We are very happily off to my parents in MA for Rosh Hashana tomorrow and I am rushing around packing everything we need up, but I want to take a moment to wish all of you a happy, healthy, sweet, successful, laughter-filled, and joyous new year.
Shana Tovah U'Metukah (Have a good and sweet new year) and Ksiva V'Chasima Tovah (May you be written and sealed for good this year) to all of our family and friends. I adore all of you and am truly grateful to have all of you in my life.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Guest Post!
My lovely Mother in Law sent me the following this morning, wondering if it might be blog fodder, and I knew right away that it was going to be my first guest post:
The Well-read Yaakov in LA
When you were all in LA, Yehuda came over with Yaakov, ostensibly to go through his various boxes of “stuff.” Four-year old Yaakov was getting hungry and Great Grandma Evelyn offered to make him some lunch – scrambled eggs, I think.
Yaakov sat down but refused to eat unless he had something to read, “I want a magazine.” Despite the fact that Yaakov cannot read yet, Grandma didn't know what to do or give him, so he pointed to something that must have looked like a comic book in our well-cluttered breakfast room. Grandma gave it to him and he contentedly ate his lunch. When she told me about this, and his insistence on having something to read, I asked him what she gave him. Attached is the “magazine” in question. At least he instinctively found something meaningful!
Yaakov sat down but refused to eat unless he had something to read, “I want a magazine.” Despite the fact that Yaakov cannot read yet, Grandma didn't know what to do or give him, so he pointed to something that must have looked like a comic book in our well-cluttered breakfast room. Grandma gave it to him and he contentedly ate his lunch. When she told me about this, and his insistence on having something to read, I asked him what she gave him. Attached is the “magazine” in question. At least he instinctively found something meaningful!
If you can't tell, it's a calendar cover for the Young Israel of Century City! The title reads:
"YICC's Amazing Adventures: Fighting for ethics, morals, and a better, greener world"
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Pre-K!
This will be a short one since I am slightly weepy after pouring my heart out in my previous post, but Yaakov started Pre-K today! (This also somewhat accounts for my emotional state today- I really cannot believe my little newborn Yaakov is already in Pre-K.) He had a full day, just like Amira, and thank G-d really did beautifully!! He loves his Morahs, found a new friend to search for bugs on the playground with, got a Nachas note for behaving very well during rest time, and was generally very thrilled with being a "big kid!" He is very happy to not be in nursery anymore, since "nursery kids are just babies, but I'm very big. Almost as big as Amira, so really big." 
Patience
I am not a particularly patient person.
That is most probably an understatement. Just as saying: Shira is enthusiastic, anxious and prone to hyperbole is also probably an understatement. So it is with great surprise, confusion and a small amount of pleasure that I find myself, for the first time in my life, feeling...patient.
I am now 6 months pregnant. In another 3 months plus, we will G-d willing have a new addition in our family. And while I am excited and thrilled, pretty much beyond words, I am in no rush for these next 3 months to fly by as the past 6 months (and really, the past 9 years) have flown. And it is such an unusual state for me that I find myself pondering it often, trying to figure out why and how that it has come to be. Maybe it's age? Maybe it's because this baby was so fought for, for so long, and is so desperately wanted that I am just enjoying every moment of the anticipation and build up of excitement. Maybe it's nerves? Or maybe it's a combination of all three.
With Amira and Yaakov, I was in a rush. I wanted to know what gender they were even before the 20 week Sonogram. I wanted them to be born as soon as was possible so that I could meet them and hold them and get to know them. Amira thwarted that by arriving 2 full weeks late, while Yaakov acquiesced, and since he was 2 weeks early, I was actually pregnant a full month longer with Amira than with Yaakov! This time, despite the ongoing nausea, despite the fact that I already cannot breathe, despite the exhaustion and everything else that is bothersome about pregnancy, I am happy. I am grateful to be pregnant. I am enjoying the constant gymnastics in my "water tank." I look down at my growing middle and I love how it looks. I actually smile when I see myself in the mirror.
