Who's gunna win this color war?

Beitar, my once apolitical and unified abode has recently become "The City of Torah (and politics!) in the Judean hills". The details are irrelevant for the purposes of this post, specifically because I am not interested in this blog becoming a venue for my personal political commentary, not to mention the potential lashon hara transgressions......

BUT, suffice it to say that when the lines become blurred between what is correct and what is most advantageous for one's political aggrandizement, MANY will suffer as a result.

In America, and even in Yerushalayim, there's politics and there's life outside of politics.

But when a small town becomes infected with politics.........it can get VERY personal. These are our friends and neighbors we're voting (or not voting) for!

We know that whatever happens is the will of Hashem. We hope that after today's elections, people will be able to (finally) set their political beliefs aside and unite again in an effort to restore the peace and perhaps recapture the unity that once so characterized Beitar.

A city that's prized for its cleanliness, this street is generally immaculate. Today it was literally trashed with paraphernalia from the various parties. One of my friends sighed and noted that they could have skipped all of the posters and signs and just sent every family in Beitar a pie of Pizza. Appetizing though the idea did sound........I'm not voting for someone just because they sent me Pizza. Now, if it was schwarma, that's another story.

Lucky Mommy

Aw, don't we look cute? Our smiles so innocent, our eyes so bright and gay? Trouble? Us? We would NEVER finger paint with carob spread nor would we ever dream of taking apart a (new) stapler. We are always careful when we play with glue especially when we use it on our Mommy's carpet (uh-oh, did we just incriminate ourselves?). We always do what we're told, never fight, never wake the neighbors. We only eat fruits and veggies. Candy? Not for our teeth and tummies! We're so easy, our Mommy is bored silly. She's very rested too because we always sleep the whole night through. We have no idea how the Cheerios scattered all over the house. Even so, we'll gladly clean it up. If only other children would learn from our exemplary behavior...........

Home and attitude Improvement

So I came back from America last month and started feeling a little down in the dumps, a bit blue, a shtikel sad, you might say. The holidays were quickly approaching and I'd just left my family back in the states! Please do NOT misunderstand me- We are SO happy to live in Eretz Yisroel and feel so privileged to be able to do so (we live in YESHA for crying out loud!). Its just that the lack of grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. close by can can be a drag sometimes.
This would have been (eventually) fine and well except that the husband - being that great husband that he is- does NOT like to see me melancholy. Not even a little bit.

"Shir, WHAT can we do for you?" he asked.
"Let's move to Lakewood." I answered.

He winced.

"How 'bout a different idea."
"Passaic?" I offered.
"I meant a more local idea."
"Buy me a car?"
"A cheaper idea."
"Let me put shelves in my shed to the tune of 1600 NIS so that I can maximize what little space I have since REALLY I could use a house with a basement......"
"There isn't anything cheap that will make you happy? A book or something?"

pout.

"OK, shelves it is! But nothing else, promise?"
"Fine. Shelves in the shed.......and in the playroom. And then that's it."
"You said that $30,000 ago!"

Truth is, I let him off easy. I could also use shelves in the broom closet, the baby's room, etc. etc.

And so.........
the shelves in the shed are a work in progress but here are my play-room shelves:
I LOVE having places to put things! My mind feels less cluttered when my things have places. (My husband may take issue with that statement!) He often wonders why I buy the things in the first place. What can I say? I'm a woman. I need things. I need things and I need shelves,closets, and drawers for my things.

note: many of the toys are to high for the kids to reach. that was not a mistake. Remember last winter when I left an ailing husband alone with my boys?

Speaking of home improvement, this isn't new but I don't think I've shared my new"ish" area rug. its already old enough to need a good cleaning but that's the thing- its modular! I can pick up each square individually and hand-wash it. Now I just have to find the time to make it happen. Fun, no?

I can think of so many more things to add/change in my apartment but for now I'll just enjoy and take care of what I have. (Those shelves are helping alleviate my sadness........)
How long do you think this couch is going to last?

Family or no family, stuff storage or bursting balagan, we continue to have good times at the Svei's!

Until next time........

I didn't give up the blog!

