Honeydew & Canteloupe

At shalosh seudos last night, Elianna took a plate and made a pattern with her fruit: Honeydew, cantaloupe, honeydew, cantaloupe... all around the outside of her plate. She then proceeded to stick a pineapple in the center, explaining that it's her friends sitting around a bonfire.

A few minutes later, Serach asked her to eat the fruits on her plate, to which she answered with a distraught voice: "I can't, then I will have no friends left!!!"

Erachet & Jughead's Hat

Erachet Hat? I guess that'll be a slightly strange name.

Anyway, now that Jughead wrote about it, MAZEL TOV! to our really good friends Erachet and Jughead on their engagement! To give credit where it's due, Special Ed - you're the man, even if you had to dress like me to pull it off.

Meanwhile, the best reactions besides the consistent "it's about time!!"s* from pretty much everyone:

Serach (to Elianna): Are you so excited that Erachet and Jughead are getting married?!
Elianna (4-1/2): Yesss!!
Kayla (2-1/2): Me too!
Elianna: ...But I thought Erachet was going to marry someone else because Jughead is her friend.

* Interestingly, this is remarkably similar to the reaction of anyone who knew both when they started dating in the first place.

Four! (minus two)

An early happy birthday to Kayla, aka "Kay-Kay" as she calls herself, on her second birthday! Ask her how old she is, and she says "Four!" - just like her sister.

Just Like High School

SpEd sitting watching TV with Elianna

Elianna: "Can you leave me alone please? I like you but leave me alone."

Future English Major?

Elianna didn't want to come to dinner because she was coloring and drawing. After a while, she finally came, but the french fries were too hot so she went back for a few minutes while she waited for them to cool enough for her. When they were cool, Serach called her back to come finish eating, to which she replied:

"I can't come eat right now, I'm writing in my journal!"

Oy.

What About Daddy Time?

At Rea's on Shabbos:

Elianna badgering Serach during the meal non-stop...

Serach: OK, Elianna, here's some more food, but I want you to please stop talking and eat. I haven't had a chance to take a bite yet, and I need some Imma time for me right now, okay?

{starts to eat}

Elianna: That's OK. I need some Elianna time.

Stray Thoughts

• Funny lines heard over yom tov:

  Little boy to his father: "We're luckier than the goyim. They only have one day of nosh, and we have two - Purim and Simchas Torah."
  
  Sis-in-law to nephew, balancing on a chair he placed on a couch, who already lost a couple teeth in a fall recently: "Don't do that, if you lose any more teeth you won't be able to eat anything anymore!"
  Nephew (5): "It's okay, we can turn everything into slush and I can drink it."
  

• Fun meetup: ~Sarah~, Holy Hyrax, and myself at Le Sushi (which is excellent) in North Hollywood, CA. Talk about bringing a big world together and making it tiny.
• Elianna & Kayla are super cute. Too many stories to tell, but a good one just now - Serach moved Elianna's head, which was off her pillow, back onto it, and gave her a kiss. In her sleep, she says "Princess kiss!"
• At a family we ate at, the mother commented how she found Koheles so uplifting (which started off a whole series of interesting discussions). Ironically, I had noticed myself feeling something along those lines, albeit a mix of uplifting and despondence, when reading through it during the kriah. In really short, I think its acknowledgement of what is or can be so frustrating/depressing in life is comforting, and its subtle refocusing of one's approach to life is fantastic and therefore incredibly uplifting.
• Pobody's Nerfect's baby is super cute - and so big, it barely fits into a 9x13. :)
  