I can never remember how many weeks I am currently, while with Amira and Yaakov I could tell you how many minutes I had to go.
I know that going from two kids to three is going to be an adjustment. I realize that we are starting the baby stage again, just as things have started to get easier. I know that adding a baby into the mix is going to mean less of my time for Amira and Yaakov and less time together for Yehuda and me, less space in our home and more stress. I know that I will worry and agonize and stress over these things when the baby comes, G-d willing, in good time, but for now, I am patient. I am enjoying every minute I spend with my big kids. I am trying to relish and remember and fully experience every day of this pregnancy. I don't want the next couple months to fly by. And I don't want my children's childhood to fly by, either. I am grateful and blessed and happy to be here, where I am, right this minute. And I am not thinking about anything beyond that, because where I am is the best place I could possibly be.
That is most probably an understatement. Just as saying: Shira is enthusiastic, anxious and prone to hyperbole is also probably an understatement. So it is with great surprise, confusion and a small amount of pleasure that I find myself, for the first time in my life, feeling...patient.
I am now 6 months pregnant. In another 3 months plus, we will G-d willing have a new addition in our family. And while I am excited and thrilled, pretty much beyond words, I am in no rush for these next 3 months to fly by as the past 6 months (and really, the past 9 years) have flown. And it is such an unusual state for me that I find myself pondering it often, trying to figure out why and how that it has come to be. Maybe it's age? Maybe it's because this baby was so fought for, for so long, and is so desperately wanted that I am just enjoying every moment of the anticipation and build up of excitement. Maybe it's nerves? Or maybe it's a combination of all three.
With Amira and Yaakov, I was in a rush. I wanted to know what gender they were even before the 20 week Sonogram. I wanted them to be born as soon as was possible so that I could meet them and hold them and get to know them. Amira thwarted that by arriving 2 full weeks late, while Yaakov acquiesced, and since he was 2 weeks early, I was actually pregnant a full month longer with Amira than with Yaakov! This time, despite the ongoing nausea, despite the fact that I already cannot breathe, despite the exhaustion and everything else that is bothersome about pregnancy, I am happy. I am grateful to be pregnant. I am enjoying the constant gymnastics in my "water tank." I look down at my growing middle and I love how it looks. I actually smile when I see myself in the mirror.
I can never remember how many weeks I am currently, while with Amira and Yaakov I could tell you how many minutes I had to go.
I know that going from two kids to three is going to be an adjustment. I realize that we are starting the baby stage again, just as things have started to get easier. I know that adding a baby into the mix is going to mean less of my time for Amira and Yaakov and less time together for Yehuda and me, less space in our home and more stress. I know that I will worry and agonize and stress over these things when the baby comes, G-d willing, in good time, but for now, I am patient. I am enjoying every minute I spend with my big kids. I am trying to relish and remember and fully experience every day of this pregnancy. I don't want the next couple months to fly by. And I don't want my children's childhood to fly by, either. I am grateful and blessed and happy to be here, where I am, right this minute. And I am not thinking about anything beyond that, because where I am is the best place I could possibly be.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Legoland!!!
No, this does not refer to our house, although sometimes, especially after Yaakov has a playdate here, it does feel like the house is covered in Lego's...
Yaakov has been talking about going to Legoland ever since his best friend went there last January. We were all really excited to go, and it really did live up to our expectations!
It's smaller than Disneyland, so easily doable in one day, although we did miss two whole sections completely! Yaakov's favorite parts were the car that he got to drive by himself, and anything involving Star Wars. Amira loved all the roller coasters the best (the fact that my reserved little Amira loves roller coasters still baffles me)! Yehuda's brother and sister and our nephew also joined us, and it really was a fantastic day! Pictures are worth 1000 words, as they say, so instead of boring you all to pieces with my endless prose, I give you:
A Family Picture!
Yaakov Drives...not so successfully. Hopefully he will improve those skills before he turns 16.
Las Vegas made out of Lego's!
A Chinatown parade
The Obama Inauguration, composed entirely of Lego's, detailed down to Aretha Franklin's hat!
