If We Were Responsible...

Then neither of the two occurrences in this post would have happened. Probably. But the fact that they both happened within a 24 hour period is making me really question our parenting skills.

First, we live on a fabulous street that has two small parks at the end of it. One of them is more a green grassy space with a few benches, not so interesting, and the other a more kid-y playground. The thing is, this playground is awful. It has two bouncing motorcycle/bike things a four person seesaw structure that looks like it's on it's last legs and has peeling paint, a weird spinning thing that it appears you're supposed to hang from your arms and a sandbox with a slide and a very unsafe looking tunnel thing. The slide would be good if it were not in a sandbox, which here in this cat infested country always turn into litter boxes and are responsible for a bunch of health issues. Seriously, I didn't make that part up- it's really a problem. Eitan is NOT allowed in sandboxes ever here.

So although it's ridiculously convenient we never ever go to that park for more then five minutes because Eitan gets bored of the bouncing motorcycle, and I feel like it's mean to take him to a park where he can't go on the slide. Did I mention that this park also has graffiti all over the walls? It's like, really really gross. The good thing is there are several really nice playgrounds a 5-10 minute walk away (like this one, or this one (and WOW was he so little, almost a year ago!)), so we stick to those.

Since Ami's sister/Nanny/Dadu has arrived, I've mentioned a bunch of times how we never go to the "shi--y park" and the end of the street, and pointed it out to her when walking around the few block radius of the apartment. So it seems like Eitan overheard...whoops. We knew this kid was a little parrot, but I didn't realize his hearing was so good! I really try not to swear in front of him, but I guess one or two references to the "shi--y park" slept in somewhere.

So this happened.


Eitan's Post Nap Request from mimi rozmaryn on Vimeo.

And really, I really really tried not to laugh, but as soon as I realized what he was asking for (this took place about 2 minutes after he woke up from his nap) I told Ami sitting across the room, very calmly that we had a video camera emergency.

I'm not sure what's worse, that this happened, or we filmed it, or now that I'm posting it for our friends and family to see, but, some days, you just need a laugh, so, you're welcome.

And onto irresponsible parenting example two. So Eitan's crib, it's not in the best shape. We bought it here, and have never been overly impressed with the construction. Ami says it's because it's put together with dowels (little wooden pegs). But being that we don't have tools here, really adding to the construction has been a challenge.There have been a couple times when, especially after moving it to open the couch-bed, a piece has come off and we'd need to pull it back together. Also one time where Eitan was jumping up and down angry about having to nap where it kind of fell apart. I keep saying we need to borrow a drill and just really reinforce it, and I even went out and got some supplies (brackets and screws) that Ami told me to, but we just haven't done it. In a recent move of the crib across the room, one of the dowels popped out and we couldn't find it, and Ami taped a piece of the crib together to make sure it stays put.

Today, during Shabbat lunch with some company, I put Eitan down to nap in his crib. He wasn't super excited about being taken away from all the fun, and cried a bit. Which isn't really unusual. And then it was quiet. And then, without missing a beat, Eitan, holding onto his blanket walks out of his room into the living/dining room and says with a HUGE smile on his face "Good Morning". Seriously, imagine 6 adults with simultaneous shock, curiosity and laughter. Like, how the hell did he get out of that crib with no noise, and parade himself in here all smiles.

Well, I'll save you the trouble and show you:

Yep, our little houdini/hercules/hulk just pulled his crib apart somehow and walked out.

The good news on the responsible parenting front is that he wasn't hurt at all, perfectly fine, and for our sake, that he hasn't jumped on the jumping out of the crib situation, which really can cause a kid a bump in the head. So obviously, fixing up and reinforcing the crap out of the crib has risen seriously on the priority list of to-dos.

But for tonight, when no hardware store is open after Shabbat (and we still don't have a drill) Ami McGyvered a whole situation together with double taped corners and a tape brace on the bottom holding it all together. Oh, and the pot on Eitan's head, that's what he used in place of a hammer. And then Eitan as a hat. Very versatile kitchen ware. But, that all being said, so far, so good.

And yes, tomorrow morning's activity WILL include another trip to the hardware store for more supplies, and a big request to anyone in Jerusalem with a drill to borrow it ASAP for an hour. Conversely, my plan is to walk around the neighborhood watching as people put up their Sukkahs and asking to borrow their drills when then finish. I think my pathetic story will entice them, even though they may not know us...right?

Anyways, that's the last two days of parenting fun that probably should not have happened, and definitely should not be inscribed to the internet forever. I hope at least it got some laughs, or sympathy.

UPDATE:

The crib (unlike Humpty Dumpty) has put back together again, erev Sukkot - if we weren't building a Sukkah, at least we could rebuild a crib. There are enough supports, screws and whatnots in that thing for us to even sleep in it soundly.

Here's the work in progress:

Max Stock

So I like a bargain. I figured things would be really cheap here- salaries are about half as much as US salaries, but it seems like for the most part, most (or at least, many) things cost about the same as they do at home. Which makes no sense, but you know, it's reality.

Which is why I was super excited to have found this store called Max Stock pretty early in our time here. I found it randomly, walking from Ben Yehuda to the Shuk, it's right in a corner called Kikar Davidka, and looked interesting so I walked it. I'd call it an Israeli version of Amazing Savings. Like random random things that were overstocked, out of season or whatever, all collected in a big space which is kind of a mess, and definitely you need to buy anything you might want asap because it will definitely be gone the next day and they're not getting more.

Here are some random things that I've spotted there and wondered about their journey to this random store in Jerusalem...

A bin of Obama 2008 stuffed bears (2.5 Shekels each)

 

Shopping bags from the US store Anthropologie (my FAVORITE) (1 shekel each)

I love it there. I've perfected my New York/Israeli elbow shove, and gotten lots and lots of good stuff there over this year such as a set of dishes, service for 6 for 30 Shekels, Eitan's riding truck for 100 Shekels, and lots of random kitchen things, tupperwares, cleaning supplies and tools. It's always crowded, always a mess, but unlike a lot of discount stores at home, I always find something really good that I really can use.

On a recent trip, a couple weeks ago I did so well, that I felt the haul was blog worthy. Here's everything:

The total for all of this stuff was 46 Shekels, here's the tally:

• 5 mini super glues
• 1 toilet cleaner thing (you put it on the bowl and it cleans with every flush- everyone uses them here, I'd never seen them at home before)
• 1 big carabiner hook (used to hang bags to the stroller- at home they go for $10 each)
• 1 large roll of packing tape 
• 3 paper table cloths
• A bag of 40 plastic spoons
• 1 set of small dessert size paper plates (10 count)
• 1 bag that can get folded up for grocery runs- and it's even kind of cute

Seriously, 46 Shekels! That's like $11.50! Max Stock, you are awesome

Eitan and a Meringue

A quick stop at a bakery to pick up some challahs for Shabbat was jackpot for Eitan last week. I swear, they keep the best looking stuff on low shelves to torment parents!

I turn around to pay and one second later Eitan has this massive meringue in his hand. The checkout lady told me to just put it back on the shelf (ewww, Eitan's grubby toddler hands were all over it already) but I told her that was gross and I'd just pay for it. Lucky for Eitan that I am not only NOT Israeli, but a sucker who rewards his stealing behavior. I guess I can't hold it against him, I mean, if the world was just there for me to take, I'd take too, right? You would too? I mean, I probably could have/should have given him a piece and gotten rid of the rest (shoving it in my mouth), but you know, again, I'm a sucker.

And it made him so happy and I made him pose for a million pictures, so it's all even. Except the whole sugar addiction thing.

The thing is, the past few weeks I can't stop taking pictures of Eitan. Most of them don't even make it here because they have nothing to do with anything other then my realizing that he's almost two and this kind of baby kind of little boy stage is fleeting. Really there's very little baby left of him, he communicates everything, walks everywhere (when we let him) instead of being in the stroller or carried, and certainly has opinions about us, what we're doing and what we have planned for him.

If you don't believe me, here are just a few of the million pictures I took of Eitan just at that one moment:

Apple Cake Batter and Rosh Hashana!

It's not yet 7:30 am, our bags are packed, breakfast has been eaten, and an apple cake is in the oven. How about that for a Sunday morning? All we need to do is make a quick stop at Marzipan for gooey rugelach and some round challahs and pick up the rental car and we're on our way to Yosef's house in Zichron Yakov.

But despite all of that, the most notable thing about today is Eitan got his first taste of cake batter! He sat in his chair eating his cornflakes as I diced, measured and put together this dessert, so I figured I would let him in on the real advantage of home baked food- the spatula with the leftover batter.

And he went  to TOWN with it! Omygoodness. And I got it on tape too. Stick around for his rendition of the famous Rosh Hashana song (you know, dip the apples, in the honey, etc).

Shana Tova! Happy 5773!

Emek Refaim Street Fair

Last Monday night (I know, I'm way behind, it's been a hectic week somehow) the entirety of Emek Refaim was closed to traffic and the annual souped up street fair/ party ensued.

What I don't understand is why they closed down a street to have the fair there, which interrupted traffic from 2pm to midnight when exactly one block parallel to Emek Refaim is a beautiful promenade/boardwalk, Rechov Harakevet. Still trying to figure that one out. 

Many of the restaurants hosted little booths with tastes and highlights from their menus (easily transportable, of course), there were vendors selling all types of things- from shul hats to kitchen gadgets to jewelery to tablecloths, and musicians with pop up concerts and performances. And mimes and clowns roaming the street.



Oh, and as we're learning about festivals in Jerusalem, doughnuts and cotton candy.

Ami had football practice so he basically just walked us downstairs and made his way out, but me and Eitan had a stroll on the street taking in all the sights and sounds and obviously, some food.

We got home a tiny bit late for bed time, and work time, but you know, we can't be stopped from partying!


 

By the way, I forgot how much Israeli Sufganiot bother me with their stingy amount of filling, someone please remind me again around Chanuka. Eitan definitely had the better doughnut. And I didn't get cotton candy this time (unlike Balabasta), it's not the same without Nina to share it with, but was certainly happy to see it.  And yes, our dinner on Monday consisted of an appetizer of doughnuts, a main course of little bites from Marvad Hakasamim, stuffed grape leaves, little Moroccan cigars, etc, and dessert of RYU sushi. Normal...

Are We Ready for Some Football?

The consensus is...not sure yet.

I'm never ready, Ami is always ready. Eitan, probably too got the football gene. Yesterday was the first Sunday of the season and I've noticed a few key differences about football watching here versus at home. With the Redskins at least, Ami has a history of Obsession (pre-Season) and Depression (during-Season). And a disease where he was physically unable to be away from a couch and TV while Redskins games are on, and sometimes any game where he has a key player in his fantasy team.

The good news about watching here is: Sundays are already ruined due to the wonderful 6 day work week, and anyways most of the games are on at 8pm when we'd be home already anyways, Ami is not doing fantasy football this year AND most importantly, the Redskins won yesterday (despite every prediction saying they had no chance against the Saints in New Orleans).

So at least for week 1, we have a happy family. See?

Love this last one of Eitan because it looks like not only is he watching the game but also checking very important things on his phone. I guess he was hip to the fact that Ami was playing him old clips, this boy only wants to watch games in real time my friends...

And because the game started after his bedtime, I showed him the highlights this morning. Here's my Monday Morning Quarterbacker:



Monday Morning Highlights from mimi rozmaryn on Vimeo.
 

And, because I'm sentimental like that, here is a bit of history with Eitan and the Redskins:

2010 Season (terrible red eye, we gotta fix up our pictures!)

 

2011 Season

I'm sure as the fall goes on we'll have more pictures of Eitan and the Redskins. But now that he's mobile, and more opinionated about what we do to him in general it's harder to snap a good one!

Eating Seasonally and a Quest for Limes and Yellow Peaches

At home two huge trends in food are about eating locally and seasonally. That's all good in theory, but in practice, wow, it's a serious adjustment. Living in a country the size of New Jersey, everything is local, and seasonal. Apparently there's a store in Herzeliya that imports produce from all over the world (like we do in the US) but it's far, and I'm sure the prices are ridiculous.

So here we are. Living seasonally and eating locally. How fabulously trendy we are. Or kind of miserable. Some things are always around- cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, apples, bananas, etc. Others are more fleetings. Strawberry season is from around Chanuka to Purim which means no summer strawberry pie. Mangoes are big now, but no chunks of mango in January around. Apricots were a slice of heavan in May and then disappeared. As our time here has progressed, I've gotten smarter (I like to think), and at the hieght of the season- when the particular fruit is everywhere (and SO SO cheap at the Shuk), I buy a ton, cut up and freeze it. So strawberry smoothies were enjoyed through May, and we can still whip up an apricot tart.

One item that has been particularly illusive has been the lime. Apparently there IS a lime season here, but it is very brief, like a few weeks, max. So last week when I saw familar small green ovals at our local supermarket I got very excited and bought a whole bunch (with plans to juice and freeze in ice trays to have for a while!). I envisioned finally getting to spritz some lime juice onto our taco salads, put wedges in my seltzer, and use some zest to brighten up a fruit cobbler. Yes!

Here's one of my beautiful limes, all green and perfect:

And then I cut it open:

Then the following questions came up:

• Um, what the heck? 
• Why are limes orange? 
• Why do they taste not at all tart and very orange-y? 

And then I found some solutions:

• Oh, because they're clemintines. Then why are they green?
• Oh, apparently all peels of citrus fruit in this country start out green at the beginning of the season, even though the fruit inside is perfectly ripe.

Okay, this is weird. But okay, I guess clemintines are cool. And clemintines are seasonal in the US too, and the first box of clemintines is always a little exciting in the late fall/winter, so I can deal. But my lime search was not over.

Another day in the market, I saw this guy:

And got all excited again. And opened it and saw this:

Whomp Whomp. A lemon dressed up as a lime. Total BS. Like, it's always lemon season here- they're one of the staple things, and I have no idea why these guys were green. To mess with me? I still have no limes, but Esty is coming to the rescue by agreeing to pillage some from her parent's lime tree! There will be limes in this house!

Another thing we've been missing is yellow peaches. For some reason, all the peaches around here are white. I'm slightly allergic to white peaches, and Ami doesn't like them, but LOVES yellow peaches. White peaches have been around all summer. And we ask at the Shuk, hey when are the yellow guys coming to join the party, and get the same answer - in the next couple weeks.  By now, I'm thinking, yeah, right, but still look up and down the aisles for the illusive "afarsek tzahov" sign.

Well, it seems like things have taken a turn for the positive, because yesterday  in the Shuk I found ONE stand with the beloved yellow peaches. We had kind of given up by now, but there they were. And I saw them, and I looked at the seller, and he looked at me, and in my best Hebrew I asked if these were really yellow peaches. And he looked at me like a crazy and said, yes, that's what the sign says, so that's what they are. But I still didn't believe it after all my lime trauma. So I bought two, half thinking we'd open it up and it would be white (or who knows what else) or just not the yellow peaches we're used to. And then I meant to send Ami an EMERGENCY text about it but forgot. But then he got home and I told him and we checked it out, and these yellow peaches are the REAL THING! Now I have confidence in the peaches, and can go back to the Shuk next week and buy a whole boatload (eat as many as we can and freeze the rest, you know the drill).

Here is the happy boy:

Attempting to share with Eitan:

And finishing it off himself:

Yellow peaches, WELCOME!

Big Fan Failures and Rebbe Nachman to the Rescue

Last week the Montifiore Windmill finally had it's debut party. One night was invite only with political folks, and the next was opened to the public. It was in the evening so we didn't make it, but I figured we'd go this week and avoid the crowds. Well, we definitely did. Mostly because even though there was a whole opening, it's not really opened! The mill's fancy electric turning was not on and it just stood still, and the whole shebang of a working mill that makes flour and a bread bakery will not start until April. Super lame.  

I thought our whole morning was going to be a bust until our friend Rebbe Nachman saved the day. Down onto the street came the Rebbe Mobile blasting techno Jewish music. Eitan was mesmorized. The van stopped and out came like a million bearded guys with long peyos. I don't know why they were there, but as legend goes, Rebbe Nachman appears whenever you need him. 

They came out of the truck singing and dancing and Eitan was even more excited. Then, one blew a shofar which was just the ultimate.



Shofar Blowing from mimi rozmaryn on Vimeo.

And I gave them some tzeduka (that's what you do, right? I'm not a huge sucker?) and they gave us a book of stories and our very own techno Rebbe Nachman CD.
Eitan was very very excited about his presents.

..

After that we went home via the fountain, and at this visit Eitan got much more into splashing and playing then last time. He got so wet that I needed to take his shirt off as it was dripping wet. There's my little redneck.

And I took a picture of this beautiful olive tree against a perfect cloudless blue sky.

When we got home all Eitan could ask for was the Present Music (the CD) and more Shofar. So I put on that darn obnoxious CD and told him his harmonica was like a Shofar. He kind of bought it.

Here his our little musician:


Harmonica Shofar? from mimi rozmaryn on Vimeo.

And every day since Eitan has been asking for more Shofar. In case you're wondering you tube has a delightful array of shofar blowing videos. Just FYI...

Sightings and New Playgrounds

One morning last week Eitan and I had a particularly early start and were talking a walk in the neighborhood. On the way we passed this sight:

It's a still closed restaurant (Baba on Emek Refaim, we recommend btw), early in the morning, with four boxes of produce just dropped off in front of the door with no one attending to them. No one to sign and approve what came, no one to bring them in, nothing. In fact, Eitan almost swiped a couple of the tomatoes. Makes no sense to me. Where else would the happen? Seriously?


We ended up in the courtyard of our local community center which also houses the very popular Shira Chadasha shul. We go there a bunch on Shabbat mornings for play group and the playground, and on Fridays as well where there is an outdoor market with a little of everything (organic produce, prepared food for Shabbat, a masseuse, vintage clothing- really random) but it never occurred to me to go there during the week. Which is a shame really because there's a lot of shade and also big shades that cover the rest. I digress, here are some highlights of our morning in the park.

Riding the train:

Playing with a huge Teepee:

Going up and down a ramp:

Lounging on a lizard:

All in all, a good morning!