Chanuka, oh Chanuka

Eliana: On Friday was my school's Chanuka party. First I showed Mommy how we use glitter.



Then I decorated a cookie,



ate it,



and made sure the leftover sprinkles didn't go to waste.



After that my class got up and sang a Chanuka song. Mommy forgot to put the camera on video mode, but it doesn't really matter because I didn't sing. I spent the whole length of the song trying to climb into Mommy's arms or at least hide behind her.



(At least I wore my candle crown.)



There was also candle lighting and dancing, but I preferred to sit on Mommy's lap and watch.



On Sunday night, the first night of Chanuka, I tried to light the candles by myself. Par for the course. I did the same thing last year! (Click here to see.) This year we lit in front of the Webcam (twice) so both sets of grandparents could watch.

The next night I helped Mommy make latkes. I had one bite



and then just ate the "yummy sauce" (applesauce).



I have learned so much about Chanuka in school. On Sunday I came home so excited to show off all the "poddy-ets" (projects) I made, including a 3D paper dreidle and a felt chanukiya (Chanuka menorah) with candles that can be velcroed on each night.

After school today Mommy and I sang some Chanuka songs.



Ami: I am learning new things too. On erev Chanuka I discovered my fist and have been sucking it happily ever since.

Excuses, excuses

Daddy bought me two new books when he went to London. One was a book of fairy tales. I love The Three Little Pigs and insist on hearing it almost every night.

Today at nap time I chose the new Chanuka book instead. When I saw the candles I covered my eyes. (And when I see the Havdala candles I ask for Challah. It's so confusing.) When we got to the part about the Macabees I happily repeated "Maca-bee. Micky-bee. Macky-bee."

In a birthday goody bag today I got a plastic dreidle with chocolate coins inside. But I don't know they're chocolate. I think they're "dakka" and asked Mommy if I could put them in the "box!" She says I'm a mitzva girl.

In addition to "ceamup" (clean up) I now also say "seemup" (stand up). Today I told Mommy to sit and then added "Ami cry, seemup" - if Ami cries you can stand up! Then we played a game where I told Mommy to pretend she was sleeping and then told her to "seemup." She said it's not "seemup," it's "wake up," so then I told her to "weebup."

I call Mommy to come back into my room a million times after she puts me to bed. It used to be just to cover me or to bring me my blankie or a drink of water but now I have lots of other excuses. I need her to sing "Wock" (Rock-a-bye Baby, which unfortunately sounds like "walk" so sometimes she has trouble understanding me), "Ticku-Sah" (Twinkle Star) and "Boat" (Row Your Boat). I need her to sing "eyes" (Sh'ma) again.

Today I called "Mommy, help!" so Mommy came and asked me what I needed help with. I was looking at my fairy tale book and said "Page. Fwind it. Woof (wolf) ffffffff (blow) pigs." So Mommy found me the page. She keeps saying "This is the last time, I'm not coming in again." Yeah, right.

Party Time

When I woke up from my nap today Mommy told me we were going to the birthday party of a friend from school. Later she asked me to tell Daddy where we were going and I said "Pahlo." She was confused because she knows I can say the words "birthday" and "party." Then she realized I was trying to say "Betzalel." That's the name of the birthday boy.

At the party I had a bite of a bagel and then made my way over to the ice cream cake. They wanted to serve me, but before I would tell them which kind of cake I wanted I first had to choose my bowl. Each one was shaped like an animal and I sat on the floor looking through the whole stack for one shaped like a dog. I didn't find one, so I just used the very last bowl in the pile - a lobster.

Mommy's sorry that her camera is broken because it would have made a very cute picture when the two of us were sitting on the floor eating our ice cream cake, while Ami sat on Mommy's lap and watched.

After the cake I took one cookie for me and one for Mommy. But then I saw a girl eating grapes and asked Mommy to get me some. I went and put my half-eaten cookie back in the serving bowl, in exchange for a cup full of grapes. One of the mommies was very impressed and said she would be shepping nachas if her kid chose fruit over cookies.

Then I took another cookie for me and another one for Mommy and offered another one to a little girl. I took a bite or two of my cookie and put that one back in the serving bowl too.

All the kids were playing downstairs but I found a balloon and ran around the kitchen throwing it in the air and kicking it around. I also enjoyed looking in the full-size mirrors all over the house. When I found Betzalel's room I wanted to read ALL of his books.

I did not want to leave the party but Betzalel looked tired and Mommy said if we don't go home we can't come back to play another day. On the way home we listed all the junk I ate at the party - cookies, ice cream cake, a chocolate bar from my goody bag, and juice. I like saying "junk, junk, junk." Usually when we brush my teeth Mommy pretends she is finding different animals that are hiding in my mouth. Tonight she just brushed away all the different kinds of junk that were hiding in there!

In the car on the way home from the party I said "shoes off." Mommy said "Please don't take your shoes off, we're almost home." I took them off and then said "socks off." Mommy said "If you take your socks off you'll be very cold." After taking my socks off I said "Feet off!" You gotta hand it to me, I sure do have a sense of humor.

Time Out

Eliana: Mommy has been wondering exactly how and when to introduce "time outs" to me when I misbehave. Well, she doesn't have to worry anymore because I have started putting myself in time out.

Yesterday when she was trying to dress me I kicked her. Then I said "Time out. Nana. Andrea. Kick." Morah Andrea put me in time out because I kicked. We were in a rush to get out the door so Mommy just agreed that I should get a time out when I kick, but didn't implement it.

The next day I threw my food on the floor. I said "time out" and Mommy wondered aloud where my time out spot should be. I chose the ledge by the kitchen window (which used to be my favorite place to sit." I sat down there but after 30 seconds or so got up and said "ah weady" (I'm ready.) Since then I have gotten a couple more time outs (who knew hitting your baby brother could make your Mommy so mad?) and am slowly learning to sit there quietly until Mommy tells me time out is over.