I wonder how many people will actually see this blog........everyone has probably given up hope, moved on to greener pastures, laughing over someone else's kid's antics. Sigh. Do we get credit for good intentions? I wanted to blog, really I did. My boys didn't stop being fun/crazy/lovable/nutty/exhausting, we've just been very busy.





First I accidentally put my memory card into the washing machine, then we went to America for Tanta Leeba's wedding, then came the chagim, and work is CRAZY (though that doesn't stop my illustrious boss from regaling us with the latest from her princess- long may she reign- both the boss and the princess) (Now can I have my raise?)





So here I sit at 12:50am, ignoring the dishes and my delivery from the grocery store (why is it so much esaier to pull the stuff off the shelf in the store than to put it back onto the shelf in my kitchen?) because, despite the fact that I may be the meanest mommy in less that 5 hours from now (yikes!), I simply cannot be remiss any longer. They are 2 months older, bigger, crazier! 2 months more practiced at taking my house apart! 2 months more adept at terrorizing little kids in the park (a terrorizer? not my kid.)......2 months more proficient at climbing up the walls (I exagerate not. I'll video it for y'all some time)



But they are also 2 months wiser, 2 months more sensitive to the world around them. Yisroel Meir's continued development is constantly clear but even the big boys surprise me- sometimes the differences are day to day. The 2 big boys slept in the sukkah this year. They also went with their Abba to dance in a few different shuls on Simchas Torah, bedeked in their yontif (nee wedding) finery. I kvelled. Yitzchok Zevi continues learning how to read and Aryeh Leib.....well, he continues to like chocolate.

The other day we played a word game that encouraged the boys to identify parts of an object that are intrinsic to it.

"Have you ever seen a chair without legs?" I said.
Yitzchok Zevi responded, "Have you ever seen a table without legs?"
"Well, have you ever seen an airplane without a wing?" I countered.
Yitzchok Zevi replied, "Have you ever seen a house without a door?"
Then Aryeh Leib piped up, "Have you ever seen a cake without sprinkles?"

Some things never change........

And other things really do..........

Our big change of the week: Yisroel Meir started going to gan! He's only going 2 mornings a week since- quite frankly- I'm not ready to give up my baby just yet. I have a parenting class once a week in the morning (babies are not invited) and I figured I'd send him one more day just to give him a sense of continuity. I got emotional when he came home with fingerpaint on his hand. My baby is doing art! So far he's doing fantastic. He loves the ganenet and is having a party with kids his own size. (And, of course, I don't have a complex about this issue at all.......I feel no need whatsoever to justify sending my baby to a sitter.)

And look what he can do now!

Oh yeah, I'm in trouble.

I'm off to get some shut-eye. More adventures to follow iy"h. (bli neder!)

The Joys of Boys (an old post expanded)

I am a mother of boys. I do not have "children", I have BOYS. If you are a mother of boys (and you know who you are) you understand the implication of my words. Ours is a house of cars and building blocks. The only place you may find a doll is in the tool set- headless of course.
Once, one of my boys waltzed into the kitchen, his fist clenched. "Mommy, I have a present for you!" Ignoring the tell tale suspicious grin, I decided to play along. He probably found a candy in the carpet or perhaps a push-pin. "Show me," I told him, extending my hand. (That move was so incredibly ridiculous; I think I deserved what I got….) He dumped a dead bee into my palm, turned on his heals, and unceremoniously skipped out of the room. They are Boys! They are mud pie baking, dirt flinging, bug stomping, dump a dead bee in my hand boys!
We ride bikes, we go exploring, we investigate! We climb, we dig, we build fortresses out of pebbles. Did you know that if you pluck a lizard's tail, it will grow back again? And if you plug up an ant hole, they will inevitably find somewhere else (in your house) to bore a new one. Birds grow hysterical if they feel trapped and a dead branch will not magically resurrect, even if replanted in an empty baby food canister on your Mommy's newly mopped porch.