Yaakov on a kind of boring horse ride.
A Large Bionicle
The Log Flume ride (they waited 45 minutes for a 2 minute ride)
New York City Sky Line
The Eiffel Tower!
Sydney Opera House
Cuties!
The Highlight of Yaakov's Day!
Yaakov has been talking about going to Legoland ever since his best friend went there last January. We were all really excited to go, and it really did live up to our expectations!
It's smaller than Disneyland, so easily doable in one day, although we did miss two whole sections completely! Yaakov's favorite parts were the car that he got to drive by himself, and anything involving Star Wars. Amira loved all the roller coasters the best (the fact that my reserved little Amira loves roller coasters still baffles me)! Yehuda's brother and sister and our nephew also joined us, and it really was a fantastic day! Pictures are worth 1000 words, as they say, so instead of boring you all to pieces with my endless prose, I give you:
A Family Picture!
Yaakov Drives...not so successfully. Hopefully he will improve those skills before he turns 16.
Las Vegas made out of Lego's!
A Chinatown parade
The Obama Inauguration, composed entirely of Lego's, detailed down to Aretha Franklin's hat!
Yaakov on a kind of boring horse ride.
A Large Bionicle
The Log Flume ride (they waited 45 minutes for a 2 minute ride)
New York City Sky Line
The Eiffel Tower! 
Sydney Opera House
Cuties!
The Highlight of Yaakov's Day!Miniland really was amazing. We couldn't get over the incredible detail of everything, from the White House to Las Vegas to LegoWood (Hollywood- Amira thought that was hysterical!) to the New York City skyline. They used over 20 million legos to build it!
We will definitely be making a return trip to Legoland in the future!
Second Grade!
Well, we made it through the day! Amira had her very first day of second grade! In our school, starting in second grade, the class placements (there are three classes of girls) are not given out before school starts, so the kids just show up the first day of school and are somehow sent to the correct classroom. And technically, the parents aren't supposed to find out which teachers their children have, or which other children are in the class, until the child gets home from school. However, since I have the patience of a...I don't know, something with very little patience I guess, I begged my friend who teaches in the school to text me when she knew where our daughters were. So at 8:23 this morning, (and school opens at 8:20!) I found out which teachers Amira has for the year and which girls are in her class! I am excited about the teachers, from what I know about them, they are an excellent match for Amira. And a lot of the girls from last year are in her class again, which is wonderful as well! Some new additions too, a few of which I am a bit anxious about, but will keep an eye out and plan to give the teachers a heads up as well.
Anyhow, we took the typical first day of school picture before her carpool picked her up, but for some reason she just ended up looking worried in every picture, which is no reflection on her actual emotion state, rather the fact that the sun was shining and she found it hard to smile...
Yaakov has his Pre-K orientation tomorrow and officially starts on Thursday! We are very excited about it, although he is very, very sad that his best friend is not in his class this year.
His new Morah sent an apple for him to color and bring into the orientation tomorrow, so while Amira did her homework this afternoon, he worked very hard at coloring (and yay- he colors in the lines now!) his picture, and we had the following conversation:
Yaakov: Mommy, is this my homework?
Me: Yes, I guess it is!
Yaakov: (thinks for a moment as he colors, then says wistfully) I wish I was still a kid.
Me: (can't breathe, laughing too hard)
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Back to School Shopping
Before we left for LA, I was mentally patting myself on the back for being SO prepared for the kids to go back to school. I had already bought everything on Amira's very specific school supply list, bought new backpacks and lunchboxes and put aside everything that I knew Yaakov would need, in his labeled shoe box. So imagine my surprise when I realized yesterday that I had forgotten something kind of important that they might actually need for school: clothing. In my first trimester misery, I had completely skipped the traditional "go through the kids closets at the end of spring and write down what they will need for the following year" process, and while Amira is the same size she was last year, and thankfully doesn't need much, Yaakov's pants and shirts from last year most definitely do not fit (unless you particularly like manpri's and 3/4 sleeves on boys, which I most assuredly do not.). So, thankfully it is still nice and hot, and he is still allowed to wear shorts to school, so we will be fine for a couple of weeks, but we still need to do some major shopping.
