Stuck Together Pajamas

The result of "Can i take a picture of you in your new stuck together pajamas?" (which Samuel has been asking for since sleeping over with David)

Once upon a saturday

We had a typical Saturday today.  One parent slept in (Marc today), kids ate challah toast for breakfast. We watched some tv and hung out in pajamas until lunch time.  We did go to Andy's house to take her some milk.  

Here is Matthew's (slightly morbid) response to my question "Matthew can you tell me a story"

And here is Renee's story a little later in the morning.

Renee and I had a bumpy day today.  She didn't like that I watched TV with her boys even though i was taking turns - boys until a commercial and then Renee until the next one.  She insisted that the movie was the commercial "see Ima (she's taken to calling me Ima = mom in Hebrew), that's a Scooby Doo commercial, not movie".  Soon things escalated "You are not my daughter anymore.  Only Daddy is my daughter".  It was a recurring theme.

Matthew and Renee, true kids of a Mexican Jew, playing dreidel on top of a Mayan pyramid.

Tocayo came by in the afternoon to build Lego with Samuel. Samuel though i think has overdosed on lego building.  7 sets in 5 days would do it.  He went so far as to say "if i touch another lego, my had will fall of.  Seriously.  For real".  So they played instead and went to the car wash. 

Shabbat Shalom

The things that matter at the end of the day (or week).

My parents have the ability to turn anything into something fun for kids.  My grandmother Renee was like that too.  I remember putting drops of glue on my finger tips then let it dry and then run it on my arms and face, or spreading a thin layer of glue on my hand letting it try and peeling it off.  This was try to step on the spot of light.  

Four Year Old Fashionista, and her boys

The kids dress themselves, we only edit for weather appropriateness.  In Renee's case that means long sleeves under the summer dressed she loves to wear.  

Dinner Out

We missed swimming (traffic and getting stuck at work). But we still went out for dinner.

Monday Night into Tuesday Morning

Samuel had a heard time getting to sleep, it wasn't so much the excitement of the giant lego set awaiting him,  but rather thoughts about the Princess Bride.  the movie was on TV this weekend and we watched it together.  He was really into it.  Unfourtunately, the "pit of despair" and the life sucking machine really stayed with him.  He had a hard time falling asleep and then he woke up a couple times during the night.

Renee had a bad bloody nose, got the carpet, pillows, blankets, her hair.  We dealt with that.  

Matthew wet his bed.  Soaked.  We dealt with that.

Not sure who was in what bed, but at one point Renee came to find me to complain that she was all alone "Mami, I'm alone in my room,i don't like that, no one is with me, my room is all plain"

Needless to say, we were all a little grumpy in the morning.   

Monday night

My parents took Samuel out for a special birthday dinner and lego shopping excursion (more on that later) so Marc and I had dinner with Matthew and Renee. 

Matthew "Boys is stronger than girls"
Renee "yeah boys is stronger than girls, but girls is smarter than boys"
Matthew "yeah girls is smarter"
Renee "girls is smart and boys is strong"
Me "some girls are stronger than boys, and some boys are smarter than girls. Boys and girls can be smart and strong"
Matthew "boys is strong and girls is smart"
Renee "yeah"
Matthew "I like broccoli. I want soy sauce for my rice"
Renee "I don't like the pepper on my salmon, only the pink"

I'm not sure what to make of this - I know they are four, gender identification is big, comparisons are big, all part of figuring out who they are and how they and everything else fits in the world around them. Matthew does have more physical strength, Renee is crazy smart, so in some ways they are right. But I'm not ok with the generalization and the comparison, my feminist self cringed, while fully recognizing the reality of four year olds. The topic came and went, and we'll be listening to "Free To Be" this weekend. 

Now about Samuel and the Lego. My parents took him out for dinner and to buy his birthday present. I knew he'd want a big $100+ lego set (Hoth Battle from StarWars) so I suggested to my mom that she establish a budget for him - any lego set less than $40 or $50 - to limit his selection, show value of money, etc. A couple hours later I got this email from my dad. Subject: "Happy Guy". Email text "budget exceeded, everyone is happy". 

From: Eduardo Lulka [mailto:elulka@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 08:07 PM
To: Silvia Lulka
Subject: Muchacho feliz  

Presupuesto excedido, todos felices
Eduardo

Samuel got his 4th lego set for this birthday, 2nd huge one, and he still has another en route from Bubbah and Zaida. He also bought a small set for Matthew "he already has this one but he lost all of it so I know he'll love it" and a Friends lego for Renee. When I told Samuel my dad could come build the lego set with him he responded "no, I'll build this one all by myself. It's a whole building and you can close it and tuck it in at night". 

At least we're done. One of the huge sets was bought on loan against the money he'll get from his EchoAge birthday party in a couple weeks. Maybe we should have made him sign and I O U. 

.

Coming home from the park

The Day After Seven

We spent the day making legos.  My cousin came by in the afternoon and helped with the lego building and did some arts and crafts.  During a we-have-to-get-fresh-air-and-run-around break, Samuel headed towards a bench and said "Seven is different.  It feels different.  Something is convincing me.". I asked why he said that as i sat next to him on the bench.  He responded by cuddling inside my sweater and jacket and asking me if i believe in Gd.  Makes me think seven is about asking big questions and grappling big concepts while still wanting to be held.

P.S. There aren't pictures from the actual building or the finished products.  we were too intense and focused for silly things like looking for, or taking pictures with, cameras, phones or tablets.

Happy Birthday!

On the eve of 7

We went to buy fruit (and chocolate sauce) for his birthday at school.  Samuel ran up and down the ramps 10 times, up and down the down ramp.  He was exhilarated and then exhausted.  

Cant believe he's turning seven.  At bedtime he said "I'm really thinking about what it's going to feel like". Me "what what is going to feel like".  Samuel "to be seven.  I wonder what it will be like". 

XXXXXXX OOOOOOO