!

Almost two weeks ago, we celebrated the 4th of July!

And it was fuuuuuun. :)

Robin starting the evening off with the "snake," a firework that uncoiled around itself as it burned.

 When Noah and Will arrived, the celebrations began in earnest!  These are the "smokers," that literally, well... are different colored smoke.  Jonathan and the other adults are wearing glow sticks behind their ears.

 The three bigger kids took turns running and jumping around, over, and through the smoke.

Dissipate that smoke, Xander!

 Noah's turn.

 Action shot with Will, and Xander close behind.

What the backyard looked like.  Thank goodness no one has asthma!

 The firework they're watching was called "Crack the Whip" - it was just a little loud. :)

I love the twins' expressions.

 We did have to take breaks (it was unbearably hot, even at 8 at night), so in between, we played firefighter.

As it turned to dusk, we moved to things that glowed in the dark: behold Mr. Xander Fire Chief and his sparkler.

Will making patterns.  

Look Daddy, a lightsaber!

Around 9pm, when it got truly dark, we moved to the front yard to do the "real" fireworks.  All the neighbors were out, and we and the people across the street from us took turns placing fireworks in the middle of the street and lighting.

 Here Megan and Tim, the twins' parents, and Mom constitute the cheering section.  Ari is in LOVE with Megan, and just melts in her arms.

The boys having a blast... no pun intended.

 Xander's literally jumping up and down - you can see that his feet are in mid-air.

Watching.

 More watching.

 Here's a good shot of the set-up with the neighbors.  Xander has his glow stick necklace and flashlight now, to help see. 

Dueling fireworks from our house and the house two doors down.

 It was very cool.

Will clasping his arms in glee.  He and Noah would go help Jonathan light them - our boy wouldn't go near the street, much less touch the punk.

2 of 3 older boys, our friend William, Mom, and Ari.  I think Megan, Robin I had gone back to the house by this point to bask in the air conditioning.

And now to end with a sampling of the pretty fireworks: