The Last Drops in the Bowl

Eitan loves when I share my cereal with him. I give him a few bites here and there (it's my breakfast, okay?) and he's always asking for maaaaaawwww.

So today when we finished all the cereal to be had, I gave him the bowl to show him that it really was done and I wasn't just being stingy.

Here was his reaction:

And he showed me that he would finish every last drop. Well played buddy.

Take that Dollar Store!

I like a bargain. I guess I get it from my mom, an amazing bargain hunter, who had the foresight to go to look for a Purim costume for Eitan when he was two weeks old the day after Halloween last year (and she did good!).  I just get really excited when I get get something that's great for a little bit of money.

Now take my Kirschenbaum bargain loving nature and couple it with 6 years in the Rozmaryn family with rituals such as getting up at 4 am for Black Friday, trips to wal-mart to "rent/borrow" furniture on vacations (buying folding tables on Thursday, using them for two days, and returning on Sunday) and frequently asking salespeople "what's your best price?" (seriously, and it works!) and there's some serious retail price aversions.

So long story short- I like sales, and I like getting good things for cheap.

I take Eitan to a gymboree a few times a week in Tapliot, a neighborhood just a few minute walk from our apartment. Talpiot is a fairly industrial area, and the streets are lined with furniture stores, hardware shops, lots of grocery stores and random other stuff, unlike our neighborhood which is filled with French and American tourists and lots of very nice restaurants, coffee shops and very expensive jewelery and other "extras". Needless to say, I do all of our shopping in Talpiot. But, back to gymboree. And bargains.

So in the same building as our gymboree, on the first floor, is a ONE SHEKEL STORE. Not a dollar store, but a store, filled with things that are the equivalent of 26 cents. So, to start, a lot of the stuff that dollar stores have in America they don't have at the Shekel store. It's not exactly taking a US dollar store, and converting everything over to one quarter of the value. No, you can't decorate your home at the Shekel store,  and you can't create the amazing projects of this favorite website of mine, but, that being said, the Shekel store is amazing, and filled with treasures.

There are standbys, things I know will always be there, or have at least been in the rotation the few months I've been frequenting.

In this category is lots of candy; gummy worms in particular, that I buy (four little worms to a little 1 shekel packet) and chow down on while Eitan's too busy playing with big trucks and running around at the gymboree to notice and ask for some.

They also regularly stock lots of lollipops, chocolates and most recently packaged muffins. Second most important item in the store however is 1 shekel (regular size) bags of bamba, Eitan's snack of choice of which I buy 4-5 at a time to always have in my bag in case of a baby tantrum emergency.

But there is so much more then just candy treats there! They have a huge supply of hair bands, clips, headbands and such accessories.  All colors, all types, 1 Shekel. It's a 7 year old girl's dream.

There are also lots of toys. Small rubber balls, which Eitan loves to bounce around and are so stupidly easy to replace if one goes missing. Cars! There is literally a huge display of just cars. All sizes, colors. It's nuts. Another favorite of Eitan's. I just let him hold onto one while we browse around, and I put it back before we check out and go up to playtime.

One thing I've mentioned that I love about living here is living in the Jewish calendar. Around Chanuka, they stocked lots of driedels and chocolate gelt. Now, Purim is a month and a half away, and the Shekel store reminds me by adding tons of masks into their stock. Now that's an economical costume that would even beat the post-Halloween sale price.

Last but not least, jewelery. Yes, the Shekel store has jewelery. Don't get any ideas for our next anniversary, Ami, or mother's day Eitan, but still...there are tons of little jewelery available for a quarter. Rings, bracelets, necklaces. The whole shebang. Check out these little rings?!

 

 And party decorations. Balloons, streamers, garlands. Holy crap get ready for Eitan's second birthday! Or Ami's 30th birthday! This place is going to be decked. Omygosh and the stationary! Pens and little pads, and gift bags and tape.

So, it may not have all of the stuff that a US Dollar store has (for those big spenders!), but on a recent trip I came out with: a bottle brush (for my water bottle that has seen better days now that we're dishwasher-less), 4 little bags of gummies, 4 bags of bamba, a fork and spoon for Nina to take to the Army with her,  all for less then $3! 

Get ready for more posts on my hauls from this amazing little oasis. It's just too good to write up in one post.

House Tour

So a bunch of people have asked for a virtual tour of our apartment here, so here you go!




