Family update

It feels like I haven't written in a while about Xander - or, at least, it's been a while since I've written in the detail that family requests! So let's see...

Some big news is that yesterday was Xander's last day at his daycare. For a variety of reasons, we're switching out of the care at school and going to a nanny-share. One of the caretakers at the school was leaving, so she's going to come to our house three times a week, and our friend's house twice a week, for the next month. After that we may keep with her or go to the JCC, we're not sure. But we're very happy that Xander gets to stay with a caretaker he knows, and the people we're sharing with are the parents of his very best friend in the world, Yasha (the younger of the two boys in the tractor pictures). So the caretaker will be looking after Xander, Yasha, and his older brother, and they'll have a good time I'm sure.

Our babeleh is also reaching a small milestone, which will hopefully lead to a bigger one soon... he's telling us when he needs a diaper change! Hooray. This means I've brought out a small potty to the living room, and he's slowly being introduced to it. He's not using it yet, but I have hope.

He loves to sweep - our kitchen floor is actually cleaner than usual because after every meal he insists on going to the pantry, signing for "help" to open the door or just opening it himself, and taking out his tiny broom. Then I pull out the big one and we clean the floor. I swear, it must be from Jonathan's side. God knows he doesn't get it from me.

Staying inside the house on weekends is getting a bit challenging, because he is a boy who likes to go places. So this morning we went to the park with Yasha's family, and tomorrow we're headed to the pool with his 3 year old girlfriend Claudia. Xander's getting into climbing, running, throwing a ball, all those gross motor skills he was lacking before. We can also tell he's becoming much more independent, as he now has definite opinions on what he wants to wear in the morning, or which book we should read him at night. He was sick with a fever last week and we couldn't take him anywhere, so Jonathan got a small tent to put in the dining room. Between that and Deann's suggestion that we play with rice, the week wasn't too miserable - it's now the special sick activity to sit in our tent, pour rice from one bowl to the next and sift it through our fingers.

He's upset because I'm taking a picture and not coming inside.

In terms of Jonathan and I - I finally finished all my side research work, and I'm more than halfway done with my summer class. My professor had to leave for a family emergency in Israel, but rather than cancelling my class, we're doing an independent study. He emails me articles, I read and summarize them, then we discuss them over Skype. I love technology.

Jonathan has been very busy taking a whole bunch of exams and certifications. The state has a program for "displaced workers" where they will pay for job training, so he's taken one certification and a bunch of classes so far. Right now he's studying for the PMP (Project Management training, the one Sylvan's involved in) in late June.

Simcha is looking thinner because he's shedding so much... and because Yentl now chases him all over! She's a spitfire, that one. Half his size but she wrestles him to the ground, and they play constantly. The weather's been so nice that Osher's practically living outdoors. He only comes in for food and the random snuggle.

I'll end with a short series of pictures about Xander's hat. Josh gave it to him over a year ago, since it has a big "X" on the front. (We tell Xander it's for his name - don't tell him it's for Xavier University). It's now his very favorite article of clothing.

Another article

This article made me seethe: the pedophile priests were suspended, but Sister Margaret at a hospital was just automatically excommunicated for consenting to an abortion that would save a mother's life. Do you agree with the author's take on the Church being out of touch?

We live in a very small world

From Tokyo, 1982.

The loveliness of Shavuot playdates

We are sitting inside the scoop of a tractor. Xander was completely, totally scared out of his wits.

Walking around the CAT dealership.

Xander got up the courage to touch the wheel at one point. He had no idea it was so huge!

Cracking up at the real-life tractors.

Xander and his best buds Yasha and Eden.

It was a very exciting walk.

Deep babeleh talks.

Hugs!

Child TV.

This is what we were watching. (Mom, it was taken before we got your request for longer videos.)

After the CAT dealership, we went to an outside play area similar to the one we went to last month.

It was very exciting.

We closed off the day with crepes and blintzes in celebration of Shavuot. (We eat dairy since Israel is the land of "milk and honey.") But for the kids the biggest draw was BUBBLES!

YAY for bubbles!!!

Quote of the day

Leading services tonight, transitioning into silent prayer - I leave the podium and sit down in a chair on the side of the bima (raised area).

A tiny little two year-voice comes from the other side of the room:

"Daddy, where's the rabbi? I can't see her!"

"Shhh, she's praying."

"But I can't see her!! She DISAPPEARED! WHERE IS SHE?????"

It took all my willpower to try and keep a straight face. I'm still not sure I succeeded.