In that spirit, Amira, Yaakov and I headed out (Yehuda is studying- exam 9 is coming up, ack 9X) to Monsey, since Bergen County still has blue laws and nothing is open on Sunday. We figured we could at least get Yaakov and Amira some Yontif shoes and clothes.
Along the way, we saw a parking lot filled with really, really old cars. Like, circa 1900 cars. We stopped to look at them and as we drove away, Amira asked me if those were the kind of cars from when I was a kid! I laughed and told her, "no, those cars are from even before Saba Raba and Great Grandma Evelyn were born!" and she said "wow. So what kind of car did you have when you were a little kid?" And I replied "A station wagon" to which she replied incredulously, "a wagon like the kind that a horse pulls?" It was a good 10 minutes before I could stop laughing long enough to catch my breath. No, I am NOT that old.
Along the lines of funny Amira-isms, on Friday night while we were reading on the sofa (Amira: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, #3 of the The Chronicles of Narnia, me: The Doomsday Key, James Rollins, thumbs up) Amira suddenly said to me "Mommy, I want to give the baby a hug," and she reached over and squeezed the front of my stomach. I laughed as she did it, and she looked at me and said "what, I'm squeezing the water tank." Loll!!!!
Anyhow, we accomplished a good amount in our Monsey Shopping, but have still more to do tomorrow. Thankfully the stores will all be open tomorrow, so I will again shlepp the kids to the stores while Yehuda studies.
Amira starts school Tuesday morning, and since she is going into second grade (ack 2X!) this year, we don't find out who her teachers are and which girls are in her class until she gets home from school on Tuesday! Needless to say, I am very anxious and excited to find out all that information. Yaakov's Pre-K (!!!) placement came yesterday and while he is very disappointed that his best friend is not in his class this year, he is very excited for his new Morah, and we are very excited too!
The summer really flew by, though, which is something I am not so thrilled about, surprisingly. I am relishing this stage in our life right now. And while I am beyond excited and thrilled to bring a new baby into our family, I am also not in any rush to get to December. Not so much because I am nervous about this new baby (although, as long as we are being honest, I must admit that I am. It's been a while since we did the whole baby thing, and trying to juggle the newborn stage with the school carpool and homework and soccer and ballet is going to certainly be a challenge. A challenge that I will be ready for, G-d willing, and one that I am beyond grateful to be going into, but a challenge nonetheless.) but because I really love the ages and stages that my kids are in right this minute, and I don't like how fast time is going and how quickly they are growing up.
Yehuda and I just realized tonight that this Rosh HaShana will G-d willing be our 10th together, and our 10th spent in Sharon, at my parents house. What an incredible milestone that is, thank G-d. But these last 9 years together (we got engaged 9 years ago tomorrow!) have flown by so quickly. Maybe it's because I am getting older, but I wish things would slow down just a little, and I am making an effort to live as much in the moment as I can.
So, my kids are getting out of the shower now and coming downstairs for a game of Zingo Bingo, which I plan to enjoy every minute of.
(Legoland post still to come!)
In that spirit, Amira, Yaakov and I headed out (Yehuda is studying- exam 9 is coming up, ack 9X) to Monsey, since Bergen County still has blue laws and nothing is open on Sunday. We figured we could at least get Yaakov and Amira some Yontif shoes and clothes.
Along the way, we saw a parking lot filled with really, really old cars. Like, circa 1900 cars. We stopped to look at them and as we drove away, Amira asked me if those were the kind of cars from when I was a kid! I laughed and told her, "no, those cars are from even before Saba Raba and Great Grandma Evelyn were born!" and she said "wow. So what kind of car did you have when you were a little kid?" And I replied "A station wagon" to which she replied incredulously, "a wagon like the kind that a horse pulls?" It was a good 10 minutes before I could stop laughing long enough to catch my breath. No, I am NOT that old.