A few things to note:

In the living room you may notice a space heater right in front of the TV. It's our baby gate to prevent Eitan to turning everything on, or opening and getting his fingers into the VCR.

Also in the hallway near all of the rooms, check out the light switches. Those four switches control both halves of the bathroom, the hallway light and Eitan's room light. They are crazy - their placements don't relate to where they are, and they all open different ways. Hence the little sticky notes so we don't turn on the light in Eitan's room after bedtime while meaning to turn on the bathroom light. Just a funny little quirk about this place.

Beer and Pizza Night

One night Nina came over after Eitan's bedtime. She was a little sad that she missed seeing him, and I think sent him a telepathic message to wake up.

Lo and Behold, almost on cue, Eitan starts crying and crying. I brought him out to say hi to her, and they ended up chilling for a bit before he went back to sleep, and no, he did not get any beer. Even though he was fascinated by the bottle, he was perfectly happy chugging milk.

I'd like to note that Nina didn't offer ME any pizza, but just went ahead and let Eitan chow down. Just know that...

Anyways, some (very bad) snapshots (sorry):

Days with Daddy

I'm home! After a couple more days after a few nights in Jerusalem with the two boys, I'm back and not going anywhere for a while. I'm buried both in emails and dirty laundry (from my Masada/Dead sea/Beduin tent days), and will get back to posting next week.

But, in case you're wondering, this is how the two Rozmaryn boys kept busy during their mornings together- soccer practice. We think Eitan has a lot of potential.

By the way...

Did I forget to mention that we got Eitan a real toy? Like one actually intended for children?

Well I did. And I saw it in this crazy Israeli Amazing Savings type place for 100 something Shekels and I snapped that baby up and CARRIED IT HOME, balancing it on top of the stroller handlebars all the way from town- a 25 minute walk. For some reason, it seemed too daunting to try to get on the bus with all of the stuff, but walking seemed do-able. I don't know. But we made it. And Ami didn't even get too mad.

And Eitan loves it. He loves putting things in the basket, most recently a plunger and two socks, loves riding on it and pushing it. It's just the best. Now we just have to figure out what to do when we go home. I'm thinking this one will probably stay here in Israel...

Best Buds

Since I've been away, these two boys have become tight! Ami's holding down the fort, and Eitan must know he's not messing, because he's been getting up later in the morning, taking longer naps and just being a total angel.

Seriously, he's been so behaved, towards his daddy. He is rebelling against my absence by tearing my closet apart. Ami came into our room to see this one day...

We're all together for Shabbat with the 5 Birthright groups, I'm home over Saturday and Sunday nights and then back on the road until Wednesday night.

Gone Fishin'

Not really. But I am going to be serving as a Rakezet (coordinator) for 4 Taglit-Birthright Israel: Hillel Buses this and next weeks. And yes, Taglit-Birthright Israel: Hillel, is the currently correct way to refer to the experience. It did used to be JUST Birthright (capital B), and later birthright israel (both lower case), and then Taglit- birthright israel (upper T, lower b and i). And now, all capital first letter, with a hyphen and a colon, and Hillel always after the Taglit-Birthright. Fun/chaos ensues.

So I'm going to be with a couple hundred students and 8 Hillel staff, and 4 Israeli tour guides, and about 40 Israeli soldiers who join the groups to provide a peer perspective for the students. But I won't be with Ami or Eitan for three days on either end of the trip (during our 4 nights in Jerusalem, I'll be home at night and they're coming to be with the groups for Shabbat).

So that will be interesting. And scary! So please, friends, call Ami, email Ami, and ask to video chat to see what types of creative outfits Ami puts him in and what type of creative meals they're eating, once the Shabbat leftovers run out. I asked Ami today if he knows where Eitan's clothes are and he said yes, he obviously does. Same with diapers, and food, and dishes. So we'll see.

Wish us luck! I'll be back January 19th! There might be a posting here or there, but who knows...Birthright is crazy.

Crazy Busses

My dream. Eitan pushes his stroller, I push nothing.

Jerusalem is a very hilly city, and my days are spent pushing around 25 pound baby and what feels like 50 more pounds of stuff between the diaper bag hanging on it and the basket underneath, so from time to time, we take the bus. Begrudgingly. 

