My Big Little Girls

"...go take care of Ayelet, I'll manage."

Now you may wonder what event preceded this line. Were Ruby and I, building a large piece of furniture? (actually I do all the furniture building on my own, so no). Were we in the middle of preparing a scrumptious feast for a late night dinner? (enter laugh track) Maybe you think we were battling flying aliens invading through the back window. But you would be wrong. Here is what really happened...

Ayelet had finished her bath and was watching TV in the living room, while Hadas had her shower. I was helping Hadas a little with the shampoo, when Ayelet started crying outside. Hence the "It's OK Mum, go take care of Ayelet, I'll manage." I think I actually teared up a little bit when she said it, she sounded so mature. Of course, several minutes later she was complaining that she just couldn't put on her pajamas by herself, I just had to help her! But as I have mentioned in earlier blogs, I try to embrace these little moments where she still wants my help.

And in general she does take excellent care of all her sister's needs including entertainment or leaving cheerios on the floor for Ayelet to find and eat.

Now it's no secret that I let my kids watch TV, but I do try to interact with them a little. As you can see in this video, the problem occurs when I try to interact with the TV on. Take special note towards the end of the video at Ayelet's eye movements. And please excuse my horrible Itsy Bitsy voice.

Other than that, all is well with us here. We are getting prepared for our trip to Canada next week. Well at least mentally prepared. Although can one really mentally prepare to go from the cold winters of Raanana (18 degrees) to the cold winters of Toronto (-18 degrees)?

I wonder if these thoughts were what led Hadas to skip around singing "Suicidal, Suicidal" OK, it was probably just that we had heard the Sean Kingston song, Beautiful Girls in the car on they way to pick up Ayelet -- but the subconscious works in mysterious ways.

My subconscious or would it be just my conscious is telling me to get back to work and stop blogging. I only have 3 days left to finish all my projects!

A Hannukah Summary

Well Hannukah is over. It was a whirlwind of activities, parties, dancing, sufganiyot, singing, laughing, crying, cursing, candies, candles and chocolate coins.

The eight things heard around the house over the holiday:

1. Do I get a present today too? We gave her a couple gifts on the first and second days... so it was a huge disappointment when the gifts didn't keep coming! Ayelet got one present, and she didn't complain at all! Wait she hasn't slept at night since we gave her the present, maybe she is protesting after all!!

2. Can we stop at English Cake (bakery) and get a sufganiya (doughnut)? This is the bakery right next to her gan, which we pass all the time if we go the drugstore. So now of course she thinks it is her right to have something from there each time we pass by.

3. When is Abba coming home to light candles?

4. Can we light my hannukiah too? We did light it a few nights - she originally wanted to light every one she ever made, so I guess we got off easy.

5. Did you like my dancing? (at her gan party) - It was a great party, the kids well behaved and coordinated for the most part. Hadas was super enthusiastic about her participation which made it all the more fun. And Ruby was forced to participate too, which made it hilarious -- see photos below.

6. Remember when the guy jumped in the air - We went to a special hannukah play which had a Comverse only night. We were stuck in traffic, threatened by a policeman, and arrived late to find people sitting in our seats! I was totally stressed out - it was Ruby's fault that we were late, none of us had eaten anything thinking we would have food when we got there (this is where a lot of the cursing came in).

7. Can I have one more chocolate coin?

8. Are we going to Canada right after Hannukah? (Nope. Two weeks later! Yay!)

And yes, you all read correctly. All being well (tfu tfu tfu), we are coming to Canada for almost three weeks!!

Hope you all enjoyed your holiday!

See some of you real soon!

It's been too long...and time goes by so fast

I think it has been so long since I last blogged, that I just don't know where to begin!

That kind of sounds a lot like my life actually, what to tackle first? the laundry? supper? bathtime? Maybe I should feed the girls supper in the bath fully dressed!! That would be killing three birds with one stone! Not that I support the mindless killing of birds with stones - now shotguns, that's another story.

The girls are good. Ayelet is mischievous, crawling all over the place and messing up her Abba's computer. She crawls towards it, looks over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye to see if I am watching and then, whack!! Ruby of course loves when the girls touch his beloved computer! That's him repairing whatever damage she had done, and her giggling at the mayhem she caused.

Ayelet also had a cold (still clinging to it actually) and is teething, which has led to a lot of sleepless nights the last couple of weeks (another reason it has taken me so long to blog - my brain is mushy a lot of days). I think I can see the top tooth pushing through so hopefully things will settle down. Although there are some nights, I really don't think I am going to make it through.

Hadas told me that she can help Ayelet at night if I want. That would be great, except she seems to sleep through everything. Like this morning, she came in to our room and said, Ayelet was a good girl last night, didn't bother her at all, and now she is just talking in her crib, not crying or anything. Well, where was she at 2:30 in the morning when I was in there trying to soothe Ayelet back to sleep!! !#^&%@#&^ I hope you mothers out there can relate, and I am not the only one close to losing it sometimes.

Hadas has been really good to her sister though. The girls were sitting together watching something on TV (I know some of you think that TV for youngsters is evil, but I LOVE it!), and Hadas was having some crackers and cottage cheese. I asked her to give Ayelet half a cracker, which she kindly did, and continued to do at appropriate intervals when Ayelet turned to her for more. I said, "Thank you big sister for all the crackers."

Hadas said, "She doesn't have to thank me she's my sister!" Like my mum says, I hope it lasts. Thinking back, I can't remember a single fight between my sisters and me... um, OK, maybe one or two (thousand). But we are great friends now, so that's what counts. And as you can see from the picture below, Hadas has got Ayelet's back!



Me, Hadas drives crazy sometimes. Anything I ask her to do, (pick up her toys, get ready for a shower, put away her dishes, etc.) she responds by saying, "First I want to tell you something." Usually she has nothing to say, she's just being a good little procrastinator, but I got to remember that the time is coming when she might not want to "tell me something", so I better enjoy these moments that she wants to share with me.

The moments when the kids are clinging to you and you just want to peel them off, try to just hold on a little longer, stay and tell one more story, let her tell you one more thing, before the door on that little world is closed, with a do not enter sign.

I hope that doesn't sound depressing, I don't mean for it to be. It's just my realization about how fast time goes by, suddenly Ayelet is wearing clothes, that I am sure Hadas was wearing just last week.

And for all of you who offered Hadas to come play in the snow with them, she asked, "Don't they know I live in Israel? And Canada is really far?"

Love you all. Countdown to Hannukah is on!!