Darkhei Noam: Baby Yoga

For reasons that are not at all clear to us, Noam has taken up what appears to be an obscure form of yoga, and spends a lot of his time, especially in the morning, involved in his routines (note: most sentences regarding Noam's behavior these days could legitimately be prefaced by the words "for reasons that are not at all clear to us." Like the temper tantrum in the mall yesterday. But that's another story...).

Soon after waking up, Noam lays his whole body flat on the floor, and then proceeds to try a number of different positions: Legs up, or arms out, arms curled at his side, one arm up and one arm down, and so on. Sometimes these exercizes also involve using different body parts to hold on to a tennis ball. If the ball rolls away, it must be tracked down and the position has to be started all over again.

In between positions, he attemps to balance his entire body on the stepping stools we keep around the bookshelves.

It's not clear that all this is helping him to achieve a zenlike state of bliss, but at least it's fun to watch.

~ Building Our Sukkah!

Yesterday afternoon and today were in large part dedicated to finding, deciphering, and - eventually - erecting our sukkah. Those of you who keep up with this blog have seen pictures of our mirpeset (balcony) in the past. And you may remember that it is very small - or at least extremely narrow. So our landlords had a special sukkah made to fit the space, and yesterday David and Mike (who is visiting us right now) went into the basement and brought it upstairs.

Well, at least that was the plan. Actually, they brought the neighbors sukkah upstairs (they forgave us). And it was missing some pieces. Specifically, those pieces that would enable it to actually stand on our mirpeset.

Many conversations (some in broken Hebrew) and emails later, it emerged that the missing pieces were locked in the bomb shelter, to which only the municipal government office has the key. Luckily for us, the super's sukkah was also in the bomb shelter, so he called the city and got them to come unlock it.

Through all of this, Noam waited patiently, watching the pieces of metal accumulate on the mirpeset. Finally, all the pieces were in place, and he was able to help Daddy and Mike put it together (Eema would have helped too, just she happened to be out getting her nails done. It was a coincidence, okay?).