• Cleveland is pretty gray. LA is pretty sunny. The Empire State Building doesn't let me notice the weather in NYC.
• Great friends are the best. To be able to crash at midnight at friends after driving 7 hours from Cleveland to Akron to Teaneck is nice - B & JB, y'all rock.
• AirTran, its employees, and its passengers all get huge thanks. After spending first days in Cleveland, Serach flew to LA with the girls from Akron, via Atlanta, while I drove back to work for a couple of days. The pilot held Kayla while Serach folded/set up the stroller coming on and off the plane. A nice man insisted on assisting Serach while she walked to the gate even though she had a good system going with the girls and stroller and carry-ons. The man next to them on the plane objected to the idea that he should remove Elianna's sleeping head from him, noting that children are a huge blessing, and who prayed when the plane took off noting it's a manmade object under God's control. There's apparently a law barring more than two people in a bathroom (parent/child), since there are only two masks in case of an emergency. When Serach needed to take Elianna to the bathroom, the steward volunteered and carried Kayla with him as he made his rounds. The stewardess offered to get hot water so she could clean Kayla's bottle. A woman getting off the plane ended up being the last person off because she insisted on holding Kayla while Serach got their stuff together.
• I flew JetBlue direct from JFK to Burbank with a lulav as my carry-on. I got a few stares. I'm sure it was just as hard as what Serach went through. :)
• A month ago, I drove 19 hours and 1,200+ miles in one weekend when my grandmother passed away. Then came Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Over Sukkos, I'm driving about 1,000, flying about 6,000, worked until midnight both erev yom tov before driving to Cleveland at 630am the next morning on 3 hours sleep and over Chol Hamoed for two nights before packing up and driving to JFK at 6am on two hours sleep, then spending most day hours e-mailing and calling the office. It will be amazing to finally have a normal rhythm starting sometime this week... after our red-eye flight back, followed by a full day of work, and a wedding in Lakewood that night. ZZZZZZ....
• Finally, a postscript of sorts: Unfortunately, there's a ton of crap that goes on in various frum communities or in the frum community at large. We are in the unfortunate position of knowing all too many of these stories on a personal level, and the sickening approaches people take to them, whether covering them up, denying them, fighting those who try to effect positive change, and the like. At the same time, however, it is wonderful to know that despite all the politics, all the pressure, all the dirty games, that many, or most, of the people who are stuck in those games at least have a sense of what is and is not right - even if sadly, they still feel they cannot "fight the system". More importantly, it is heartwarming to know of those who do do whatever they can to battle on behalf of those who are placed into horrible situations, who themselves are horrified at what does and does not happen. And it is incumbent on the rest of us to consistently pressure our leadership to always do what is right, and not to get caught in the traps of politics and messy relationships. While changes will not happen overnight, the more pressure that is placed on people to own up to doing what is right the faster we can untangle the mess that is Jewish community leadership and re-establish it as the respected force it should be to help the community.
  

Hope everyone had a wonderful chag!

Too Smart

Friday:

(Scene: Elianna is standing on the toilet using a makeup brush and a cup to "paint" in the bathroom in the morning.)

Serach: Elianna, please come down and start taking off your clothes so you can get ready for school!
Elianna: Noo!!!
Serach: Eliannaaa...
Elianna: Go on the computer for a few minutes, Mommy. [resumes painting]

(A few minutes later - Elianna has locked the door to the bathroom from the inside, with Kayla also inside)

Serach: Open the door this instant!
Elianna: Get a hanger, Mommy! {we can unlock the door from the outside with something like a hanger or Q-tip or bobbypin}

On Shabbos, Elianna also would interrupt a story being told and tell Serach to "tell the hanger story, too".

Friday night:

Guest to Elianna: Who made you so smart?!
Elianna: [pause, mischievous smile] Coke!

Nice. :)

My Girl(s)

Today in the park, a little kid scratched Kayla (15 months) across the face and knocked her over. Elianna (3-1/2) saw Kayla afterward and demanded:

"Who hurt my baby sister!?" [...]

"I'm going to go and tell them they have to say I'm sorry!!"

Double Trouble

Elianna: My daddy got married to my mommy yesterday and I held the flowers.
Erachet: Oh really?
Elianna: Yeah!
Erachet: You were there?
Elianna: Yeah!
Erachet: You were at your mommy and daddy's wedding?
Elianna: Yeah! ...No. No, I didn't.

Erachet: Kayla was crying and crying so I thought maybe she was hungry, so I put her in her seat and gave her some cheerios and she was interested in eating them, except then I started eating a chewy bar and she decided she wanted that, so she kept pointing and crying, but I didn't want to give her because I didn't know if she could have peanut butter yet or not, so finally she started crying "up! up!" so I started taking off her tray, and then she suddenly noticed the cheerios that had been there the whole time and she went, "oh!" and started grabbing handfuls of them.

Poppy

From SIL:

Shen (2-1/2) was taking the poppy seeds off of her challah today.
OD: What are you doing?
Shen: I'm making a dot-to-dot.

EZ Reads 6/23*/09: Iran and Ambidextrousness

* ...because yesterday was the 24th, apparently.

A quick PSA first: My friend Memphis texted me that due to a miscommunication he has two extra Rascal Flatts tickets for tomorrow night that he spent $180 on. If you're interested, e-mail me and I'll put you in touch with him.

