Some Tidbits About Yitzchak

Today, Shabbat, at lunch Yitzchak was sitting on Ayelet's lap for benching (Blessing after a meal). He leaned back and put his feet on the table. Then he took her bencher (book with the blessing) and started reading. He was quite a site with a bencher sticking up over a pair of tiny blue crocs.

Later, I brought Yitzchak with me for mincha (the afternoon service). We got there late and the Torah was open on the table. As we walk into the back of the room he points and says, "Torah." I gave him a siddur which he promptly kissed without being prompted. As the Torah was being returned to the Aron Kodesh we went up to it and he gave it the sweetest little kiss.

Last week when I went to wake Ayelet from her Shabbat afternoon nap, he came in with me, climbed onto the bed and started rubbing her back.

This is the sweet side of him. Much of the time he is busy demanding to go to the pool: "Pool today!" and is busy biting Odeliya.

Priorities

Last night we were at a wedding (Mazal tov Chaviva and Benyomin Eliezer!). Netanel and Yitzchak had already fallen asleep. I told Odeliya that we needed to go home. She saw the waiters setting up the dessert. This was her reaction:

Odeliya: "We have to stay."

Yoram: "Why?"

Odeliya: "We have to stay because they are giving out treats!"

It was already 10:00 at night.

May the Force Be With You

Hi and yes, I know a real blog posting is waaay overdue. But I have too much going on to actually write about it. So tough!

Netanel is obsessed with Star Wars. We can thank the Len's (newish olim to Katzrin) for that. Of course, he loves the fighting, especially Force Shock (in his games the Jedis can also do it). But I was trying to get him to focus on the discipline needed to be a jedi, onthe other tools they have besides the really cool fighting.

So I realized that there IS a Force that flows through everyone and everything. We call it Hashem. We don't control Hashem, but we can commune and come close to It (Him/Her). I pointed out that David HaMelech may have been like a jedi. He had the strength, character, discpline, and faith needed to lead his people. And, like a jedi, he was both a great fighter, and also a poet and musician - he had many talents. Killing was not the main thing. He was a great warrior and he also wrote tehillim.

I asked Netanel if David HaMelech was close to Hashem because we was a great fighter, or if he was a great fighter because of his closeness with Hashem. He opted for the second answer. I was so proud that I gave him a Force Hug. :)

And Now the Tiny Terror

Yitzchak, at not quite a year and a half, is proving to require a lot of supervision. Like Odeliya he doesn't let his young age stop him from climbing to heights thought impossible for a toddler. He loves climbing onto the dining room table. The only thing better is throwing food down to the neighbor's dog when he comes in to forage/beg for food. Other than that, kicking bowls and making a mess help him pass the time. Today he spilled a little of his drink. He then, intentionally and gratuitously, spilled the rest of the cup onto the table. I have no explanation for it.

Don't get me wrong. He is very sweet too. He plays peekaboo comes looking for us. When I come home from work I always get an, "Abba!" with a running hug. I usually can't put him down afterwards. He loves Odeliya and will go looking for "La la." On occasion he also plays with "Nani." He also talks on the phone and says "Hi" to the computer.

I am less favored. Back during the harvest I was coming home from work one morning. As I walked down the block towards the house at 7:15 am (the kids were already up and playing outside) I saw a dog run past me in the other direction. Yitzchak came trotting after him. Seeing me he said, "Abba! Woof woof!" and continued after the dog as if he had seen me all morning.

On our Chanuka trip to Yerushalaim we left the other two kids with friends and took him to get food. While we were waiting for the pizza to be ready Yitzchak was climbing on the counter trying to get past the glass sneeze-blocker. He would have made it if I hadn't pulled him away. He learned a new word that trip, "pizza." The whole way back to the group he was whining, "Pizza. Pizza" until he saw some cats on top of a dumpster. It went like this, "Pizza, pizza. Meow. Meow..." His love of animals overrode his desire for pizza.

On this same trip we spent Shabbat with Ayelet's siblings here in Israel. Netanel and Odeliya are in an age group by themselves. Tzachi is the oldest of three boys in the same "generation" for cousins. As my brother-in-law put it, he was a maniac that Shabbat. I mean climbing, spilling, stepping off the chair... He was insane. I think he scared the other parents about what their kids will be like soon.

All in all he is extremely sweet and very snuggly when he's calm. But when he's not clam he can be quite challenging, er, I mean fun.