Lesson of the day

Little boys are fascinated by construction equipment in books. But when taken to see the real thing, they are super-scared and ultra-clingy.

Also, bubbles? Can fascinate four children for upwards of forty minutes while the grown-ups talk.

(I'm still not quite sure how I ended up as the grown-up.)




Pictures to follow.....

Playing outside last week

$5 truck from Craigslist. Best purchase EVER.

Oh no, it's getting away!

Ooooh, fixed it!

Mommy putting together my new outside clubhouse.

She obviously needs help.

A water table of my very own! And Tupperware?! My parents love me.

Watering the yard.

And the lawn.....

Spelling, shapes, numbers - so many things to do with sidewalk chalk!

It's good to take turns and share.

My masterpiece.

And when it rained, we had to stay in:

Some interesting articles for your perusal

I have mixed feelings about this one - What Is a Philosopher?

The class of 1970 finally graduates Boston University! -40 Years Later, a Proper Graduation

And there are more, but I'm being called downstairs for a movie...

Things that crack me up

1) I overheard Jonathan talking to Xander yesterday as they looked out the window together: "Please don't lick the screen!"

2) Friday I had lunch with Hans Cristophe, a German researcher who has the table next to mine in the library. Actually, he's been sitting at what used to be my table, but he's so nice I've forgiven him. Turns out that he was on the path to being a Protestant minister before he changed tracks and went for his PhD in religion. We laughed at being exact opposites.

3) Xander was going around saying, "bubba, bubba" and we had no idea what he wanted. He looked frustrated and raced into his room. We thought he was mad. He wasn't... he had gone to retrieve the bubble blower. :)

4) Simcha now meows in his sleep. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it myself. Apparently the cat has made an oath to be noisy at all hours of the day, awake or asleep.

5) Sarah and Chris had a garage sale. I made the mistake of suggesting that Jonathan go while I subbed at religious school. He came home with a huge box full of Star Wars models. He said it was his childhood revisited. I said he could have however many he wanted, as long as they stayed in his office. Xander is in love with the X-wing and the A-fighter. Jonathan says he has good taste.

I am R-A-B, hear me roar

Rabbinical school is a five year program. I've been here for three. (All you smart people who say that this is the end of my fourth year... you're too smart for your own good. I'm behind classes-wise because I took a semester off when I had Xander.)

But as of today I am DONE with my last final!

This means that I have earned my R.A.B. degree. Only the B.I. left to go. Ordination 2012, here I come!

Jewish history 101

I thought this is one of the best summaries of Jewish history. Tell me what you think!

Geeking out

I have spent the last four days camping out in the Rare Book Room. I've taken ten-minute lunches. I'm getting to know the call numbers of certain areas by heart. And yesterday, three separate people asked if I worked in the library.

The cause of all this mayhem, you ask? A final paper for my Bible class about the 17th century parashiot books from Kai-feng, the oldest Jewish community in China. HUC has over 50 of these small books written in a really unique script, and I wanted to write about them. In my research, I learned that the Jews were said to have come from Persia, but that their liturgy was from Yemen. So I decided to tackle the issue from the point of the view of the script itself - think about history through fonts. So I compared the scripts in a 17th century Persian and then a 17th century Yemenite manuscript to the ones from China. It was really cool! (Much more interesting than this blurb sounds, really.)

Oh yes, and as a treat to myself today, I totally ignored the next paper on my docket and finished The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran, sequel to Nefertiti. I liked it even better than the first one! There's nothing like a historical fiction/political intrigue/romance novel to take your mind off of serifs.

Mother's Day

First of all, happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there! Growing up we never really celebrated Mother's Day, so I always thought it was kind of a Hallmark holiday. Jonathan doesn't feel that way though, and I have to say... I'm kind of getting into it. :)

The very best part of the day so far.... I slept in until 10:30am!!!! Now, everyone who knows me knows how much I love sleep. Xander is always up at 6, 6:30 latest. So sleeping in was huge. I didn't even know it was that late until I woke up and realized I felt very, very refreshed.

I was immediately greeted by a smiling giggly boy who wanted to crawl all over me and give me sloppy kisses, and a husband bearing gifts (I had previously nixed breakfast in bed, cuz I'm not into crumbs). BUT - I got two adorable cards, one that said "to Mommy, vroom vroom!" It had a small handprint in ink on it. I then looked at Xander, who, though he had since been washed up, obviously had a really good time getting ink into every crevice.

