Birthday All Together

As Ben is going to sleep I remind him that he will be Seven years old tomorrow and that this is the last night he is SIX.

"Oh no," Ben says, "I'll be one, two, three, four, five, six and seven years old tomorrow."

I prompted him for more.

"All the stuff I love from each year is going to my year Seven."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like Bionicles and Legos."

Of course, that'd be his response.

:) My birthday boy.

Ben: "I found a golden weapon (referring to Ninjago)".
Charlotte: (pointing to the booklet) "Is this it?"
Ben: "Nope, but it's SIMILAR".
COMMENT TO MYSELF: He uses the word SIMILAR?!

Love Plus One

The other night, upon tucking Benjamin into bed - I said: "I Love You".
He replied: "I don't tell you that I love you because I always love you 'Plus One' ".
"If you say I love you 'one', then I love you 'two', until we get to infinity".

Ah, 'Love Plus One'.

Passover Muffins a la Charlotte & Ben flair

Passover Muffin Mix (basically a plain muffin) - they added small slices of orange, cinnamon and raisins.  YUMMY!!

Oranges at Light Speed

Charlotte has had a recent frequent attraction to eating oranges.  Whether it is at the end of a meal, as a snack or as a breakfast starter - it's all about the oranges.  She peels it and devours it in record time.  Sometimes, I don't even realize that she's started to eat it and just find her sitting there with a plate full of orange rind.  Now that's Oranges at Light Speed!

Interesting Math Technique

Charlotte is required to practice multiplication table review for homework each night (since return from Winter Break).  Tonight, she replied with her answers in an interesting show of "Math Technique"... SPINNING around in circles in the middle of the living room while listening to the problem and then stopping for her reply.

I don't like that but now I do

Benjamin and Charlotte are foodies except for the strange selections of food they do not eat.  Benjamin told David that he had tried Rice Pudding before.  David said, "Try it again", after he made homemade Rice Pudding (yes, my man rocks but that's a different post).  Benjamin tried it and (drum roll please) ...
LIKE RICE PUDDING.

Equal but Different

At some point, every kid asks their parents - "Do you love me the same as you love my ... brother/sister?"
Well, this week's Torah portion "Vayechi", the last book in Genesis, reminds us that Jacob blessed his twelve sons as he was on the doorstep of death.  He blessed each one in a unique manner.

So, the answer is "No, I do not love you the same as I love your brother/sister (insert here) but differently".
As parents, we attempt to love each of our children with the same depth, acceptance and unconditional manner.

How would you say you love your children differently one from another?
 

Glittery Bag on the Bima

This evening we attended services at our synagogue.  Charlotte, in creating the most outlandish outfit to break her daily "plain uniform", donned a Christmassy dress and had a glittery handbag as her accessory of choice.  So, her class is called up to the Bima (front stage) and Charlotte brings her glittery bag.  Ah, accessories - they are a joy of life.

Love of Crazy Flavors

http://image.email.baskinrobbins.com/lib/ff031272766405/m/1/I0538_October_FOM_Email_6.jpg?cid=995355&jid=42143200&mc=100&eid=1154363&icid=fas_000065


Charlotte and I share the love of scary flavors.  Wonder which one of us will use this BOGO October Flavor - it's Trick OREO^® Treat ... "a scary good creation. Vanilla ice cream packed with orange créme filled OREO® cookies, Baby Ruth®, and Butterfinger® candy pieces. It's terrifyingly delicious." 

Uzu Alley

It's usually a ball of laughs around here with two marvelous kids and my hubby. Why I've waited so long to get back to blogging... I have NO idea.

So, back at it... I'll start with Ben's amazing reading vocabulary. He is WAY above the average Kindergartner due only to his love of reading and not to our teaching him.

When sounding out words (as he does so fearlessly) - he announced Uzu-alley OR as you might pronounce it - usually.

I do love that fearless pronounciation.

Frogs

Ben in bed "Frogs here, frogs there, frogs jumping everywhere". And there he is surrounded by his frogs - three in his bed to be exact. Charlotte called Ben "Frog" in utero but the nickname did not stick.

Seaweed as a packing material

Tomorrow we'll be at the "new house" as Ben calls our home at 16 Baroness. The transition is good so far and I am optimistic that all will go smoothly. Moving on a Friday will allow us two days in the house together until we get back to work and camp.

Andrea is taking them tomorrow morning and we have visitors tomorrow afternoon - David's sister BILto-be.

Day 2 of Charlotte staying home to get the cooties out of her bod before returning to camp. She was definitely bored.

When asking her which of the four remaining snacks she wanted for her 10:30am munchy she asked: "Can we make sushi?" So I gave her a tour of all the things that still had to be packed and she quited a bit.

Which was I more surprised at: sushi for snack or that she thought I'd drop the packing materials and make some sushi for her? Not sure which.

102.5

Charlotte was home today with a fever and symptoms neither of my kids show: general malaise, shaking, flushed cheeks, sweating and not eating at all. Doc said that it is not strep or ear infections... just a virus.

We'll be packing until the wee hours of the morning so call if you want to perk up my day.

Banana like cheese

It's been way long enough and it's time to start again.
New house - new starts.

Today Charlotte is home with a mild fever and low appetite so when she asked for a banana I was pleased that she wanted to eat.

"Would you like it sliced?"
"No thanks, I'd like to eat it like string cheese."

Banana like cheese, hun?!

What is *#$%@

"Oh NO!" I thought as I heard Charlotte ask the definition of a word.
I was sure that a word on the radio had prompted her to add the wrong vocabulary word to her collection. I did not even hear it myself.

"What is shrewd."
Thank goodness, I thought that she had asked about the word "screwed".
And why did she want to know the definition of this word.
Well, she said that in the movie "Ice Age" the sloth called the mammoth "shrewd".

Now, it was up to me to define the word and I think that I did a pretty good job.
How would YOU define that word?

Hershey Muffin

While at Hershey Park Charlotte had the chance to pose with a number of Hershey candy characters.

"I don't want to pose with the muffin (referring to the Reese's Cup which sorta looks like a muffin) or any other one of them. It scares me that I want to eat them."

Frustrated

Benjamin was sitting on the floor near the kitchen whining a bit and Charlotte was stroking his chin.

"Are you frustrated? Did you bonk your head on the table?"

Ah, to capture these moments.

Wasn't Me

Last Thursday, David picked the kids up from preschool and stopped at Chik-fil-a for a milkshake. Charlotte and I usually get one on Fridays on the way home.

"You can't blame me for getting the shake. Daddy decided to get it. When two people are in the car and one stops to get a shake it is that persons fault."

I was completely silent lest I laugh too hard!

When I'm 64

"When you are the Savta to my children... will you still look like you do?"
What a profound question and then I could only think of this answer.

"My hair may be more white than it is now."