SIL sent in a cute question Hen (4-1/2) asked: " Are you a righty, a lefty, or electric?" (ambidextrous)

• A really interesting read in the Washington Post on how studying the digits of the vote total numbers show just how likely it was that the final results in Iran were messed around with.
• Harry makes the short point from what's happening in Iran in terms of information control that the Jewish community can learn clearly from it that we can't shut out the outside world and deny it.
• A hilarious rap video made up of some of the classic sports interviews and press conferences. It's incredibly well made.
• Old joke Special Ed said on Shabbos: What do you wish someone who is turning 120? Have a nice day! Hirhurim's Ari Enkin writes about living to 120 and beyond.
• Material Maidel listens in on an interesting conversation about Rabbinic abuse on the subway... with a twist.
  

Feel free to send in interesting pieces, and enjoy!

Quotes from the Weekend

Memphis II's status: Sometimes there's just too much month left at the end of the money.
Me: You should have come to my presentation. :)
MII: I knew you'd like that one. :)

Cleaning lady: {looking around} I can't remember what I'm looking for...!
Me: Oh yeah, happens all the time. Then you see the thing and are like "Oh, that's what I was looking for!"
CL: {looks up, sees it, shakes her head}
Me: Found it?
CL: Yup. [pause] I stopped drinking because I thought it was affecting my memory, but it's still just as bad. I'm going to start drinking again.

Elianna (3): Can I have lipstick?
Serach: Sorry, it's Shabbos, and it's muktzah. You can't have any.
Elianna: Who made it muktzah?
Serach: Hashem.
Elianna {looks skyward}: Hashem, can I have lipstick? I really want lipstick...!

Cleverness

I'm a bit busy preparing for this week's presentation (just about done!), so here's something to smile about today. :)

My sister Verv told me a couple great stories from my nieces and nephew.

Smassi (6) : Am I going to get a mitzvah note for what I did?
Verv: No, you're expected to do that. You don't get a mitzvah note for that.
Smassi: Well, did I add another brick to the Bais HaMikdash?
Verv: Of course you did!

[a minute later] {Perfect (8) does something wrong}
Smassi: ...and now one just got taken out.

And another one from last week, after our grandmother fell (she's doing well now in rehab):

Verv: We're going to go visit (Great-)Grandma in the hospital.
Big E (almost 4) : Why!? Did she have a baby!?

Kids and Smiles

A few smiles always make things a little better, so, via SIL:

So many funny Shen (2) stories, but this one beats all.
Shen was stuck in the high chair and she wanted to get out to go to the bathroom.
"I have to make." No response.
"I have to make, I have to make, I have to make." No response.
"Hello, I have to make."
That worked!
(Is it time to leave NY when your 2 year old starts saying "hello" to get attention??)

We were at the zoo in Cleveland, in the bathroom (hmm... seems like life revolves around a common theme these days) and Hen (5) needed to wash her hands but the sink was way way too high. Exasperated, I wondered aloud, "How do they expect kids to use this sink?" She replied logically, "It's for tall kids."

I Love My Niece

From SIL:

From the weekend

Whenever Shen (just turned 2) wants to do something she knows we won't allow, she says "Go sleep, Imma/Daddy."

Apparently, Shen did not appreciate the jelly belly flavors this Shabbos. Surveying her plateful of chewed and spit out jelly beans, she announced, "That's enough."

Shen was sucking her paci for comfort after a particularly upsetting incident. Suddenly, she took it out and gave it to me. "Here," she said, "I'm happy."

Milk But NOT Sugar

From SIL:

Shen (newly 2) likes to make herself clear by saying something and then by ruling out the opposite. For example, she'll say her food is "hot, NOT cold". She woke me up today at 5 AM and wanted a drink. I told her I would go get her sippy cup. She replied "Get sippy cup, NOT coffee."

The Adventures of Elianna

Erachet joined us for Shabbos, and hung out for a while today. Over the course of the weekend, Elianna (almost 3) has continually wowed her with her charm, wit, and most of all, memory. Here are a few stories for your enjoyment:

Erachet: I have to do homework because I'm in college. When you're in college, you'll also have homework.

Elianna: Okay. I don't have a computer so I have to buy me.

Elianna: I want more wine!
Daddy: You want more wine? Are you an alcoholic?
Elianna: I'm NOT an alcholic! I'm Elianna Rachel Goldish!!
Elianna: [...] Avi is an alcoholic.