Jonathan got me two great books - which I'm not even looking at til I'm done with finals - but one is a collection of memoirs on motherhood, and the other is a historical fiction novel about a white girl growing up with a Cherokee tribe in the 1800s. Fun, I know almost nothing about that time period.

Then it was brunch! Again, I nixed the going out. It'd be crowded, more formal, etc. Jonathan thinks I'm hard to spoil. But I disagree - he made eggs, toast, and then put out vanilla yogurt and my very favorite all-natural apple and gouda cheese chicken sausage (Holly, you'll like it). When brunch was over he gave me my very last gift - he reformatted our copy of The Time Traveler's Wife to fit on my Android! (to all you non-geeks out there, it means that I can now watch the movie on my phone.)

The boy is now napping, and when he gets up we're going to go to Jeffrey's law school graduation party, and then Steak N'Shake for butterfinger milkshakes. A very good day, overall.


Oh yes, I must share one more thing. You know how some days you feel more grown-up than others? Well, today, Mother's Day aside, I had a moment of uber-motherness. Two years ago I never would have guessed that this situation would happen, much less that these words would come out of my mouth, completely seriously....

"Honey, it's considered very rude to pick someone else's nose, especially without their permission."

Jonathan about died laughing.

The Blessing that was Avraham

It was too hard for Michal to write this so I volunteered to write this for her. We are both very sad to announce that our grandfather in Israel, Avraham Rakowsky, died today. He fought in the war for Israeli independence and was a rock to whom many of us hung onto. His patience and kindness seemed never-ending just as his smile was always close at hand. In all my time with him I never once heard him criticize any person or complain about his situation. Though he was an immigrant from Germany, if asked what his country of origin was, he would proudly tell you: Israel.

He was loved by all and will be greatly missed.

Things that have happened in the past week.

Xander has become obsessed with trucks. Any truck, tractor, construction vehicle, or motorized object that goes by is subject to a "vroom vroom!" and a giggle. This is great fun when we're stuck in traffic, because we point out every truck we see, and suddenly the ride doesn't seem so bad.

The neighbor two doors down has a litter of puppies. They're a poodle-chihuahua mix, so they'll only ever weigh up to four pounds. Even I think they're adorable (and I'm not a dog person). We're trying to convince ourselves that we really, honestly, don't need a dog. Even one that is easily housebroken, will sleep on our beds, and will be scared of the cats.

My pulpit this weekend was beyond crazy. But good. I was so tired when it ended, I had to pull over in a Steak N Shake parking lot halfway through the drive home and take a nap.

Our friend Yael is a violist, and we went to see her play in a chamber music concert. Xander was rapt for the first twenty minutes, but then got bored during Dvorak and wanted to eat snack.

The other day it rained forever and ever, so Jonathan and I brought the kidlet to this great place called Recreations Outlet. You know those huge outdoor jungle gyms, and play sets, and contained trampolines, and indoor roller coasters? They sell them here, and kids can go in and play for $4 a pop.

At Taco Bell, Xander insisted on dipping his quesadilla in hot salsa before he would eat it. Then he wolfed it all down, except for one bite, which he insisted I eat. I had to decline - it was too spicy!

Jonathan made peach pie, with homemade crumb topping. He is a fabulous baker. Please tell him to stop though. He's not helping my diet!

And now finals. Ah medieval Hebrew translation, thou art the bane of mine existence.

Sesquipedalianism

My new favorite word. I love dictionary.com's word of the day!

(Disclaimer: my grandmother subscribes, not me. She just sends me the cool ones.)

1. Given to using long words.
2. (Of a word) containing many syllables.

Quoting those who insist on engaging in sesquipedalianism (using “large words when smaller ones will do,”) Cavett romps and stomps over his subjects in a veritable malign-fest of the linguistically misguided.
-- Susie Berta, Susie's Year of Words - 2008 (Blog), April 14, 2008

It is very true that when the experiment of dictating is first tried, the luxury of the ease it gives is apt to be so great, that it tends to looseness and verbosity of style; for there is no better check on sesquipedalianism than the necessity of writing down one's sesquipedalian words for one's self.
-- Christian Examiner, Volume 72

More unreal even than the sesquipedalianism that returned to him — not as a matter for mockery but as a medium for expression — in his lesser works and in his later days, was his moral purpose.
-- Benedict Kiely, Poor scholar: a study of the works and days of William Carleton, 1794-1869

Sesquipedalianism appears in Horace's Ars Poetica, meaning "words a foot-and-a-half long," as an ironic criticism.