Sense of smell

I have a crazy sense of smell. Really, really acute and strong. I can smell the instant chicken soup has boiled, I can smell when it is about to snow, and any artificial smell drives me crazy. I walk into a house with those air fresheners plugged in, and it completely overwhelms my nose. I have very strong memories and associations with smells, too. The smell of fresh vegetables stir frying takes me back to my childhood instantly, to the point that if I close my eyes, I am actually in my parent's kitchen, hearing my mother chop the vegetables and listen to NPR. The smell of the ocean relaxes and calms me. The smell of my mother's perfume makes me happy and feel comforted. The smell of lanolin takes me to my father's hand cream that he used in the winter. The milky smell of my baby's breath first thing in the morning is my absolute favorite smell ever. It was with Amira and Yaakov, too, and I am always sad when that ends.
Yaakov seems to have inherited this "gift," as well. A couple of weeks ago as we walked the two blocks to Shul, Yaakov suddenly said, "Oh Mommy, it smells so good, it smells like a pomegranate" and I thought, huh, it actually does, and then 2 seconds later he wrinkled up his nose and said "Uch, now it smells like wet newspaper." Right again, little guy.
This morning I opened up a new face cream (a sample that came with my latest Sephora order, oh do I adore that store) and instantly I thought-this was my Bubby's smell. My beloved Bubby, who died four years ago, and who I still think about every day, and wish that she could have known my children, and even more that they could have known her. She was the most amazing grandmother. Funny and stylish and giving and loving and just indulgent enough. And I put the cream on, and I am smiling and I feel elegant and beautiful and optimistic, just like my Bubby was.

OT/PT

Aaron/Aharon started PT this week. He is the only baby I know who crawls and pulls to stand, but still (at 10 months) can't sit without falling over. So physical therapy it is. He screamed for pretty much the whole thing (which means it is working, according to my therapy experienced friends) but I have absolute confidence in the wonderful therapist. He didn't qualify through early intervention, since a baby needs a 33% delay in one area or 25% in 2 areas, and he didn't meet those criteria, especially since they count him as a month younger than he is, because he was born under 36 weeks. Since we had him evaluated at 9 months, and they counted him as an 8 month old, and he does everything else that he should be doing at this age, he didn't qualify. But since sitting seemed like kind of a vital skill, we decided to do it privately. Meanwhile, he said his first words two weeks ago (Abba and Hi) got his second tooth yesterday, and we think he says "Ah-Ra-Ra" for Amira! I am convinced that this "sleep through the night" is a myth, though, since that has yet to transpire.

Amira is loving third grade and the only issue we have had so far is that her substitute (her teacher had a baby about a week ago!) has them read every night and bring the book into school the next day to show her, and I have had to list every single possible time that Amira may not read. For example: At Lunch, while walking, during recess (no reading, only running), during snack, really any time at all, because the first time she was allowed to bring a novel to school, she came home having read all 397 pages. Academics are not a problem for her, thank G-d, but I want her to socialize, too.

Now Yaakov...well, Kindergarten is going well so far, he is certainly learning a lot. But his teacher seems to have already decided that he has "sensory issues" and needs OT. After about a week of school. I know that he doesn't really sit still, and that he doesn't like loud noises (although a friend of mine commented, when I was telling her all this, that we have a quiet house, which really is true) and doesn't like glue dried on his hands (these were her examples of reasons he might need to be evaluated for OT) but I am wondering why it is that we need to rush every single child into some sort of therapy, and not just let them be children....granted there are places where therapy is very important (see above PT situation for the boy who won't sit) but maybe it is just maturity? Maybe not, and I am sure I will be hearing much more about this, but I am feeling worried and a little sad about this. Last year his teacher told us many times that he never looked like he was paying attention, that during circle time he would be standing on his head, playing with his shoelaces, but that he was always able to repeat everything they learned back, and was clearly grasping all the material. Before Succos this year, he was telling us the story of Yonah and the Whale and what his teacher told them, and then said, I remember a poem that (his Pre-K teacher) taught us last year, and proceeded to recite the whole thing perfectly. And last night after dinner, I was testing Amira on the translation of Hebrew verbs for a test that she has, and when she got stuck on one, we heard, quietly from under the dining room table where he was playing with his lego's, Yaakov pipe in with the correct answer. He remembered it from last week when I was testing her. If they tell me that he needs to be evaluated, I will do that. And if they tell me that he needs OT, I will do that as well, but part of me just feels frustrated that we can't just learn to work with how he learns, instead of just assuming that everyone needs to learn the exact same way.

July? Really?

The last time I blogged was July? Well, much to catch up on then, isn't there?! We are happily back in school now after all the Jewish Holidays (and after a fantastic summer of camp and a super awesome LA vacation) and off on all the exciting adventures that THIRD grade and KINDERGARTEN will G-d willing bring. Little tiny baby Aaron/Aharon (sigh, long story, but if you care to voice an opinion as to the spelling of the cutie's name (henceforth to be referred to as AY) please do so in the comments section!) is now 9 1/2 months old. He crawls like crazy baby, climbs in and on everything, but does not yet sit without toppling over after a while. I was worried enough to call early intervention, but since he is not delayed in any other area, and since technically he CAN sit for a while, he did not qualify, though I am thinking of just going private. He has one little tooth and loves to eat- I can't believe he is already at the eating cheerios stage (and that I am in the finding little cheerios all around the house stage) and is happiest "playing" with other babies. I just scheduled his one year well visit for December...and THAT is just plain crazy.

