Ladies Man

Nana: Ilan, let's put some clothes on. What do you want to wear today?

Ilan: Ladies man.

So, here is our ladies man!

I've been tagged

Okay Marilee, this is for you. Seven (hopefully) interesting things about myself:

1. I am a closet hippie. I love patchouli, things natural and organic. I have used cloth grocery bags for about 15 years. I love things that are home-grown or home-made. I detest the idea of buying things from China. I love John Denver. I think natural childbirth is amazing. I prefer natural remedies. I make my own babyfood...

2. I love shoes. Being students we haven't had a lot of money for clothes, etc., which has helped to keep my shoe supply limited and very practical. But, given the opportunity I would go wild with shoes in all colors and shapes.

3. I love coffee and have had enough home-roasters in my life to know that I like it roasted to just before the second crack. Dark, but with enough acidity to still be smooth. I can do without it if I have to, but I just love it. The afternoon cup is my favorite. Without it my evenings are shot.

4. I have a long list of things I would like to try doing at home: Roast my own coffee, make my own lotion, smoothing stones I gathered from the Sea of Galilee and making jewelry with them, plants and trees I would like to plant, recipes I want to make, crocheting, knitting etc.

5. I can't tell whether I am an introvert or an extrovert. I like to be around people and meet new people, but I'm not always in the mood for it and I definitely need time alone. If I am not in a place that I feel is somehow my own I close up like a clam. I HATE when they have a greeting time at church during the service. I always feel like I don't know how to start things and just want to find a corner to hide in.

6. I am really impatient. I hate waiting for anything. It's really a problem. Not a problem that I have to wait, but that I have trouble waiting.

7. I have never been a career-minded person and I really lack confidence when it comes to "selling" myself for a job or even when trying to figure out what exactly I am supposed to be doing with my life. I am excited about certifying as a doula and believe this is the perfect line of work for me and where God wants me, but I get a little nervous about my ability to run my own business and whether I can actually make a living at it. I guess it is a step of faith and that makes me a little nervous because it means I'm not in control. I like to be in control.

Redeeming Halloween

Well, it was pretty cute to see Ilan walking up and down the street in a monkey outfit begging for candy. He immediately tried to tear into every piece of candy that he received, and although some of it is pretty mangled, most of it survived...the skittles excluded. Sigh. I am not so thrilled with the fact that Ilan has a ton of candy (other than the fact that that means our household is now supplied with chocolate for a little bit), but tonight I think I found something redeeming about all this sugary-sweetness. I let Ilan eat a few pieces when we got back home, took out the things he couldn't have, and put a handful of candy into a paper bag to be saved for "later." Now, when you read later, what you should understand is that I mean bribery. Bribery, because only good boys get to have candy.

Ilan was a really good boy tonight and so after he had dinner I let him pick a piece of candy. He chose the Mini-M&M's. We put them in a bowl and sat down on the floor in his room while he munched away. Ilan has been learning his colors, but he still doesn't seem to get it. Most of the time he just shouts out what color he thinks you want to hear when you ask him what color something is. He has real moments of clarity, but they are not the majority. Anyway, our little dessert time gave us an opportunity to review our colors and he did a really good job. When all of the green ones were gone he asked where they were. I think it confused him when I said they were in his tummy...he looked down his shirt and looked at me with a silly grin and said "hiding?" So we played a game for a while, where I tried to find the M&M's hiding in his mouth.

No milk for you!

I'm not the milk nazi, but I am a mom whose son has earned his reputation as a terrible two. I know. I just posted that Ilan isn't such a terrible two, but between then and now something has transpired and I'm just not sure this is a rite of passage that delights me. Ilan, as most first-born children are, is a pretty compliant child. He may be a little tough to keep still, but he's mostly obedient and pretty eager to please. But in the last few days he's developed a true naughty streak.

I'm wondering if his new favorite charactar "David" from the No! David and David Gets in Trouble books is having an influence on him. His favorite trick lately is to spill the milk. That's right. He tosses it, whacks it and just plain dumps it on the ground at whim. Now one of the ways David gets in trouble in the book is to spill his juice on the ground. Coincidence? I don't know. I'll let you know if he knocks any balls through the window or lets the dog eat his homework. In the meantime I think we need some sippy cups.

Updates

I've updated my blog list. If you are not on it anymore, it's because you haven't posted in a long time. I'll still check for your posts, though. Hope no one is offended.

Nice Curly Hair

So now that Ilan's bedtime ritual involves me laying down with him until he drifts off, we have little chats before bed. Often they are silly and very sweet. We pray for Ilan's favorite people and things, we read a book, we talk about the day, and we cuddle.

When we were on the boat there were a couple of crew members that dressed up like roman soldiers. They were posing for pictures with people as they left the dining room and acting a little "savage." Ilan took one look at them and lost it. Thus the "scary man" entered Ilan's life. This is the scary man who has haunted his sleepy time and is mentioned by Ilan each evening and most nap times. So, we discuss that the scary man is all gone and that he in on the boat in a different county. We also sing "God is Bigger than the Scary Man."

When we were in the middle of the passport drama in London the concierge gave Ilan a little stuffed doll named Max. Ilan has been sleeping with him and loves to cuddle him. At bed time he always asks "Max doing?" He likes to tuck him in with one of his loveys that has been name "dirty lovey."

We often talk about what he did during the day and recap the exciting events. It always surprises me that he remembers so many of the details. Sometimes he insists that he's hungry or thirsty, but when I give in he won't touch it. It's purely a delay tactic. Last week as we were laying down he said "Ima, nice curly hair. Nice curly hair, Ima." I think he was repeating what so many people have said about is goldy locks.

I love these moments. Even though I hope we can get him back on track with falling asleep on his own, I hope we don't sacrifice the special time before bed. They are priceless.

Fall is here

We took advantage of the nice fall weather this weekend and headed to Oak Glen for some Pumpkin Patch and Apple pickin' fun! What a great time! Ilan enjoyed running through the pumpkin patches, listening to some blue grass music and picking apples! Enjoy the pictures!

Die

As in "enough." As in "Dayenu"...it is "enough for us." Yes, die is the word used in Hebrew for "enough already" or "quit." Ilan got used to hearing this word when Ilana and Sabina would tell their dog Shugee "die" if he was jumping up on them or doing something bad. We tried to avoid using it because of the obvious confusion it would cause in the States, but it is one of those unfortunate things he has held on to. And he is not afraid to pull it out of his hat at the most inopportune times.

So, the other day I was having lunch with my mom and her friend at corner bakery and Ilan was running around the table like a mad-man (it is near impossible to contain him in a high-chair...so, yes, I am one of those moms) and trying to climb on the back of the booth. When my mom sat in his way he got very frustrated and shouted "die! die! die!" as he tried to move her out of the way. So I have to explain that in Hebrew "die" means "enough" and isn't it funny that he says that (please think it's funny that he says that).

It sounds pretty terrible, I know, but Ilan hasn't really hit a terrible two yet. Although he has definitely had his "no no no!" moments, they aren't that often. Mostly his outbursts come when he is frustrated at the inability to do what he has set out to do and they aren't really directed at anyone in particular. His desire to do things on his own is pretty strong. If we try to help him climb up on the bed, he says "Baby do it." When we go to brush his teeth, he says "Baby do it." If you try to help him hold a cup, he says "Out the way." As I'm writing this, it sounds like he is a little rude. Maybe we need to work on that a bit. But I don't think he's trying to be nasty...he just wants us to know that he can do it...and if he can't he may "die!" trying.