Chag Yafeh Kol Kach!

Happy Chanukah! It has come so early this year - basically crept up right behind Thanksgiving - which is unusual - but welcome. Chanukah has been really wonderful this year. Both of the boys enjoy singing and lighting candles - so it is very special to do that together as a family. We have a great spot picked out for our chanukiah - and we decorated this year with some pretty chanukah window decorations. A few dreidles, a few candles - and the boys participated and colored them in. The boys have both enjoyed getting presents this year. We have pretty much been giving 1 per night. On Saturday night - we hosted a big party at our house - and we all lit together and sang songs. The adults did a mini-gift exchange as well. It was really fun! Chag Sameach!

Let's Take a Break :)

I just noticed that my last post was from Sept 11. Phew - that is way too long to go without a posting. But I didn't even really notice - life has been just busy as usual. So, since Sept 11th the boys have been enjoying school a lot. We met for parent teacher conferences about 2 weeks ago - and we both left beaming. Our boys are happy, and playful, interested in most things, love learning and doing and are well liked. And that just made us both feel so good. As crazy as things get around here - our kids are thriving - and we have a lot of people to thank for that!! Just to get a little more specific - here is the update on them both:

Ari is four and a half. He enjoys that fact. We even celebrated his half birthday this year with a cake. Ari was curious where all the people were to celebrate with him. Ari is READING! He has been reading for about 8 months now - and he really enjoys it. When I drive him to school - he reads me store and road signs - so he really gets it. At school - Ari & his friend Jonah are asked to read the question of the day, each day - since they are the only readers right now. I think it makes them feel very proud. Ari also writes a lot - although sometimes he tends to write backwards. With a little more instruction - I think we can turn that around. He is a lefty - I think it contributes but who knows. This year Ari's favorite activity is drawing race cars in every configuration / color combination imaginable. He loves to insert race cars into most of his daily activities - but he has become quite creative about it. He is a leader type - loves telling people what to do and concocting wild, imaginative ideas for everyone to get involved in. He can be dramatic. He can be a creative thinker. And the kids seem to go along with him for the most part. And although he seems to always have the first word - we have been told (and we see for ourselves) that he can be very diplomatic, and considerate and compromising. Ari finished up his second season of soccer (got a little bored toward the end). We are now thinking of enrolling in karate or art class - but we'll see. He has been taking semi-private swimming lessons and I have been told (although I haven't seen (drawback of being a working mommy)) that he is swimming on his own without floats and loves the water. We have signed him up for a second season of swim.

Noam is now two and a half. He is a riot - such a special little boy. Noam's vocabulary and sentence structure is pretty amazing. He loves to talk. He also has many ideas and enjoys contributing to conversations, along with his brother. Noam really loves his big brother Ari - he is a little parrot of him - always copying everything that Ari says - but he feels very much a part of the conversation and the plans. Noam also loves to make people laugh. We were told that at school - he is always looking to lighten the mood and crack smiles. We notice the same thing, especially at the dinner table each night. Dinner often becomes a venue for character development, joke telling, silliness and the like - and Lavi and I have a hard time sometimes bringing it down a notch - but secretly - I love the fact that my boys are such good friends, and that they love each other and love to have fun! Noam is pretty adept at most things. He has been trying his hand lately at puzzle making (a little tough) as well as throwing balls (which he seems to have more of a skill at than his older brother Ari). He also enjoys reading at night and loves routines. Most of all - I think Noam loves to sing and dance. He enjoys his nighttime singing routines - and he loves disco time with his dad and brother too. He even knows how to throw a rock&roll guitar on to the stage and smash it :) He is quite particular about what he wants and when he wants it - he has a very independent spirit - but he is still in his two's so that's ok. He is vocal about his needs, but rarely ever throws tantrums.

