Bedtime Imaginations

Tonight at bedtime "Mami, there are s may imaginations in my head, they won't let me listen to your bedtime song"

And a correction, or addendum to a previous post - Samuel loves " . . . everyone, except aliens, monsters, ghosts and zombies".


All 3 kids have been sick this weekend. Matthew and Renee with diarrhea and Samuel with a fever, cough, cold bug. We stayed home all weekend, with a few key exceptions:
- "Mafw go shopin loblo with dady" (Mathew went shopping at Loblaws with Daddy)
- and Regi took Matthew and Renee to my grandmother's this afternoon while Samuel and I napped
- and then, for a heavenly 2 hours, everyone went out for dinner and I stayed home, ate matzah ball soup and relaxed :)

Birthday party

Decorating the birthday cake

Multi-generational licking of spatulas and spoons

The finished product

Don't blink of you'll miss the birthday boy . . . oops missed him

Easier to catch him sitting down


Matthew had a hard time getting used to the indoor playground at first, barely cracking a smile . . .
. . . but once he got on the slide, there was no stopping him.

A trunk full of gifts, pizza, fruit and cake eaten, fun had by all. And the best part of was bedtime when Samuel said "Mami, my whole day was my favourite".

Car dialogue

Here's a 2 minute snip it of the running commentary in our life, I typed thsi as we drive home from Samuel's birthday party:

Marc - what do you want for dinner?
Samuel - what we had for first Monday (not sure what first monday is)
Matthew - Tuesday
Renee - Monday, Tuesday
Matthew - train, i want it train, call baby (reference to calling my grandmother)
Renee - no Monday, no no no no, no Tuesday
Matthew singing - I want to move it, move it
Renee - no no Monday, wesday, tusday
Matthew singing - happy birthday Samuel, happy birthday Daddy
Samuel - my head hurts
Silvia - we'll get you medicine when we get home
Samuel - drinking medicine?
Matthew - achoo
Renee - more Samuel
Matthew - a a a a a a a a a ch o o o o o
Renee - acho
Samuel - acho, choc,cho, cho achoo choo (singing), when I get older I will be stronger
Renee singing - oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (tune of waving flag)
Samuel singing - Spiderman, spiderman, ta ta ta ta ta da, ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta da, look out here comes spider man.

And on and on. Two toddlers' trains of thought, out loud is hilarious, and add Samuel to the mix and I wish I could type fast enough to capture it, or that they keep going after the video camera came out.

Shabbat at Home

Our Shabbat dinners are at my parents' house, a lovely multi-generation celebration that marks the end of the week and beginning of the weekend. There's such wisdom in having a ritual for that demarcation and reason to pause, I can feel the tension leaving as we recite the blessings and sing the songs.

What we miss out on if hosting our own dinners. The time will come for that when we have a dining room (vs. playroom) and the kids are older. But the pride that Samuel took in setting his beautiful Shabbat table on Friday makes me think that I should do what I can to host Shabbat dinners to home in the near future.

Everything here was chosen and placed on the table by Samuel while Matthew and Renee sat in thier booster seats and watched.

When Marc got home, we light the candles, blessed the wine/grape juice, gave thanks for bread and ate the favourite "bagl smok sama" and "ke chee" (bagels with smoked salmon with cream cheese) meal. Singing Hinei Ma Tuv (how good it is to be amongst friends) between bites.

Shabbat Shalom!

Thanks for the birthday card Rachkael

Table setting

Last night, Renee opened the drawer with the plastic plates, took out 4 plates, 4 forks and set the table. BY HERSELF!!! (the empty place setting is in my spot, not sure what the message there is)

Samuel Speak

"I love everyone, in the whole wide world (arms outstretched). Except aliens and pirates"

My sister's keeper

In the car this morning:

Matthew: Mami, Renee want more pan (pan = bread)

Me: Renee do you want more bread?

Renee: Renee want more pan

I give Renee more bread

Matthew: tanku (thank-you) Mami

Renee: taku (thank-you) Mami

Tocayo, Baby and the Birthday Boy

Turning 5

Dear Samuel,

You beamed when you woke up this morning, smiling ear-to-ear, ready recipient to the hugs, kisses and "happy biday" greetings from Matthew and Renee.

At your birthday ceremony, you wore your crown with great pride and confidently walked around the "sun" (candle). You loved showing everyone the pictures you choose to bring to school. When your teacher asked you what you were going to do as a 5 year old that you couldn't do as a 4 year old, you told her you'd tell Matthew and Renee to stop jumping on the bed.

You served everyone fruit - pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon and grapes on your request. And sat with Jaeli and Ori to enjoy it.

We went for dinner at Terroni, again at your request. You were quite shaken when you arrived. Your Baby Rebeca (great grandmother) had fallen while crossing the street on her way to dinner, and you were right next to her when she fell. You asked why she fell, and if it hurt, and why she fell, and if she was ok and why she fell repeatedly. Thankfully, she seems to be ok, but true to your empathetic nature, you weren't so ok.

As you saw her look better, you perked up. Insisted on your own pizza, in addition to the one you were already sharing with Matthew and Renee. You loved the gifts from everyone.

You insisted on Happy Birthday in 4 languages, but weren't a big fan of the flourless chocolate cake. You did stop to talk to several tables and wait staff to share the news of your 5th birthday.

Matthew ate and ate and ate. Renee was wild. You tried to tell her to calm down and even pointed out that she shouldn't jump on pizza boxes. Unfortunately, your efforts were futile.

When we got home, we started to put together your fire truck Lego and you fell asleep with Daddy.
My guy, mi senor Samuel, thank-you for 5 years of the most fantastic journey. Your are a treasure and a joy to with.