Along the lines of funny Amira-isms, on Friday night while we were reading on the sofa (Amira: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, #3 of the The Chronicles of Narnia, me: The Doomsday Key, James Rollins, thumbs up) Amira suddenly said to me "Mommy, I want to give the baby a hug," and she reached over and squeezed the front of my stomach. I laughed as she did it, and she looked at me and said "what, I'm squeezing the water tank." Loll!!!!
Anyhow, we accomplished a good amount in our Monsey Shopping, but have still more to do tomorrow. Thankfully the stores will all be open tomorrow, so I will again shlepp the kids to the stores while Yehuda studies.
Amira starts school Tuesday morning, and since she is going into second grade (ack 2X!) this year, we don't find out who her teachers are and which girls are in her class until she gets home from school on Tuesday! Needless to say, I am very anxious and excited to find out all that information. Yaakov's Pre-K (!!!) placement came yesterday and while he is very disappointed that his best friend is not in his class this year, he is very excited for his new Morah, and we are very excited too!
The summer really flew by, though, which is something I am not so thrilled about, surprisingly. I am relishing this stage in our life right now. And while I am beyond excited and thrilled to bring a new baby into our family, I am also not in any rush to get to December. Not so much because I am nervous about this new baby (although, as long as we are being honest, I must admit that I am. It's been a while since we did the whole baby thing, and trying to juggle the newborn stage with the school carpool and homework and soccer and ballet is going to certainly be a challenge. A challenge that I will be ready for, G-d willing, and one that I am beyond grateful to be going into, but a challenge nonetheless.) but because I really love the ages and stages that my kids are in right this minute, and I don't like how fast time is going and how quickly they are growing up.
Yehuda and I just realized tonight that this Rosh HaShana will G-d willing be our 10th together, and our 10th spent in Sharon, at my parents house. What an incredible milestone that is, thank G-d. But these last 9 years together (we got engaged 9 years ago tomorrow!) have flown by so quickly. Maybe it's because I am getting older, but I wish things would slow down just a little, and I am making an effort to live as much in the moment as I can.
So, my kids are getting out of the shower now and coming downstairs for a game of Zingo Bingo, which I plan to enjoy every minute of.
(Legoland post still to come!)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Vacation LA 2009
One interesting and previously unknown (to me) benefit to traveling while pregnant is that jet lag doesn't seem to apply at all. I think it is just because I am so incredibly tired all-the-time, that the 3 hours time difference here or there doesn't really make a difference!
I am, however, very glad to have this week off between vacation and school to get them back into some semblance of a schedule, as well as detox them from a heavenly week and a half of grandparent/great grandparent/aunt/uncle/cousin spoiling, too much sugar, lots of fun, swimming, beach trips, constant entertainment, Wii games, and little sleep! And surprisingly, they don't seem to mind having things low key at home.
We spent the rest of the day happily swimming.
Monday we (and by that I really mean I) spent the morning recovering from beach day, and then we took a nice small hike around Franklin Canyon. Amira and Yaakov had gone from being petrified of the family dog (Renzo) and new kitty (Lucky) on the first night of our arrival, to shlepping around the poor kitty like a baby doll and riding Renzo! I had to explain to Yaakov at the end of the trip that dogs and cats will be remaining in LA...we enjoyed the local wildlife as well as walking the dogs, and capped off the outing with a trip to Nagilla Pizza, which is happily exactly the same yummy place as it always has been!
Tuesday was LEGOLAND day, and that deserves it's own post, so it's own post it will get!
Thursday we went to the Skirball Museum with Grandma and Grandpa and despite the blistering heat, had a lovely time, and went back to Auntie Daphne's and Uncle Jonathan's for more swimming, before a lovely dinner out with the whole family!
Friday we hit the American Girl store/museum with Amira, our friends, and Saba Raba (!!) and did more swimming! And Shabbos was again absolutely lovely and made us wish we could spend every Shabbos with family.
That said, my kids are definitely jet lagged, and while I am certainly enjoying them waking up at 9:30 AM, I am not so much enjoying having to wrestle them to bed at 11 PM.
