Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

So much to do, so little time! We are getting ready for a visit from Grandma and Aunt Debra W, getting ready for a big Thanksgiving dinner, and trying to play a lot in the meantime. Not much time to write, but here are some recent vignettes.

Noam savoring his food - a rare sight.



Getting him to eat is an ongoing challenge. We think we might be ready for a booster seat instead of the high chair. We think this because sometimes when Eema is eating, Noam will walk over and try to push her off of her chair. He then indicates his desire to sit in said chair and eat Eema's food. Hmmm.


Noam visiting with Aunt Liz - a willing victim when it comes to fun games like "throw the ball off the couch and make Liz go get it again and again." She is our favorite Tuesday playmate!




Noam building with blocks - he's really very good at it now. It's fun to watch him figure out what will balance and what won't.





Finally, a note to Steven, who wanted to know when Noam's reading material would advance past Goodnight Moon. Steven, please see the picture below. Sure he's young, but we think he's ready to know the truth about patriarchy and orthodoxy.

Cats and other Fun Things

Did you know that Goodnight Moon is all about cats? It is when Noam reads it. On each page, he searches for the kittens. When he finds one, he points and triumphantly cries: "cat! cat!"

Outdoor adventures have a similar focus. When we see a cat, Noam stops and call to it: "Cat! cat!" When we see a dog, Noam woofs (if the dog woofs back he gets a little freaked).

For the most part, Noam doesn't touch cats or dogs. He has, however, become extremely affectionate with people and toys. He hugs Eema and Daddy (and yes, he says "dada" and no, he does NOT say mama...). His doll, which he refers to as "babeee!" gets kisses, and very gentle hugs - Noam wraps his arms around the baby, holds it to his shoulder, and gently pats its back. And of course, there are tons of hugs and lots of pats (some more gentle than others) for "Ayeah" (our next door neighbor, Ariel). They are extremely cute together!





In less fun news, the last few days have been very chilly here in Jerusalem, and we're still learning how to use the heat in our apartment. Noam woke up cold the last two mornings, so we are trying to buy him some new warm pajamas and up the heat in his room. In the meantime, he still prefers his summer hat, which has resulted in some interesting fashion statements.

Help!....

...Noam is teething. In a big way. On Thursday he had a high fever, and since Shabbat the fever is gone but the misery remains. He is a grumpy, grouchy boy!


...Noam throws major fits. When he doesn't get his way, he screams and kicks and throws things. Eema and Daddy do not know what to do with him. Here is Eema kissing and cuddling with Noam till he finally has to laugh!



...Noam feels ready to take on the world - without the help of Eema. On Sunday we had our first Mommy and Me music class. Except in Noam's case, its just "Me." He spent the time walking around to meet all the other children, sharing their food, talking to them, and occasionally sitting in another mommy's lap. All the other mommies and babies sang songs and learned hand motions together. Noam mostly pretended not to know me, though he did occasionally give me a reassuring pat on the back on his way around the room. (No pictures of this class just yet - hopefully soon)

...Noam's newest word is "help!" - though it comes out as "hap! hap!". Eema is trying to teach him to say this instead of "uuh! uuh! when he needs/wants something (such as when he has somehow climbed into the laundry basket and needs "help" getting out). Its a big improvement.



You're all invited to come over and help!