Let me be clear, I have no problem with public transportation. I love it. Public transportation enabled me to push off getting my driver's license until I was 22, and I even with Eitan, no big deal, we were taking the metro out and about when he was even three weeks old. I however, do not like taking buses in Jerusalem. I like the fact that they have messages based on the season (for Chanuka, as you might remember, and apparently also for other chagim)  I'm not afraid of terrorism, I'm not afraid of getting lost (Nina put some app on my phone of bus maps. Iphone comes in handy yet again), it's not about Eitan, he flippin' loves the bus. He sometimes sits on my lap and points to everyone and everyone and smiles and gets lots of attention. Even from people outside at stops where he bangs on the windows and gets them to smile. 

The thing is, they just are so annoying, that unless I'm so tired and have so much stuff, we generally try to avoid them.  

What's annoying you may ask? Well, even if not, I'll tell you. Each bus, and each bus driver is their own island of laws, there's no consistency whatsoever. Some drive soooo slowly, and others drive so crazy fast that even standing holding on to the locked stroller, we're all thrown around. The buses have no schedule, I mean, there's an official SCHEDULE, but sometimes we'll wait 25 minutes for one bus that's supposed to come every 10 minutes, and 3 of the same will drive by all together. Madness. 

These however, are all things I can kind of deal with. What puts me over the edge however, is that in this city, apparently there's a rule that allows bus drivers to charge parents with strollers. That's right people, the bus driver can charge me for two rides for my stroller. And the inconsistencies are abound. Some don't at all. Some do always. Some tell me they'll only charge me if I keep it open, but if I fold it up, they won't. This makes no sense. The stroller takes up more space on the bus folded in an aisle, then in a corner open. And it's safer, I think, way safer, to have Eitan buckled into something then just on my lap willy nilly. 

Ami told me, one of our first weeks here that a woman got on the bus with a baby in a stroller, picked up the baby, handed it to him, proceeded to fold up her stroller (I'm guessing as not to be charged), and just as casually picked her baby back up. Nina tells me this happens all the time. Women get on in the back (strollers don't fit in the front entrance), give their baby to someone that looks (kind of) normal, take care of their business, go up to pay, and then reclaim their children. Let's just say, I don't do that. Sometimes, someone offers to take my card and go up and pay for me. Other times, I take Eitan with me, and sometimes, the bus is so crowded, and the driver is going so crazy, that I just never make it up to the front to pay at all. Which makes me feel better about all of the times I'm charged double. 

I would like to point out, that the people on the buses (minus the mean drivers) are wonderful. They help me get my stroller on the bus, help me get it off, smile and talk to Eitan, let him poke them. Of course, the occasionally tell me he's cold, or warm, or needs air (if I have a blanket draped over the stroller when he's sleeping) but what else is new, they're Israeli. 

Anyways, that's my story with buses. But the real kicker, that they charge for strollers, but offer free wifi. It's just weird. Who needs wifi on a intra-city bus? And why not charge for that and let my freaking stroller ride for free?

Liftoff

So, from a couple steps on the first night of Chanuka, Eitan's finally got a hang of this walking business.  All it took was some bambas for our little sabra to get motivated. Who knew that the secret to success would be treating our baby like a dog and offering treats? We'll make sure to keep it in mind when it comes to potty training.



Anyways, we're super proud of our little puppy who months after everyone (even our pediatrician) told us would be "walking any day now", is.

Shabbat Shalom!

4.5

What do you mean I look cold?

4.5. That's the number of people that told me my baby was cold one day last week.

Our little round faced, squinty smiling baby was wearing: a short sleeve onesie, a long sleeve shirt, a puffer vest, jeans, socks and shoes. For the record, I did have a jacket for him under the stroller, because sometimes the temperature feels like it swings 20 degrees from the sunny side of the street to the shady side- especially when the wind blows.

The weather in Jerusalem was 64 degrees. I was wearing jeans, a t shirt and a sweater and was sweating. 

So, to the 4.5. Two were straight up, "kar lo", or he's cold, with an accusing glare at his equally improperly dressed mother. One  told me that I should "sim lo et hameil", put his coat on (how did she know I had one?). Number four said "oolayi hoo kar", maybe he's cold. And the half, well, as I took his hat out of my bag to put it on him said, "I was about to tell you to put a jacket or hat on him". 

