Still growing...

This is a picture of me with my cousins Estee and Batya. Estee is five and a half and Batya is four. I went to their house in Modiin for Shabbat with Ima while Abba was away in 'Merca. My cousin Yosef, who is six months older than me, was there too, but he was sleeping. Here we are all dressed up for Shabbat. In a very pre-schooler sort of way, that is -- and eating fish sticks...

Well, I'm now really getting this "two" thing. I can throw a temper tantrum like you wouldn't believe, I can put on my own sandals (not on the right feet, but I can get them on nonetheless), and I can take my socks off. I'm not interested in the potty yet (except in putting toilet paper into the potty and flushing it every time I walk by... and using it as a stool to reach the sink so I can wash my hands).

I am speaking in clear three and four word sentences these days -- and in Hebrew too. I say things like לא רוצה and אמא עושה לי and די מסוכן and מי זה and מה זה

In English, I make jokes and think about my day even after Ima puts me to sleep. The other night I spent ten minutes shouting "Ego (Diego), Dora, Boots" before I fell asleep. Ima thinks I was replaying the episode in my head. I also point out when things are "funny." They make me laugh!

I am really enjoying my gan too -- we have a lot of fun and special activities each week. On Mondays there is a rhythmica teacher who comes to teach us songs and movement and dances, and on Wednesdays we get to hear stories about animals and meet a new one each week. Last week we met gerbils!

Finally, I wanted to let you all know that I can count to fourteen. It goes like this:
free, four, five, six, veven, nine, ten, eveven, ten, fourteen.

Two!

It's been hard to do any updating around here. Every time I turn around it's "no, we don't watch t.v. today, because it's Chag/Shabbat/Chag/Shabbat." So I did what any two year old would do: I said "movie?" as if that were any different! So no, I haven't watched a lot of Dora, Thomas, or Elmo over the last two weeks, but I did have another major accomplishment. I turned TWO!

My secular birthday was October 8, but it wasn't much fun this year because it was on Erev Yom Kippur. So I went to shul and tried really really hard to listen quietly, but then Ima took me outside because I was "fussy." I was doing pretty well for a two year old, thank you! It WAS my birthday (one of them, anyway) after all! I think Ima was fussy, so I ran outside and she listened to the davening from there. Then Abba came outside too and we listened together, and then we went home and Ima and Abba and I all went to sleep at my bedtime.

On my Hebrew birthday, 17 Tishrei, I had a party. Uncle Erik was there, and my friends Avi and Aviv and Lia and Eliana and Gilad (and his brother Eyal) came over and we colored, played with playdough that Ima made, and ate train (and airplane, motorcycle, and car) shaped pasta, and then went to the sukkah for a yummy cake that Ima made. It was shaped like a CHOO CHOO TRAIN! And boy was I excited! I also liked my presents!!!

The next day we went on a trip up north. It wasn't much fun, but I got to see my cousins Yosef and Batya and Estee, and to ride on a bus. Oh, and Abba let me eat some gee-gums (gummies). They were yummy!

Fan, outside!

I find it funny when things aren't in their places. So yesterday, I noticed that one of our fans was on the balcony (it is kinda cool out now).

So I pointed it out:

Fan, outside! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Fan, outside! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

This went on for about 20 minutes, and I got Ima and Abba to laugh too.

I made a joke.

Hooray for pee-pee!

After a few weeks of experimenting with sitting on his special potty, but not actually using it, Ariel had his first "I can do it myself" pee today.

We're all very excited -- especially Ariel, who got a sticker for his efforts.

Shocking, revealing photos of Ariel on his potty will follow shortly...

Happy New Year!

Run

I walked home from ma'on (daycare) today.

I just didn't want to be in the stroller -- "AYYEH" wanted to do it himself.

Actually, to be exact, I ran home.

Since I like to give play by play of what I'm "doin', I said "run" and then ran about 5 yards/meters. Then I stopped and waited for Ima's permission to run again, pumping my arms the whole way. I had to hold Ima's hand to cross the street, which I did not like ONE bit). I had fun running, and then fell promptly asleep for a 3+ hour nap!

I also like to walk. And to take my puppy for a walk. I command it to "WALK" and then sometimes get frustrated when his leash gets tangled around his neck or ear or foot.

By the way, if you're keeping track, I started walking about 11 months ago. On October 24th 2007 (ring a bell? I did it for Ima and Abba's wedding anniversary!), I took my first steps without the help of the coffee table or someone's legs or hands.

Now I run, jump (on both feet), climb all the way up the steps to our apartment without holding on, walk down stairs (holding the railing or the wall -- though I can do the bottom two steps without holding on!), climb ladders in the playground, and I haven't met a jungle gym I didn't like!

Moon bubbles

This morning when I woke up, I ran to the balcony. (I provided the script, too, saying "run" as I was doing it.)

When I got there, I looked up. And I reported what I saw to Ima.

"Moon bubble. Up. Yook."

In other words, I could see the moon, and it looked like a bubble. And it was, in fact, up. And I wanted Ima to look at it. Ima says it's because it was just a full moon, but all I know is that it looked like a bubble.

Yesterday, I reported from the balcony too.

"Copper. Up. Yook. 'pin. More."

Helicopter. Up -- look! It's spinning. Can I see more?

I really do mean for my words to be strung together in what Ima calls sentences, but I still put a full stop between each word. It's hard to learn a language or two.