View

We are technically homeless and I couldn't be happier. Since selling our place in July, we have been lucky enough to crash at Sabba and Savta's gorgeous condo in Buena Park. Needless to say, the view is breathtaking. Elijah loves the sunsets but is usually sleeping during sunrises like this.

We are already looking to buy a new place, so I am savoring the view while I can. A big thank you to Sabba and Savta for letting us stay in their beautiful home.

What the boy likes

What is your favorite color?

Red and Orange

What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate and vanilla icecream

What is your favorite food?
Carrots, brocolli, spinach and pitted olives

What is your favorite drink?
Juice and water

What are your favorite animals?
Elephant, lion, zebra, kitty cat and dog

What is your favorite restaurant?
Whole Foods

What is your favorite season?
Winter. When winter is here, super skiers come down and people ski.

What is your favorite song?
Puff the Magic Dragon

What is your favorite book?
Living Sunlight

What are your favorite toys?
Tinker toys and Legos

What is your favorite language?
Hebrew

What is your favorite holiday?
Shabbat, I like juice and challah.

What animal would you like to be?
I think a birdie because I want to fly how a birdie flies.

Where is your favorite place?
I like to go to Europe (With the exception of a layover in Spain, Elijah has never actually been to Europe)

Cheerios

Elijah was sporting a Cheerio bracelet when I went to pick him up from school today. He was eager to make one for me, but a little girl knocked over his styrofoam bowl and the crunchy rounds went flying to the floor. After helping to scoop them up, I started chatting with his teacher Betsy. I saw Elijah puttering at the sink, but didn't think anything of it as he seems to delight in hand washing these days. When it was time to leave, I approached the sink and suppressed my urge to laugh. Elijah's bowl was full of water. The Cheerios were floating inside and he was happily popping them into his mouth. "Elijah! What are you doing?" I exclaimed. "We don't eat Cheerios off the floor." Bewildered, Elijah shrugged his shoulders and ate a few more. "But I just washed them," he replied.

Creatures

Any activity that takes Elijah away from his Legos is a hard sell these days. Given that my weekdays are primarily spent on a locked psychiatry unit, I find myself practically begging him to go to the park over the weekend. Last Saturday was no exception. It was a beautiful day and Elijah was intent on playing Legos in the livingroom. After hearing that Deborah was going to be at the park, he eventually agreed to go and of course had a wonderful time. On the way home, I asked if he had fun to which he replied, "Yes, but next time I want to stay home and play Legos."
I was thus shocked when he agreed to go to the pool on Sunday. Elijah has never shown interest in the water, he even avoids sprinklers. He wasn't exactly excited to swim, but seemed amenable hitting the playground and "cooling off" in the water. I quickly slathered him in sun screen and scooted him out of the house before he could change his mind. We had fun at the playground and Elijah reluctantly allowed me to carry him in the pool for a whole of of five minutes. Success!

After swimming, Elijah started chatting with a five year old girl at the pool. Within moments they were laughing and chasing each other about. Sweet and innocent until the girl approached her mom to get a pair of flip flops. "Probably needs it to squish something," said the mom. I soon realized that the girl was on a mission to find and squash insects. The mom was clearly unperturbed but I was horrified. I have attempted to instill in Elijah a respect for the natural world. We have made a point to choose books about animals, plants and science. When critters do make there way into the house, we most always capture and release them outside. Elijah has always taken a liking to insects and seeing his willingness to conspire with the girl was unsettling. Given the mom's indifference, chastising both children seemed inappropriate. A moment passed and Elijah ran over to say hello. I quietly told him that killing bugs was mean and unacceptable. Meanwhile, the little girl explained how she planning to "capture more bugs" inside a leaf so that she could kill them. The other mom said nothing and that was my cue to pack up our things. Upon leaving the pool, Elijah and I had a nice conversation about living creatures. When we were done, I asked him what he would do next time he saw kids killing bugs. He said he'd stop them but I suppose we will have to wait and see.

Family getaway

Thank you to Gilia and Dan for hosting our Michianna getaway!!

Tomato machine

If I had to describe Elijah in one word, imaginative would be a likely contender. Here is what we discussed at dinner last night.

The Mommy flamingo has a tomato machine.

Really, what does it do?

It picks them up when it's hard to pick them.

I see, where does it pick them from?

It picks them, from a... umm... Whole Foods!

Where does Whole Foods get the tomatoes?

Well, first the other flamingo has a tomato faraway machine.

But where do the tomatoes come from?

Michianna, they live in Michianna and they are moving on Wednesday.

But, Lili, where do tomatoes come from?

The basement, the basement makes tomatoes.

Ok, but I thought Doda has tomatoes at her house. Where do Doda's tomatoes come from?

They grow from leaves. They are still green. Not ready yet.

Bris

The new parents and grandparents

Deb and the mohel

Erica and Justin

Jen and the lovebug

Jamie and Sharon

World's best mother-in-laws!!!

Breaking the rules

I am scheduled to take my boards next week and am quite happy to spend my days taking practice exams. The nearby public library has proven to be an excellent study spot. It is very quiet and sunny. There are clean bathrooms, a water fountain and free Wifi. My only problem is adherence to the library's strict rules. Yesterday I was asked to remove my water bottle from the table as all food and drinks are forbidden (fair enough). Later in the afternoon, I became drowsy and rested my head beside my laptop. I dozed off and was abruptly awakened by a loud thump on my table. Apparently sleeping is also banned. The kindly security woman has already reprimanded me twice today, once for propping my feet on a nearby chair and once for slipping off my sandals. I had been surreptitiously snacking on Cheerios but have decided it is too risky.
Thankfully I am in the heart of Lakeview and walking distance from many inexpensive restaurants. I tried a vegetarian Lebanese place yesterday and it was perfect. They have a huge salad bar, and I piled my falafil sandwich high with various pickles, spiced tahini, cabbage salad and jerusalem salad. Pure happiness.

Maxwell Paul

My delicious new nephew!!
Baby, Momma and Daddy are all doing well.

Inn Serendipity

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Inn Serendipity, a vegetarian B&B and organic farm in southwestern Wisconsin.

Green County has more cows than people. Cheese is sold at roadside shacks and pretty much any establishment with a cash register. The region is also home of the New Glarus Brewing Company, makers of Spotted Cow Ale (yum). Corn and soybean fields are abundant, but vegetables seem to have difficulty making it onto local menus. We thus ate a lot of cheese sandwiches.