The boys are busy in their routine with Jean (our wonderful babysitter). They go to the JCC for kidzone and a standing playdate with Noah W. each Monday. Tuesday is swim class. Wednesday is another standing playdate with Jake B. And Thursday is Darien library time. I am trying to get more playdates on the calendar - but that is where things sometimes get tough to fit everything in. At least they have each other - it is priceless and they are best friends - and I couldn't be happier!

Goals, Oysters & Sunsets

One of my favorite days of the summer was today with my family. As the summer is winding down - we happened to have one of the most gorgeous weather days of the year. Hot & sunny, but with a beautiful breeze and NO humidity!

We started the morning off with Ari going to his fall season of soccer. He has a new coach this year, and a new team, but he has spent a lot of time practicing with his Abba this summer so he was ready. The team got off to a good start - with most of the kids participating and running around. Ari took off like a shot on his turn - he hussled to the ball - got it going in the right direction - was not afraid of the crowds - and dribbled the ball up & down the field. He even scored his only team's goal for the day - and we were so proud of him. Most of all - I think he felt so proud of himself - he did a GREAT job! Looking forward to next week...

We went from the soccer game to the Oyster festival in SONO. This year - it was set up really well. We ate some yummy foods, watched the motorcross, with flying bikes and jumps (the kids had a ball), we rode a few rides at the amusement park, ate some cotton candy and fresh kettle corn - and finished the day off by running up and down through the water and dirt. Couldn't be more fun! I sat for a while and took in the beautiful sights of the water and boats surrounding Norwalk - and I felt very happy about where we live. It truly is a beautiful place on a pretty, sunny day.

And we ended the day driving up to a little find, called Marnicks on the beach in Stratford. A great little kid friendly place with gorgeous views of the sound and the sunset. We ate and climbed the rocks and made angels in the sand. the kids stayed awake just long enough to get hosed off in the shower - and fell right asleep (along with mommy). It was a perfect summer day to spend with my 3 boys.

Shana Tova!

Chag Sameach to our family & friends. We had a wonderful Rosh Hashanah this year. Dave & Nat brought in 9 week old dahlia for the family to swoon over. She is a sweet, cooing, smiling and happy baby - who looks just like David (in my estimation). So that was very lovely. And we also were able to wish Mazal Tov in person to Adam & Lindsey on their engagement. We are so excited about that, although not overly surprised. And we got to play with little Blake - who is growing up so nicely. We missed the Warmund family - but we know that they had a special holiday at home in their shul. Our boys loved the apples & honey - and didn't give mommy too much of a hard time when getting into 'fancy' dress. We wish everybody a sweet and joyful new year and look forward to spending time with family & friends this year!

Back to School! Phew...

Ari & Noam have gone back to school - after a very nice (although unseasonably HOT - even though it was the right season) summer. And mommy couldn't be more pleased to be back to our regular routine. Summer was great - and the boys really did have a great time - but the lack of routine was a little stressful for mommy (and abba too).

So this year - Ari is in room Zayin (the oldest at the Gan) and Noam is in room Dalet. They both have wonderful teachers this year - and we are very excited for what this year at Gan has to bring. The boys are both so grown up - the summer always seems to make that apparent, especially when wearing their shoes for Day 1.

Ari is inquisitive as always. He spent most of the summer drawing elaborate pictures with chalk on the patio - and telling us the stories to go along with them. And he made some wonderful drawings on paper as well - he loves to draw race cars and monster / fire trucks - but they are truly very special. He is proliferate with them - and Lavi and I can't decide which ones not to keep. Ari also learned to swim quite well at camp this summer - and he can do some strokes without any floats. He had a good time at the O-La-Mi summer camp and made some new friends. The rest of the summer he spent at the beach with Safta an Abba, or touring a few of the local amusement parks and showing his daring side. He got a new bike this summer and has been zipping around as well (with training wheels). He can read and write, and is starting to ask a few questions about adding & subtracting too.