The big brother continues to keep us all in stitches. Over the holidays I asked him if had gotten a lollypop at Shul and he said no, I just had zero. I said, what's a zero (assuming it was some sort of fancy candy) and he looked at me like I was crazy and said "A number, Mommy!" Heh.

Yaakov loves Kindergarten, loves his teachers and is slowly making new friends. He is still not with his "best friend in the whole universe" and finds that very hard, but is learning a ton. We read a book before bed tonight about math grouping and he really got the concept (3 groups of 10 and 1 left over is 31...just like Mommy!) which surprised and thrilled me. I always compare him (I know, I know) to Amira and assume he will just be behind her, but I think I need to stop assuming.

Amira loves third grade. I love that when I tell stranger that I have a daughter in third grade they all tell me I don't look anywhere near old enough to have a child that old. I certainly don't feel old enough to have a child that age or to be parenting one, either. Her teachers are fantastic, she transitioned beautifully and when I had a whole talk with one of her teachers about how in every previous year it has taken a while for her to warm up and be able to participate, she looked at me with surprise and said that Amira was eagerly participating from the first day!

Hopefully I will be able to get back into blogging more regularly, now that we are back in a routine!

Hearing vs. Listening

I cannot believe we are already halfway through the summer. I am not ready to start buying school supplies and it drives me crazy that the displays are already out in full force. Why can't we just enjoy what we are currently doing? Currently, the kids are very much enjoying summer camp, and I am enjoying the more relaxed summer schedule- later bed times, no homework. We are very excited about our two trips that we will be taking in August- first to MA to celebrate my Grandfather's birthdays (85 and 90, Ka"H!) and see my brother, sister in law, nephew and brand new niece who are in from Israel and enjoy being with my large and wonderful family to celebrate happy things. Then we are off for our LA Trip to see the other side of the family! In the meantime, Amira lost her second tooth (on her own, no dentist pulling!), learned to swim the crawl, and is practising her part in the camp's production of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat!" Aaron started eating food (doesn't love it yet), still has no teeth and doesn't sit or sleep unless he's being held, but started to creep across the floor and gets up on all fours and delights friends and strangers alike with his huge smile.

And Yaakov had the big 5 year old Karate party and it was a blast for all of us! And now, the story that inspired the title:

At camp after swim, Yaakov's bunk was changing from swimsuits to clothing, but Yaakov was running in circles naked. His counselor called him a couple of times and he didn't listen and she went over to him and said "Yaakov, I was calling you, did you hear me?" And he answered "I heard you, I just didn't want to listen."

Oy.

When I was little

The scene:
Pre Tisha B'av Fast, sitting on the floor eating our sad little meal.
Yaakov looks at us and says, in all seriousness:
"Abba, did you know that when I was little, Gatorade wasn't even Kosher?"

It's a good thing we were already sitting on the floor, and not exactly the proper mind set to go into such a serious day with, not to mention that I had already drank 3 liters of water...
Gatorade did in fact become Kosher within the last couple months (when Yaakov was little) and Yehuda and I drank some (not so much my taste, too sugary) in preparation for the fast, and Yaakov was thrilled to partake.

The Five Year Old

Some quotes from the five year old:

How do Mommy's know EVERYTHING? (We just do.)
I wish five year olds were really big- bigger than their Mommy's. Why can't we first be big and THEN get little? (Because then it would be really hard to carry you around)

I think I burped my orange juice. (Um, thanks for sharing)

I wish I could be a baby with Aaron. Then we could wear matching clothes every day and be really cute. (You are really cute and you are wearing matching clothing today!)

Me: Go find your sister, she will build the legos with you.

Yaakov: No she won't, she's just a really grump today. (True...)

The birthday celebration continues with the birthday party next Sunday, G-d willing. In the meantime, here is the birthday boy doing what he does best and the baby "russling" on the ground with Yaakov and his best friend (who happened to be wearing the same outfit that day)

Summer Birthdays=A lot of parties

Yaakov will be 5 tomorrow. And in honor of this momentous occasion (one year closer to 13!) he will have an equal number of parties to celebrate. First there was the "summer birthday party" in school, for all those who are unlucky (or lucky? I'm going to go with lucky since poor Amira only had the one measely celebration this year) enough to have their birthdays not fall out during the school year, where we celebrated with ice cream and balloons. Then, his Hebrew birthday celebrated with family. Next, he will have his camp birthday party tomorrow, where we will celebrate with cupcakes and warm apple juice. Then we will have a block birthday cake party tomorrow night, followed by his choice of dinner (I'm curious to see what that will be!) Then, his real (as in, a birthday is not real to a 5 year old unless the actual party has been held) birthday party (A Karate party, pictures will absolutely follow) later in July. So, yes, five celebrations. And what does the birthday boy wish for his birthday:
A BIG Lego set. A really, really big one. (Anyone surprised?)

And then, he asks:
Mommy, when can I get an iPod?
Me: (distracted) Um, I don't know?
Yaakov: How about when I am six. Or Thirteen.