Elianna: Can I have a cookie? (Actually a tea biscuit, but she thinks it's a cookie)
Daddy: Can you put this book on Daddy's bed and then I'll give you one?
Elianna: (takes book, starts walking toward room) [to Serach, Pobody's Nerfect] I'm behaving, right?

Elianna (standing behind Erachet, taking apart her hair): I need to give you a pony in your hair. Do you like it?
Erachet: Er...
(hours later) Erachet: Do I even want to know what my hair looks like?

These are just cool, not funny (from least impressive to most):

Elianna: Remember when I came to your house?
Elianna has been to Erachet's house twice, both times for just a few minutes.

Elianna to my brother OD: Remember when we went bowling? Yeah?
Elianna has been bowling once, in Cleveland with my parents and brother's family over Sukkos.

Elianna: I have a sticker! *Malka gave it to me!
Erachet: [skeptically, knowing a Malka that Elianna knows and that they could not have given the sticker] Malka gave it to you?
Elianna: No [not your Malka], a different Malka! *name has been changed

Elianna: [looking at Erachet's phone] Where's the elephant?
Erachet has a string of charms hanging off her phone; one of the charms used to be an elephant. It has been missing for almost a YEAR.

Elianna on Vacation

(Because this is more pleasant than ranting about economics.)

While it took her a day or so to understand that being on vacation did not mean that she was going to a place called vacation rather than to school, she's been hilarious all week, except for the little stiff-arms to Kayla when she'd pull her shirt. (Though they were well-executed.) I've been sick most of the week, so if Elianna would see that I didn't look well, she'd walk over, concerned, and the following conversation(s) would occur:

Elianna: Aw, Daddy, are you sick?
Daddy: Yeah... (cough)
Elianna: You're coughing? Do you need a drink of water?
Daddy: No, it's okay, thanks...
Elianna: Do you need a kiss?
Daddy: (laughing) Sure.
Elianna: {kiss} Do you feel better?
Daddy: A little.
Elianna: You're still sick? Do you want to go to the doctor tomorrow? Yeah? Okay.

We felt bad that we couldn't take the girls out to somewhere fun this week, with Serach having less hours due to vacation and Elianna off, but that's what happens when you live in NYC and your ABS sensor and bumper are getting replaced (and you're paying for it). Grr. But it's fun watching the girls in general, and this week listening to Elianna all day I've gotten to appreciate just how fast they're both growing. Kayla is sitting, crawling faster and faster, making noises like "Dada" though hard to say if she's directing them or not, and is eating real food well (ironically, she loves Bananas). Elianna's gone from full sentences to having a pretty good command of grammar - sadly, she says some things better than many adults I know. Her teachers were shocked when they showed a picture of Obama and she immediately called out "that's Obama! Where's McCain?", and she now knows that Obama is President of America and lives in a big white house. McCain is "on vacation" (apparently she doesn't care about Congress). Best of all, little shoves aside, she and Kayla adore one another, and Kayla cracks up at everything Elianna does that's funny. The hard part is making sure Elianna doesn't give Kayla things she shouldn't have or too much food at once, but she's learned this week about "chokables" and now grabs items away from Kayla citing their status as "chokable"... or of course, "mine". Sigh.

Lethargic Light

A little light something for everyone, since I'm a bit lethargic...

Elianna got sick over Shabbos, and is just starting to recover now, but she's been really cute and polite about it the whole time. She stalks around in a hooded sweatshirt, hands in the pockets, hood over her head, frown on her face (just imagine a 2-1/2 year old pretending to be a teenager or angst-ridden college student), but when someone does something for her she's still great about it. Today, Serach came home with a few groceries, and Elianna calls out from the couch: "Thank you Imma for getting me Coke so I can feel better." Also, tonight she was watching a cute YouTube video with British kids dancing to If You're Happy And You Know It, and when they say to say "We. Are!", she would say "We-haw!" It was awesome.

• A horrible but brilliant sign from the Steelers-Ravens game, if you're from Cleveland.
• We have some crazy texters who've come here, but I don't think even they could pull this off: 14,528 texts in a month.
• I liked the joke, but the message isn't bad, either. My dear cousin R' Ally - I certainly owe you and your family quite a bit...!
• Harry reposts an interesting piece titled Frumkeit vs. Being Frum. I think the examples are very telling.
  

Enjoy!