Noam grew up SO much this summer. He was talking quite well by the end of the school year last year - but this summer his speech just rapidly took off. He can enunciate so well - and he likes to put together sentences, and then elaborate on his sentences. He likes to tell us knock-knock jokes - and he and Ari are truly great buddies. When together - they hug & kiss each other - and they make each other laugh. Noam likes to wear capes and pretend he is superboy. He loves to dress-up and put on different hats & shoes. He can be bossy - just like his brother Ari as well - but we like to think that this shows good leadership skills. He likes to choose his own clothing. Enjoys swimming - and can swim around well with arm floats. He also got a new bike and pedals around a bit - but he isn't so much into zooming. Noam is more of a picky eater - but has a healthy appetite - and he has begun potty training himself to mommy & Abba's surprise and delight. This is not something either of us were looking forward to - and Noam decided to just start on his own (I guess Ari teaches him a thing or two).

We hope the boys have a wonderful school year. It's off to a great start!

Kettletown

The boys first camping trip was a success! So much fun - Lavi and I took the boys camping for their first trip - we went with another family to a little state park not too far away. The other family has boys the same ages as ours and Ari & Wyatt have been best friends at Gan all through last year - so it made for a really nice mix. The kids were over the moon to see each other and spend so much time together. We camped out for nights in our little tent (unfortunately the door was broken so we had to shimmee in and out of the side door - but that was perfect for the kids!). The weather was just perfect. Our friends had a monster tent in comparison to ours - and also came well equipped with a grill for our dinners. We made yummy meals, we ate smores and sat by the campfire, we swam during the day and searched for frogs and turtles and we hiked around. It was really a great first experience for the kids - and Lavi and I had fun too with our friends and being campers. We hadn't been for quite a few years and we realized how much fun it was again. Until the next trip!

Happy Birthday Abba!

Wow - it has been so long since our last post. But this day is worth a mention! Today is Lavi's birthday. So we woke up early and headed up to Mystic, CT for some yummy food, nice beaches and beautiful shops / seaport.

Lavi especially wanted to stop at Abbott's seafood on the water. We have been there before - when Ari was about 3 months old. But it only opens at noon. So we hit up a local beach in Groton which was perfect for the kids and lucky for us we just drove right in. The area is just glorious - with beautiful houses lining the edge of the water - and tons of sailboats ready for a gorgeous day. The beach was fun but we got hungry fast (and that doesn't include me since I was doing a cleanse and was very limited in my eating). So we stopped for Lavi and the kids to chow down. The kids had a great time naming the boats in the water and seeing people speed off in the motorboats. Then we headed into Mystic. The boys fell asleep in the two minute drive - so I had an opportunity to hop out and do a little window shopping. My favorite furniture shop 'Comina' is there and I had to walk in for a new view. After that - we headed to the Seaport. The Seaport was fun - we took a boat ride 'Sabina' on a coal fired steamboat and the kids enjoyed that. It was so relaxing for the adults too. And then we walked around the seaport - checked out lighthouses - and did some fantastic boat puzzles - plus climbed aboard a few tugboats. It was a lot of walking and looking about - but the kids had a great time - and of course they topped it off with some yummy rainbow fudge. Happy Birthday Abba! We had a great day with you - hope you did too!

Aaaah...Summer

Living near the beach is one of our favorite things about CT. When the sun cools off a bit at the end of a long day - we can go over to the beach just for dinner, or a quick play in the sand. The kids love it and it is very relaxing (as relaxing as things get with 2 and 4 yr old boys). Some of these pics are from a little visit down to Calf Pasture Beach.

Let's cool off!

So we decided to buy a new inflatable pool for the backyard. Of course we had to go 'Bigger' and 'Better' than last year. So this year - we have a 10' x 3' plastic pool. Now - this pool required some major work (even though the box said set-up in 8 minutes). First - we spent a couple of weeks discussing the best placement. Once we found the spot (which is by far the 'best' spot) we then needed to level the ground. That took a few tries, and some bruised knees - but Lavi worked his magic and created a great place for the pool. He fully tarped the area and now we have a great play pool for the kids. For the time-being this has solved our lack of pool issue. The kids love it bcz it is large enough - and they certainly can cool off - and they are young enough for this to be just perfect. The pool is even chlorinated and has a filter. For now - this is as close as we are going to get to building our own pool - but this is just perfect!