XO

Birthday Candles

from the cupcakes we had for breakfast - yum!

He loved the mini Lego figures from Matthew, and silly bands from Renee, and Firetruck from us. All shared and opened before school/work.

The best bedtime book ever

We have a photo album of Samuel's first year, and he choose to read it as his bedtime book tonight, in full consciousness that he turns 5 tomorrow.

He asked all sorts of questions - why did I cry was a prominent one. He identified my Zaide who he really only met once at the age of 3 months. Vickie - he had lots of questions about T (was he my friend? Is he bigger? Where does he live?). He tried to put both fists in his mouth imitating a baby picture. He relished in the stories of who gave and made him clothes and blankets, and who came to visit, who gave him toys. And, he knew exactly what toys we still have, including the baby gund plush caterpillar I said we had given away already but found later tonight while looking for pictures to take to school tomorrow.

It was a lovely way to reflect on his first year. And so fitting, he is such an empathetic person, and reflective, with a great memory.

Next time I blog, I'll officially have 5 years of parenting under my belt. THANKS SAMUEL!!!!

Note the 'socks'

They may look like gloves (my gloves to be more precise) but they aren't. They are super jumpy socks that give soon-to-be 5 year olds the power to jump while counting backwards from 10.

Result of water colours

While I drank my coffee and read a cook book . . .

Renee loved what she did, until she saw it. She looked at the reflection in the mirror, saw the black water colour on her face, started to cry and said "Mafew did tis". When she cleaned the water colour off she proudly declared "I did it"

Dental Hygiene

The love, love, love brushing their teeth (bush teef). And call out the toothpaste(s) of choice by name "blue" = our adult toothpaste, "Dora" = the kids' toothpaste with Dora's picture (the marketing works brilliantly) and "bear"= toddler toothpaste which has a bear on it.

A kiss is just a kiss

The first kiss tonight was a full-on on the lips kiss (but I missed it).

For Renee's Aunt Racheal

Remember this sweat shirt? The look of indignation was due to my instance that I take the picture.

Yogurt mmmmmmm

Day-in-the-life: Dinner Time

Matthew, Renee and I got home before anyone else. We got the music going so they would dance while I changed. But, they had other plans - Renee draged a chair over to the counter to climb on it (the counter) to help herself to a pencil, and Matthew loudly announced "mami, mafew pooed" (Mami, Matthew pooped). He didn't he just peed but I'm guessing that his penis was outside his diaper (it often is, Matthew and his "pene" are close friends who spend as much time together as possible) because he was soaked.

Fast forward 10 minutes, now everyone has dry / clean / dinner appropriate clothes. Matthew tries to get into his booster and gets stuck. Renee refuses her booster and insists on sitting in Samuel's chair which she has moved next to Matthew, and Samuel isn't home yet so this is fine. Diner is served, a weird left over combo of pea soup and quesadillas ("pizza" or "dilla") with guacamole ("mole") and salsa verde ("sok"). Renee asks for water, Matthew for "app jus". When I get the apple juice, Renee wants it instead of water and Matthew yells and cries, he wants the "ote appl jus" (other apple juice, also known as orange juice).

The each have their beverages, soups, dinners.

Renee takes Matthew's quesadilla and takes a bite. I give Matthew one of Renee's quesadillas, but he says no and Renee gives Matthew his quesadilla back. The also exchange guacamole and soup, and pour drinks in and out of each others cups and sound bowls. When Matthew does something Renee says "no matthew" and then does the same thing and then Matthew says "no renee". Liquids and sauces get spilled, they each take their napkins to clean their respective messes, which really just causes a bigger mess, but it's the activity and its intent that matter at age 2. They were hilarious and fascinating to watch. They have whole conversations with themselves and each other, laughing hysterically.

Marc gets home, and then Samuel. Dinner continues, and then ends with the eating of 3/4 of a pineapple largely by the kids and the fight over Halloween candy.

Post-dinner was a disaster of Samuel purposefully pouring a cup of water on Matthew and Renee's bedroom floor, biting himself while jumping on the bed, Matthew having a total breakdown when Marc read Samuel a book and I tried to take him to bed.

I expect to hear the nightly pitter-patter of feet with the "mami, daddy, come bed" call in a few hours.

Good night!

Matthew's Boots

Matthews choice of footwear on Sunday.

On Monday, he refused to put on pants or socks (or let me do it). he was successful in putting his shoes on, his own shoes, right foot in right shoe, Velcro and all. It just added insult to injury though when I took his shoes off so I could put his pants and socks on. And then, like a switch turned off, he stopped crying as soon as he was buckled in his car seat.

Shabbat shalom

"Samuel"

He was beaming at his monarch butterfly work on Thursday.

NaPoBloMo

For the third year in a row, here I come!! (late, yes, but I'm here).

Snippet of Life - Nov 3

Tocayo and Regi came by tonight. After a dinner of "pino" (pepino = cucumber), smok sama (smoked salmon) and bagels, the kids and grandparents danced the night away, at least until bedtime.

Matthew demonstrated his teethe brushing prowess, selecting every toothpaste at least once. Brushing, when reminded (vs. his preference to suck the tiny smear of toothpaste), he brshed font "front" and open. He's getting pretty good at the motion, but his aim with the bristles is still off.

Renee peed on the potty 2x at daycare, but said "no way" to the potty at home this morning (yes she say no way, it's a quote).

Samuel and I played rock, paper, scissors to bridge the gap between him being finished dinner and Matthew and Renee still eating.

A good night on all counts.