Let me clarify that I don't know any of these people, was not in mid conversation or had even made eye contact with them when these interactions took place. And, most surprising to me, was that they were not all old ladies (they were all ladies though)! One even looked younger then me. 

So, if you come visit us in Jerusalem, and you have a little one, unless you have perfected the art of smiling and nodding, make sure to dress your kid in the Celsius equivalent to the Fahrenheit temperature. Just sayin'. Or you can be like me, a rude New Yorker at my core and answer back totally straight faced (okay, maybe a little grimaced by the 3rd person), "hoo beseder", he's fine.

By the way, may I repeat that it was 64 degrees people. Yes!

Last Friday, we had a cold snap and I anticipated even more people on the street telling me Eitan was cold. So I got him dressed in this getup. It makes no sense for us to have this fleece jumpsuit here, but I bought it at like 90% off at baby Gap in Savannah last winter, actually on our Disney road trip that we were on exactly one year ago. The good news is no one bothered me about him being cold in it, but he was a bit of a sweat head when we got home. So I guess not much of a cold snap after all. He loves it- who wouldn't, so maybe we'll have a couple more cold days while it fits (which doesn't seem like very long, poor planning ahead on my shopping part, it was probably cold enough for him to wear it in DC a couple of months ago, but ok, you win some, you lose some).

Keeping it Light

We've been keeping busy this week with lots of games, a step here or there and lots of this:



Notice how he drinks too much with every sip and then the milk drips down his face a little...Classic.

Rozmaryns and Orange Trees

Happy New Year! Being that the ushering in of 2012 was really without any fanfare here, this post is very multi cultural, about oranges, which are a part of Chinese New Years (which, you know, isn't on January 1st at all, but still, a New Year is a New Year).  If we had come upon pomegranate or honey trees last week, it would be related to the Jewish New Year as well, but you know, you work with what you've got.

So last week when we trekked on over to Tel Aviv, on our way from the bus stop to Hudy and Debra's, we passed a block lined with orange trees. I couldn't believe it. It seemed like it didn't belong! In the middle of a big hustle and bustling city are just orange trees? Crazy. So of course, I had to take one (four), right? Free oranges. Thankfully, the trees were low and I just had to do a mini jump to get them. Eitan seemed entertained, and Nina definitely enjoyed the pursuit, and my overall excitement over the oranges. She even got snapping with her iphone. Thankfully for me, she missed all the mid air jumping shots, and only was able to capture my bounty.

The oranges were VERY sour. Like I ate one, happily, but wouldn't give one to Eitan because I was scared of scarring him for life from the fruit.  But still, it's a free, hand picked orange in the middle of the biggest city in this country. So it was an occasion.

When we returned to Jerusalem, I mentioned to Ami about this magical land, where fruit laden trees line the street. To which he countered, oh, what's the big deal, there's an orange tree down our street in front of that menahel building. What? How have I missed that? It is about one and a half blocks from us, and a street I pass often. Obviously, a trip to this Jerusalem orange tree was in order.

So, the next day (or maybe two days later) as we walked on that street Ami pointed it out. And once a fruit tree on the street shows itself, us Rozmaryns have no choice but to partake. But, this tree was a whole bunch taller then the trees in Tel Aviv (maybe because Jerusalem is on a higher altitude, haha, I joke). I suggested that Ami climb the tree to get down an orange, but he disagreed, and in that moment accepted upon himself the challenge that the tree foisted on him.

And here it is:




The sad part is, one running jump later, he actually got one, but our camera died so that image does not live on for posterity. Also, he was wearing shoes, off to the side, but apparently shoes and orange jumping are not compatible. So we brought it home and peeled it excitedly, and you know what, it stunk. Like it was so sour, it was even more sour then a lemon. It was hard core. I actually juiced it and used it in a salad dressing in place of lemon juice that part was cool. But the initial bite into a wedge, that hurt. It got me thinking about my pregnancy with Eitan when I could and loved and needed to down plain lemons like candy. I wonder if these oranges would have been my match.

Anyways, that's last week in Rozmaryns and oranges. And possibly, our first post without a picture of Eitan. Weird...he's still here, FYI.  By the way, this was the first New Year in at least 3 years that I was up at midnight for, and that's thanks to said baby who was awake from 11pm to 2am last night. Kid likes to party I guess. It better not become a 2012 trend though, I'm tired.

Happy New Year!