Getting ready to enjoy the summer!

Happy Birthday Noam!

Noam turns 2! Our baby boy - suddenly we turn around and he is growing up so fast. This post is written a few weeks after Noam's 2nd birthday so some of the catch-ups are post-birthday news - but still quite noteworthy! Noam is now in a big boy bed. He began to climb out of the crib - and in a quick day - the crib was gone. Noam was thrilled with his big boy bed, although he still considers himself a 'baby'. He tells me "Mommy - I am not a boobee (which I call him all the time), I am a big boy. But Noam, are you still a baby? Yes, he replies". Noam strings sentences together like a champ - and he even adjusts his verb tense appropriately. He loves to talk and is very careful about how he uses his words. I think that linguistics may be a passion for the Ben-Zvi boys.

We had a family birthday party for Noam - which was well attended. I worked hard on Noam's train cake which was a big success! He felt very special. Noam also had a party at his Gan. He loved this past year - playing with his friends 'Adam, Adi, Max, Shayna, Levi, Yisroel'. He will join them again in the fall and we are looking forward to Noam's experience with Morah Sonya!

Noam and Ari are best friends. They really get along well - enjoy being with each other and only really argue about 'sharing' toys. Noam loves following after Ari in both soccer and T-ball practice - and I expect no issues when it comes to his turn to join in sports. Noam is sassy and independent, mischievous and sweet, smiley and wide-eyed and full of gusto. He is a ball of fun, not so timid, and seems to be quite carefree. It will be interesting to see what year 3 has in store!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARI!

Today is Ari's birthday and he is 4 years old. Mommy and Abba bought Ari a new bike with training wheels - which he has already taken for a spin a bunch of times. Ari can't wait for his Superman birthday party on Sunday. About 30 of his friends and family will be there to celebrate with him - and mommy and Abba are feeling a little sad that it might rain. We'll just have to see. Happy Birthday to our big boy! You are a wonderful, special, loving boy and we are so proud of you!!

Let's Play Ball!

Today was Ari's first day on the soccer field. He is playing for the NJSA (Norwalk Junior Soccer League) in the World Cup Division. Today was day 1 - and it was an overall success. Ari was very excited this morning to get up and go to soccer - and we started off on a really positive note. He was happy about changing into his uniform and did not fear the large crowds on the field. He met Coach Scott and was excited about him too. So we kicked the ball around for a while before the game, which Ari was quite good at. Coach Scott told him that he has a 'power kick' which made Ari happy. We started to spiral downward once the game started. The kids were really just thrown right into a game with little practice beforehand - and I think Ari was a bit fearful of the contact with players and the aggressive red team. Plus - he didn't really know the rules to start off. So - he got a little nervous and then began to shut down. It was a little difficult to get him back on the field to play - but in the end he said that he had a good time. Coach Scott is willing to practice with the kids on Sundays too - so maybe Ari will go tomorrow and have a good time. I am certain that ball game #2 is going to be better - and in the end - all that matters is that he is having a good time and experiencing new things. Noam loved being on the field - I am guessing that we won't have any trouble with him once he is old enough - as he gets to experience it all a little bit with his big brother first.

The boys came home and rode around on their new motorized motorcycle - which was a blast too. A beautiful spring day - let's hope next weekend holds up for us. Almost 30 kids are coming to Ari's party - and I'm not quite sure what I would do with them inside the house...

Definitely starting to slip...

So I have noticed that my posts are becoming less and less frequent. This is a busy time of year for us though. Pesach starts tomorrow night. The boys are home from school for 11 days! Oy!!