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In other Chanuka news, Netanel got a lego helicopter kit that he built without the instructions. He's got enough imagination all by himself. Also, check Youtube and FaceBook for videos from Odeliya's Chanuka party and other cuteness.

Enjoy.

Odeliya, Our Tiny dancer

We've caught up with Netanel. Now it's Odeliya's turn. We try hard not to treat her like a middle child, even though she is one. She deserves to not be ignored.

Lately I've been trying to drill the English letters with her. SHe's got some of them down pat. For example, "O for Odeliya!"

Shabbat morning aA few weeks ago Odeliya ran into a wall at the corner (the convex kind where there a point). She gave herself a nice gash. We walked around Katzrin. Two nurses at the shul told us stitched were unnecessary, but maybe some glue would be a good idea. We were in touch with 3 doctors, none of which would treat her on Shabbat. The MDA Ambulance crew said we should take her to the hospital to get checked out. They did not really offer to take us. The non-religious paramedic told us that he learned in the Shulchan Aruch that if a girl sustains an injury like this we are permitted to break Shabbat to treat her for aesthetic reasons. This is not permitted for a boy.

A cat took up residence on our porch for a few weeks. She was tame enough and didn't really bother us (she seemed to have come from a home) In fact, she helped us by entertaining the kids. The only condition was that she was not allowed inside. The kids learned to close the screen door and help trap her and take her out when she did manage to get in. They named her "Friendy." One day a small dog was also on the porch and Odeliya was playing with them. They both tried to get inside. Odeliya very sweetly told them they were not allowed. She referred to them as "Friendush" and "Dogush" which is an Israeli term of endearment.

Odeliya continues to be a dancing enthusiast. SHe gets to dance in gan almost every day. During the morning circle time (mifgash) she gets to dance in the middle of the circle and she loves it.

And now another example of Odeliya's amazing imagination:

The other day, while eating breakfast Odeliya suddenly remarked, "Oh no! My baby in my belly is getting all dirty with cereal!" I had just finished davening, was wrapping up my t'fillin, and had several ways to approach this comment. "Don't worry. Isn't your baby eating the cereal?" I asked. "Right," she answered, "My baby is eating it in her bowl." So I acknowledged that Odeliya has a baby in her belly. I didn't realize it already knew how to eat from a bowl.

Recentl my little girl had an actual telephone conversation with my mother. I mena, they actually spoke for a while. When did she get big enough for that?

And yet...

She is still afraid of monsters. Bed time needs to be done with the lights on. When Odeliya wakes up inthe middle of the night she will not let me calm her down and leave. Entire evenings of productivity have been killed by these damned monsters. Odeliya even knows that there are no monsters, and that even if there were they wouldn't be able to hurt her. Hopefully soon she will sleep through the night every night.

Which brings us to toilet training. It's been a long process. Lately we've made a lot of progress and I will not go into details for fear of jinxing it. Really I don't want to embarrass her when she grows up and reads this. Really really I am lazy and wat to end this post.

Next time, Yitzchak, our big little shovav.

Trading Spaces Has Nothing on the Golan Heights Winery

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were a גיבוש or bonding for the winery. The first day was fun/thought-provoking. Wednesday was filled with special projects. The majority of the employees and managers, along with the Galil Mountain winery, went to an absorption center in Safed. Tzfat has 3 of them and this one is for new immigrants from Ethiopia. They come from desert and openess and spend up to 2 years here. It is a building surrounded by other buildings. THey need to learn a new language and a new culture, starting from indoor plumbing and electricity.

The plan was to convert the empty lot in front of the building into a mini-park. Over the course of 1 day (with a lot of advance prep and a little advance work) we accomplished our mission. We built two traditional huts, some sitting areas, picnic benches, a tabun (fire pit for making bread) and planted a garden. The thought was to give them some greenery and help make their new, urban surroundings a little more familiar.

Our CEO remarked that towards the end a little girl came home from school and asked if all of this (over 100 people working, lots of noise, lots mess). When Anat answered yes the girl's answer was a simple, "תודה רבה".

It was a meaningful way to spend the day. We made a difference that will hopefully ease their transition and inspire them to get involved with the park and maintain it.

Random Thought

I have wondered if hotels in Israel have a Tanach in every room, similar to the Gideon Bible in hotel rooms in the U.S. Ayelet pointed out that Jews, unlike the Gideons, don't proselytize or evangelize.

So maybe hotel rooms here in Israel have a Tanya or Breslov publications instead...