I am, however, very glad to have this week off between vacation and school to get them back into some semblance of a schedule, as well as detox them from a heavenly week and a half of grandparent/great grandparent/aunt/uncle/cousin spoiling, too much sugar, lots of fun, swimming, beach trips, constant entertainment, Wii games, and little sleep! And surprisingly, they don't seem to mind having things low key at home.
It really was a fantastic vacation, though, on all accounts. We loved every minute of it! Yehuda's sister and brother in law's house really is kid paradise!
On our first day in LA, we took a family trip to the Grove to search out the ever elusive Men's size 16-17 Crocs. Yes, that is the largest size they make and yes, they are spectacularly huge and ugly. The mission was successful, and the salesman even remembered Yehuda's mom calling to see if he carried them, since he said that was the first time he had ever had a request or sold a pair in that size!
On our first day in LA, we took a family trip to the Grove to search out the ever elusive Men's size 16-17 Crocs. Yes, that is the largest size they make and yes, they are spectacularly huge and ugly. The mission was successful, and the salesman even remembered Yehuda's mom calling to see if he carried them, since he said that was the first time he had ever had a request or sold a pair in that size!
We spent the rest of the day happily swimming.
We had a lovely Shabbos with Yehuda's whole family and, of course, Saba Raba! We even managed the 1 1/2 mile walk each way to Beth Jacob to make sure that we saw Great-Grandma Evelyn, since she would not be walking to lunch, and where I sat behind the same women that I remember sitting behind 15 years ago when I used to sit with my Bubby, A"H. I was so happy to find out that they remembered me easily and still missed my Bubby, as we do, and they were so thrilled to meet my own children.
Sunday was the big Isenberg Family Beach day at the always perfect Will Rogers Beach in Malibu! We loaded up multiple cars with kids (all our LA nieces and nephews!), toys, umbrellas, food, sunscreen, and of course, more food. Cousins Ethan and Nili joined us (they enjoyed riding in Saba Raba's Mustang Convertible!) as well as my beloved friends from LA and their kids. It really was the perfect beach day- we even saw a school of dolphins and some pelicans fishing! The big excitement of the day was (for me at least!) watching Yehuda bogey board. And of course, I took pictures, because honestly, I don't think anyone would believe me otherwise!
Monday we (and by that I really mean I) spent the morning recovering from beach day, and then we took a nice small hike around Franklin Canyon. Amira and Yaakov had gone from being petrified of the family dog (Renzo) and new kitty (Lucky) on the first night of our arrival, to shlepping around the poor kitty like a baby doll and riding Renzo! I had to explain to Yaakov at the end of the trip that dogs and cats will be remaining in LA...we enjoyed the local wildlife as well as walking the dogs, and capped off the outing with a trip to Nagilla Pizza, which is happily exactly the same yummy place as it always has been!
Tuesday was LEGOLAND day, and that deserves it's own post, so it's own post it will get!
Wednesday, we went to Zuma beach with our lovely friends, and the day was perfectly gorgeous, and the waves were amazingly enormous! We capped off Wednesday with dinner at Fish Grill (no sawdust on the floor anymore!) with Saba Raba and Uncle Howard, and then a lovely walk on the Third Street Promenade!
Thursday we went to the Skirball Museum with Grandma and Grandpa and despite the blistering heat, had a lovely time, and went back to Auntie Daphne's and Uncle Jonathan's for more swimming, before a lovely dinner out with the whole family!
Friday we hit the American Girl store/museum with Amira, our friends, and Saba Raba (!!) and did more swimming! And Shabbos was again absolutely lovely and made us wish we could spend every Shabbos with family.
Well, longest post in blog history for sure, but one more important item to note before signing off. The absolute funniest conversation of the entire trip took place as we walked from The Grove to Uncle Chaim's apartment that first Friday.
Brian (cousin, age 8): Yaakov, why do you love me so much?
Yaakov: Because I am 4!
Yaakov: Because I am 4!
Brain nodded sagely as the rest of us collapsed in laughter.
I'll be back with the ever exciting LEGOLAND post.
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