An older lady - a friend of Dovid's grandmother - complimented Mordechai on how handsome he was. She went on to say how important sons were. After all, she said, they carry on the name.

My son thoughtfully mused, "What's more important, the name or the religion?"

Ah, nachas!

Ada had a supply of potato sticks from the tearoom in a foam cup. Unfortunately, most of them accidentally spilled out onto the floor. After she collected them up, she announced that she would throw them out and replace them with a fresh supply. She began to pour out the potato sticks into a nearby trash can.

Me: Why don't you just throw out the whole cup and get a new one?

Ada: I'm trying to save the environment!

Ada's solo at the Granit 2012

All we knead is pizza dough!

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."

Hurricane Irene

Ada: Mommy, this hurricane is so popular!  At the bowling alley, they were showing it on the TVs!

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.

Alef-Bet adventures

Ada completed (for the third time in her academic career) the study of the Alef-Bet letters. The milestone was celebrated in lots of ways.

One day, the class had a show-and-tell where each kid brought something that started with a letter of the Alef-Bet. They were supposed to write the word on an index card provided for the purpose. Ada, of course, wanted to bring something for EACH letter of the Alef-Bet. She prepared a list (I helped her with ideas for just a few of them.) and then went down the list getting all the items together and checking each item off as she found it. I was blown away. So was her Morah, as I found out the next time I spoke to her.

Another day, they baked Alef-Bet cookies for their celebration. Ada told me she made the letters of her name and it came out like "Vayikra." I had no idea what she was talking about until she explained that the last alef was small just like in the word vayikra in the Torah!

Ada is thrilled to have a real Alef-Bet book (the classic early primer) and confided to me that having real homework makes her feel very grown up. The first assignment was to read pages alef through yud (1 to 10) and I was supposed to sign the chart indicating that she did her homework. There was also a section for comments. Ada announced that she wanted to finish the whole book and that, when she finished, I should write a note to Morah in the "Compliments." Over-achiever, perhaps? When she got up to page 15, she noted that the page number said tet-vav (which is the numerical equivalent of 15). She said, "That says tet-vav, like tu in Tu B'Shvat so it means 15!" Her analysis of the things she learns and her ability to apply them in other situations blows me away! Talk about higher level critical thinking!

Raise your glass!

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. :)

Shabbat Chavaya

My adorable, sparkling, bursting-with-life roommate from sem drove down to Florida this weekend and stayed at our place for Shabbat. Totally fun is an understatement! I got to meet her delightful family (hubbie + 6 darling kids) and, of course, reminisce about the glory days. Glorious they were! Huge thanks to the fabulous Hadarlings for an awesome sleepover!

spelling samples

Two samples that I discovered among my kids' writings...

Mordechai: ...this little piggy cried wii wii wii all the way home.

Sari: ftogrufer (Can't guess it? It says photographer!)

6 going on teenager...

Ada confided to me the other day the following:

I know how to make my hair in a bun. When I make my hair in a bun and I tie my sweatshirt around my waist, I look really old. Like, even 7!

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?

The Middle East Problem

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)