kidspeak

Ada's been having fun on the computer lately making collages in Publisher and lists of things (that we already have lists for) like her class list in Excel.  She's getting lots of great skills. Tonight she came and asked me how to make another "list." I was about to tell her how to open a new spreadsheet when she said, "Oh, I remember!"I raised my eyebrow in surprise. "Really," she said. "You go to start and then Micro-office and then click on elexus, right?" Sounds good to me!

Doing Hebrew reading homework has also become more fun because she has real words rather than nonsense syllables ( which were torture for both of us!). She has a good time recognizing all the words she's seen or heard in other places like davening or chumash. Sometimes we get some amusing ones like: עשיר . What's amusing about that? Well I was looking for אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר? - הַשָמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ . She said - no! It's like "a shiur."

Sunshine Sisters

Tonight I met with the group of ladies that are coming together with me this summer on JWRP's T.A.G. Mission to Israel. I am so excited that this is really happening! It's been so much work between recruiting applicants, interviewing, ironing out issues, and preparing the participants but I'm sure it will all pay off when I see the incredible experience that these women will enjoy. I feel so privileged to have a part in this project. For now, all I can say is July 18th can't come soon enough!

p.s. Imagine the horror! I forgot to take a picture of our first get-together! Ugh, so much for making a scrapbook....

Ada's concert review

At Dovid Gabay's show at the Hudson Valley Resort tonight:

"He'd be good for a minyan!"

lol.

Etymology explored

This past Monday, on Presidents' Day, I chaperoned Sari's class on a field trip to Boomers for miniature golf. Ada came with me because she had no school. For some reason, Sari convinced her to wear a school uniform for the occasion, which pleased Ada very much! Of course, she looked totally adorable. :)

The next day, we were chatting and she asked me:

Why is it called a "uniform?"

So I answered that it's because everyone is wearing the same thing.

Ada: Well, I thought that "uni" means one so...?

Me (beaming): That's right! How did you know that?

Ada: You know, like unicycle...

Me: Very good! Well, with a uniform, everyone is wearing the same thing so it's all one look.

Ada: Oh, I thought it was because everyone has to fill out one form to get it!

Therapy

Ada came home in a hysterical rage from school. She was mad at some kids in carpool who were teasing her (or some other perceived offense of which I can't remember the details - but which was either provoked or fully reciprocated). After suggesting some solutions and coming up against more anger, resentment and agitation, I switched modes. I pulled out my good ol' "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen" skills and started empathizing.

me: You're really mad at them, huh?

Ada: Yeah, I wish they would move far away!

me: Really? How far?

Ada: To China.

me: Or how about Africa or South America?

Ada (firmly): No. Not far enough. Only China - on the other side of the earth.

me: Wow.

Ada (brightening with the idea): Actually, I wish they would go to Mercury. They would burn right up! (giggling in delight) Or Pluto! That's not even a planet! Yeah. That's a good idea.

me (wide-eyed, nodding appreciatively): I see.

Ada (cocking her head to the side, thoughtfully): Is there another world besides our world?

me: Well it's impossible to know for sure, I think.

Ada: Oh. Well that would be best but, if not, then Pluto is okay.

Needless to say, by this time, she was just fine and the next minute was off to busy herself with some activity. Ten points for me. :)

The Joy of Motherhood

Ada: Do you like being a mommy?

Me: Of course! I love having you guys as my kids!

Ada: I can't wait to be a mommy...

Me: Oh?

Ada: Yeah. Then you get to boss your kids.

Ada: I wanna tell you something in secret.

I lean down.

Ada (whispering in my ear): Why do you always have to be so bossy?

Tough love

Benjamin Franklin on "spreading the wealth" around... I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided f...

Benjamin Franklin on "spreading the wealth" around...

I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.

After hundreds of years of failed redistribution, the nuts on the left still don't understand these simple concepts.

(hat tip: Right Klik)

(hat tip: momlogic)

My report card

Ada: Are you a proneshiful mommy?

Me: Am I what?

Ada (a bit louder in hopes of clarification): Are you a proneshiful mommy?

Me: Pro-nesh-i-ful? I'm sorry, sweetie, I don't know what that means.

Ada: You know, like, very awesome.... Like a proneshiful lifeguard....

Me: Oh, a professional mommy!!

Ada (brightening): Yes! Are you?

Me: Well, what do you think?

Ada: I think you are.

I've arrived. :)

Outreach

The girls were discussing how to interact with the other girls in their gymnastics group. Sari decided she will be friendly to everyone. She noted that most of the kids probably aren't Jewish but that's okay. "And," she added, "If they are Jewish, I'll for sure be friends with them! I can even teach them stuff that maybe they don't know!"

Never too young for harbatzat Torah. :)

A simple solution

On our way back from a trial gymnastics session, the girls and I were talking about recreational versus competitive gymnastics. I explained that sometimes a coach might notice that a student is really good and decide to ask them to be part of the team. We went on to discuss how we were NOT going to be on any teams because that means devoting hours every day to practice and traveling for meets, not to mention wearing leotards in public.

Ada thoughtfully suggested, "Sari, maybe we should try not to be so good."

The girls perform their camp song :)

BIG news

Mordechai and I were the only ones home as Shabbat was winding down yesterday. We got into conversation about the Twin Towers and terrorism and Israel and Arabs and then - oil spills. (As in, what's worse? 9/11 or the oil spill? He's always asking comparison questions like that....)

He said to me, "You know how I know the oil spill is really BIG? They were even talking about it on espn!"

Pre-K beauty tips

A while back, Ada announced one night that she wants to take out her pony holder before she goes to sleep. I thought it might make her hair pretty messy and unruly in the morning but she insisted that "Ayelet (a classmate of hers with thin straight hair) sleeps without a pony holder and that's how her hair always looks so nice!" Who am I to argue with a five-year-old's beauty secrets?

A few days later, I'm on the phone with Ayelet's mom and I related to her the conversation Ada and I had had and she laughed. Ayelet had been telling her mom that she wants to sleep with a pony holder because "that's how Ada does it and that's why her hair comes out so nice!"

For my little friend Hadassa's 1st birthday

It came out pretty, no?

Fashion faux-pas? I think not!

me: Oh, Ada! I told you - no stripes with florals!

Ada (looking chagrined): Uch, I forgot!

(Yes, she went to school like that.)

Yom Ha'atzma'ut

Sari woke up very excited to celebrate Israel's birthday. She asked me, in all her 7-year-old innocence, "Is this the date Hashem promised Israel to Avraham?"

(p.s. A friend pointed out that Avraham was born in 1948 - the "same" year that Israel became a state. How's that for confusing her further? Hee.)

Not quite the Queen...

At the seder, when asked why I was pouring everyone's first cup of wine for them, I was ready with the answer that, on the seder night, we act like kings and queens and have our wine poured for us. Ada pipes up, "So you're not the queen. You're like the servant!"

Hmph.

Invisible