End of Week Highlights

Note: These were supposed to be end-of-week highlights, but production was halted due to a nasty cold. While said cold is still lingering, the staff of aliyahbyaccident is dedicated to bringing you first-class, high-quality garbage. And so....

1. "Where is the rain?" Ariella and Yaakov would both like to know the answer to this. To quote Ariella: "How come when we say mashiv haruach umorid hagashem, Hashem doesn't right away send some rain?" And Yaakov (frantically): "Mommy, mashiv haruach umorid hagashem isn't working!" And so begins a lifetime of understanding that you don't always get whatcha ask for.

2. Yaakov now recognizes the "yud." Kol hakavod! Of course, he thinks every single yud spells Yaakov, but who am I to argue? He also knows the 5, because we live there, the 3 because we park there, and the 1, for good luck. We're working on the rest of the letters and numbers. I brought out our trusty old ABC puzzle; of course, it's going to be an uphill battle as Yaakov looked at the picture for "C" and said, "Ooh, a gezer!"

3. Speaking of Yaakov. He often plays in Hebrew when he plays by himself. On Friday night, he and Ariella overturned their little table and set up all the cars on it. Yaakov read them a story, just like the morah, and showed them the pictures, just like the morah. And then, just like the morah: "לא ראיתם? אני יודע שלא ראיתם" ("You didn't see? I know you didn't see!")

4. Ariella had her first math test last week. As per the teacher's instructions, I made review sheets for her. Then, as per her own distinct little Ariella-ness, she made review sheets for ME. Some of them included subtraction, which she hasn't learned yet. I tried to explain to her that subtraction problems such as 1 -2 -3 = were difficult, because in subtraction you're supposed to put the bigger numbers first, or you end up with negative numbers. "Well, do YOU understand how to do it this way?" I replied that I did. "So do it!" Oy.

5. Ariella's favorite subject is math. Go figure. (haha). Just like her dad. Speaking of children who are just like their dads, I would just like to make a general statement here: It is VERY IRONIC when a certain parent - for argument's sake, let's say the father - gives his child his, um, unique, personality and then goes off to work, leaving the other parent to raise said child and deal with all of the, um, uniqueness. Just saying. The first parent should really leave a handbook behind.