I can fly a plane!

Nana was so happy to see me when I got off the aypaym with Ima. Ima was also happy to see her too, and to hand me over to someone else for a while! I don't know why -- I really only fussed a little on the plane, and I enjoyed my own seat on each flight. I even slept some. Abba was right though -- Ima packed way too much stuff in the carry on bags! Here we are in Nana's office downtown. We also went to the Main Library to get a bunch of books for me to read while we are here. I really like Airport and Goodnight Gorilla.
Just after we arrived, we went to Walmart to get a toy bus for me (and some other things, like socks, but they are kinda boring compared to a bus!). I decided to try to ride even though this toy was still in its box. I was a bit distraught when pulled off the toy, but then we found my bus, and I didn't mind so much!



In the house, I like to sit in funny places. I like the cat's bed, because it's soft and fuzzy. And besides, the cat usually isn't in it! I also like to sit on the stairs with my Nana. THe stairs are also soft and fuzzy because they have carpet. I like carpet. I ALSO like to sit in my Nana's special chair, with a blankie. This is my favorite place to drink milk and to watch cartoons.






You'd think I didn't have enough toys -- but I do. I also like to play with cans of cat food. Don't ask me to explain why!

In the supermarket, I can drive the cart. Why don't they have these in Israel? It was so much fun!

I went to the Discovery Museum with Ima and Nana. They have a special area just for tots (that's me), and also an airplane exhibit. That's me driving a car, playing with beads and flying a DC-9 (I think).

I also like to play Koo-Koo (peek a boo) with Nana and Poppy. There aren't any pictures of that though. Use your imagination. If you can't see me, it's peek a boo!

Block City

Ariel has a new favorite passion: blocks. In fact, at his checkup today at the well baby clinic, he was asked to stack three blocks -- to see if he was "on par" developmentally. He stacked six. We're so proud! Ariel loves his book "Block City," a beautifully illustrated version of the Robert Louis Stevenson poem -- and he likes to act it out as well! But on the shopping list for our upcoming trip to the US is a set of wooden blocks.

"Block City"

by Robert Louis Stevenson


What are you able to build with your blocks?

Castles and palaces, temples and docks.

Rain may keep raining, and others go roam,

But I can be happy and building at home.




Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,

There I'll establish a city for me:

A kirk and a mill and a palace beside,

And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.




Great is the palace with pillar and wall,

A sort of a tower on the top of it all,

And steps coming down in an orderly way

To where my toy vessels lie safe in the bay.




This one is sailing and that one is moored:

Hark to the song of the sailors aboard!

And see, on the steps of my palace, the kings

Coming and going with presents and things!




Now I have done with it, down let it go!

All in a moment the town is laid low.

Block upon block lying scattered and free,

What is there left of my town by the sea?




Yet as I saw it, I see it again,

The kirk and the palace, the ships and the men,

And as long as I live and where'er I may be,

I'll always remember my town by the sea.
(1913)

BOO!

Abba taught Ariel a great game today. The game is called "Boo!" It goes like this: You come up very quietly next to someone and shout "BOO!" and then everybody doubles over in peals of laughter.

Abba "boo'ed" Ariel once -- at which point Ariel started laughing so hard he almost cried -- and then Ariel figured it out and spent the better part of Shabbat afternoon saying "BOO" "BOO" "BOO" over and over! He even tried it on the cat, but it didn't go anywhere (though she did!).

Then, just when it seemed Ariel had forgotten about it, and Abba had gone and lay down on the couch for a nap.... Ariel crept over and shouted "BOO!" in Abba's ear! Silly abba -- you teach me the game, you're stuck with the results! Ariel also decided that the middle of "Corduroy" was a good time to shout "Boo" once more!

We're waiting to see if he shouts "Boo!" all day tomorrow in daycare!

And if you're still reading....

Ariel's new words (and better pronounced old words) are: mouth, pees (please -- he's got the S sound now), wash, eat (with the sign), gapes (grapes), gotcheese (cottage cheese, not goat cheese), wheeeeee (slide), and boo (obviously). His favorite books to read to himself are the Dr. Seuss ABC board book and Hippos Go Berserk (because there is a BUS in it). He reads himself to sleep -- in his bed, surrounded by Elmo and Ima's bear Cocoa, his sippy cup of water, one or two pacifiers, his Mickey Mouse toy videophone (in case he needs to call for backup at 4 a.m.), and his blankie.

He is obsessed with buses (and big-buses -- the double buses), trucks (gucks), cars, airplanes (aypayms), and helicopters (hecos).

He also -- recently -- began announcing "OOGA" and then walking in a circle!. It only took Ima ten minutes of saying "Ariel, tell me what you want in English" before she figured out that Ariel was just announcing the song he was about to dance to! He just wanted Ima to sing along for him!