We have started planning for Ari's superman birthday party and Noam's is right around the corner too. I am buying myself a bit of time with that one and just focusing on the superhero theme first. Work, for both myself and Lavi, has become hectic - but we continue to manage. We have been doing a lot more 'home improvements'. Lavi painted the master bathroom - which looks great. He also painted Ari's room and Ari is now in an official big boy bed - which he has been very excited about - and we haven't looked back. We have resumed hanging some paintings on the wall and we are getting some quotes on putting in lighting, etc...And of course, the start of spring brings with it additional lawn care as well.

2 weeks ago a HUGE storm hit our area and massive #'s of trees fell all over the place. People had no electricity for days (including Granny & Grandpa) and many people's basements were flooded with water. Somehow - we eeked out ok - with no trees down, power and no water. So we were very lucky. But many of our friends were hit rather hard - and things just got busy after that.

The boys are doing wonderfully. Noam is losing many of his baby features - and he talks all the time (often copying his big brother). He is learning his colors, he knows his #'s to and can count up to 15 on his own. And the ABC's he has been doing for quite some time - but I don't think he has started letter recognition yet. Ari is also doing great. He loves to have play dates these days. He also loves to help bake and cook. Ari receives Highlights magazine in the mail each month and he has become really good at the Hidden Picture puzzles (my old favorites too). The boys have been learning a lot about Passover at school - we'll see what they have to say at the Seder.

Hot Sauce

Now this is just hilarious! And I think it gives a good idea of how Ari is these days - just a ball of fun and laughs and keeps us laughing too!

Feel the Love

Today is Valentine's Day - and lucky Mommy has 3 great guys to share it with this year! I was woken up to Noam and Ari carrying in a huge heart card that all my 3 guys worked on. They presented it with love and I got lots of hugs and kisses. Great start to the day!

San Francisco - Rice-a-Roni or Burritos?

I remember the commercials clearly - with the trolley bell and all - but Lavi chose Burritos - he had a major craving for good Mexican once we stepped off the plane. Lauren came through! We just came back from spending the weekend with the Gellers in Menlo Park - and we had a great time. Their family was a little under the weather - but they plowed through it and were a joy to be with! We met little Robert Harry Geller who is adorable - and we got to spend some good time with Ayla and her parents as well. The first day we walked the neighborhood and into Palo Alto which was just lovely. We stopped at parks and got some coffee and it was perfect. The next day the Gellers chose not to go into SF and just relax - so Lavi and I headed in and met up with some other friends of ours who gave us a great tour of the city. Eran, our guide, showed us the Golden Gate park, the bridge and views, Telegraph Hill, the Exploratorium, Lomabrd Street and we ate lunch after all that in Haight Ashbury. It was a great day and we met up with Lauren and Adam at a wonderful Greek restaurant for dinner. Lauren's favorite - and it proved to be worth it! We miss our friends dearly and wish we lived closer - but visits are good too! The boys had a great time with their grandparents - other than the last day in which Ari fell ill. So that was rough for him - but he perked up right when he saw us. All in all - it worked out nicely!

Happy Palindrome Day 011110

And Happy New Year!! It's been a good break - quiet but of course busy as usual. Lavi and I decided to paint our master bedroom over the break which was a big task - but we love the result. Ari and Noam got a hold of the paintbrushes when we weren't looking and put a few strokes on Ari's wall. Guess he knows how to determine which room is next...good strategy Ari! Otherwise - we got out to the movies quite a bit - saw Avatar which we LOVED! And the boys spent some fun time with Safta Sue before she left back for Israel. Ari got a tour of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the ice rink and more. They had a lot of fun! Hope 2010 brings a lighter feel to all than 2009 did. We look forward to what 2010 has to bring - we love watching our boys grow and we see them morphing into big boys before our eyes. Noam is in a 'No' phase lately - but he also answers all types of questions, usually saying 'Not Me' just like his brother. Noam loves to hug and kiss and he is a very cuddly little bug. And Ari is too - but he saves most of it for his parents, which doesn't get me complaining.