Ooga Ooga Ooga is a Hebrew rhyming children's song which goes like this (it's kinda like musical chairs, but no one gets out -- instead, everyone holds hands and goes in a circle):

עוגה עוגה עוגה במעגל נחוגה נסתובבה כל היום עד אשר נמצא מקום לשבת לקום לשבת לקום לשבת לקום לשבת ולקום

"Cake, cake, cake / We go around in a circle / We go around all day long / Until we find a place / To sit down / to stand up / to sit down / to stand up / to sit down / and to stand up."

No, I don't know why it starts out "cake, cake, cake." I guess it rhymes.

BOO!

A year of day care comes to an end

As difficult as it is to believe, Ariel's day care ("ma'on") is reaching the end of the year. Check out the difference between last September, on his first day at the ma'on, and Friday, when they held a sort of end-of-year party:













The child on the left is a baby, not even a year old, unable to walk. The child on the right runs and jumps and climbs stairs. He also is now legitimately bilingual, understanding probably hundreds of words (and speaking a good number of them too) in both Hebrew and English. Quite a difference!

Anyway, the music/rhythm teacher, who visits each week, played songs about the summertime, handing out props for the kids to play with, as the parents watched with glee... and snapped a million pictures. After the songs, we all went out to the backyard play area for some cake. Ariel, as you can see, thoroughly enjoyed his slice.

For the record, he has also enjoyed his "teachers" -- especially Rada, a Muslim woman who is totally smitten with him, and Leah, who has comforted Ariel through a number of bumps and arguments over toys and has taught him to call out to turtledoves. He has gotten very attentive care and plenty of nutritious food, and he has learned a lot. We're going to miss ma'on!

Fortunately, the summer vacation for day care is a little less than a month... then Ariel gets to start a new year, which, we know, will probably fly by just like this one did!

Ariel goes to "camp"

Ariel really likes his new camp t-shirt -- even though he won't be old enough to come to camp until the summer of 2011!

Ariel had an amazing day (and a good way to stay alert long enough to discourage jetlag) when he joined Ima and the Ramah Jerusalem Day Camp (with Abba in tow) at Kiftzuba!

Ariel loved the ball pit and the ride-on car area -- so much so that he tried to ride a Little Tikes cozy coupe all around the grounds!

The day wouldn't have been complete without a few rides down several "wheees" (as Ariel calls slides), ice pops & potato chips, a ride around the Kiftzuba train with Abba, and bouncy castles (which, while they originally frightened Ariel, quickly became a place for him to practice -- quite happily -- his first somersaults)! Ariel really had a blast! The campers also enjoyed plying a very willing Ariel with treats, prizes from the arcade, and more!

Below:

Ariel and Abba wave from the train!

In Ariel's words:

"Oh, cain! Oh, cain!"

"Bye bye"

Sleeping, sliding and saying Shema

Ariel went to Lakewood for his Uncle Yechiel's wedding, flying into and out of Philadelphia for the occasion.

He was very good on all the flights -- from Tel Aviv to London, London to Philadelphia, and back again -- and handled an overwhelming experience with aplomb.

There was so much to do: get reacquainted with Bubbie and Zaydie, and with (Great) Uncle Zvi and (Great) Aunt Ruchama, and with Yechiel, as well as meeting Uncle Andrew and SO many other people. Fortunately, there was also plenty of noshing going on, and plenty of playing.

Throughout the week, certain activities were repeated most often -- namely, sleeping in strange positions and playing his little heart out. Here are some photos of those moments, including a shot of Ariel propped up against a chair at the wedding, somehow managing to sleep through all the noise. At the end is a photo of Ariel "davening" one morning, wearing Abba's "pippah" -- er, kippah.

Oh, yes: Ariel also went to see the Liberty Bell. He was less than impressed. After waiting in line in the heat and several hours on the road, he gave me a look that said, "Abba, it's a bell. It's broken. Yay. Can we go get lunch now?"

Ariel reads Corduroy

Ariel likes to read. In fact, Corduroy (Corroy) is his current favorite book. He will command "read it" and "more," and especially likes real stories with good pictures and an actual plot. Although most people don't think a 21 month old can stay focused for the whole story, Ariel can!

This is how Ariel reads the book:

First, we have to look at the frontispiece, where there is a hot air balloon. Ariel notes: "laloon." Next page is just a picture of green overalls. Ariel's comment: "Corroy, hehehe." The story begins:

"Corroy" (pointing to Corduroy on the shelf). Turns page.

"Ani" (me), pointing to the little boy on the rocking horse. Turns page.

"Mommy," pointing to Lisa's mommy on the page. Turns page, and Ariel starts saying "oh no" now, as Corduroy slips off the shelf to look for his button.

As soon as he climbs up onto the bed to pull off his button (and land with a crash), this is what Ariel narrates: "Oh no! pull! Oh no, brokee. Oh no! Boom! Crash. Corroy."

He giggles at Corduroy's ears poking up from under the covers and then remarks again "Mommy" and "hug" at the end of the story.

And that's really the gist of it: "Corroy, mommy. Pull. Oh no, broken, crash. Hug."