I am often stopped by strangers as I walk through the street, followed by my brood in blue. "Wow, you have only boys?" they ask. "ONLY Boys?" I think I'm rather lucky. I wouldn't quite know what to do with a girl. "Hair doing" as a prerequisite for leaving the house? We just slap on the Kipa, tuck the Payos, and go!
I must admit, I do long for at least one pretty-in-pink who will keep me company inside while my husband and "the boys" sojourn in the sukkah. Sometimes I dream about my boys, grown and married, spending all of their time with the 'other side' as I sit by my lonesome- the perpetual shvigger.
In the meantime, my boys are little. We have PLEANTY of time before I could even entertain the possibility of dumping them on some poor unsuspecting kallah. And I need time- lots of it- because there is much to do. They must learn to set the table, to put their cloths in the hamper, to vacuum. Most importantly, I intend to teach them how to communicate. I've already started and I think its going quite well.
Yitzchok Zevi turned to me, his expression grave. " I don't ever want to communicate," he said.
"Why not?" I ask.
"because Abba said that its very bad to communicate."
"Really?", I press him," Are you sure that’s what Abba said?"
"Yes, he said that there was communicate in Russia a while ago and it was very bad for the Jewish people."
My boys are little but the mess they make is very big. I always marvel at how quickly my spotless house turns into a disaster zone. I suppose this is not an aggravation reserved for "mom's of boys" alone. Though, as I watch Aryeh Leib propel himself off the couch into a mass of blankets (or is that my fine shabbos table cloth??) I wonder if perhaps little boys are in a league of their own.
Please visit us but be sure to look before you sit. Look before you sit on a chair lest you park yourself atop a mud creation. Please look before you sit on our toilets- otherwise you may just fall in.
Where is my sugar and spice? it was dumped on the floor because it makes a great surface for roller blading.
We'd love to see you but we cannot take any responsibility for your physical wellbeing while you are in our home. We are too busy protecting ourselves and the baby. We do suggest, however, that you stay clear of their 'landing pad' that were once my throw pillows. I guess there's a reason they are called throw pillows.

They are little boys. Quick close the diaper, no you can't play with knives, please do NOT decapitate that lizard, little boys. They are little boys that I hope- I pray!- will turn into big mentchen. Today they run around the table like wild Indians but I have sweet dreams of a shabbos table surrounded by singing boys (in perfect harmony, of course.) Today they kick and punch but in my dream they are gesticulating at each other- each one trying to convince his brother of the correctness of his pshat.
They are wild, crazy, exhausting, infuriating, boisterous, unruly, energetic little boys. They are little boys who I'm about to take (BY MYSELF!!!!!) on an airplane! G-d help our fellow travellers............

Growing Up (too!) Fast

Dearest Readers,

We cordially invite you to the Bar Mitzvah of our eldest son, Yitzchok Zevi Svei. It is scheduled to take place, b'ezrat haShem, in 8 summers from now but it may as well be tomorrow because time is passing soooooo quickly. Today was nostalgia day at the Svei household. We had a picnic in a park today- the same park that we went to last year at this time (bayamim hahaim bazman hazeh). Remember this? Only this time, we brought with us not a new-born and 2 pitzkalach but a toddler and two.......OK- bigger pitzkalah. They are still little enough that they pish all over the place but I hear that such is the fate of a "mom of boys", no matter how old they get.

They are getting so big........and yet I'm often reminded of how little they really are.

We picked up cousin Aryeh's tefillin today from the local sofer.

Abba: Aryeh Leib, can you believe that, b'ezrat haShem, in 10 years from now you are also going to wear tefillin?

AL: Nu-uh

Looking forward to seeing you there soon!

-Shira and Co.

Funny Sabra, laughing Mommy

No pics for today (sorry!) - just a few funny lines from my eldest Israeli that begged recording......

• On Friday night, YZ complained that a hang nail was bothering him.

YZ: Mommy, can you cut it off?
Me: I can't touch it on shabbos, Yitzchok Zevi.
YZ: Well, can I?
Me; I"ll have to ask Abba. He knows the halacha.
YZ: Well, I know more halacha than Abba.
Me: Really
YZ: Sure! I know SO much Torah. I learned in all of Gan Tami and ALL of Gan Chani. Do you know how much Torah that is????????

• On shabbos, Yitzchok Zevi wanted a walking partner while Aryeh Leib was quite content to sit in the stroller. YZ lifted his nose into the air and said (snorted, better yet) "That's fine, I'll walk. I want to get bawee (thats healthy in hebrew- Elmer Fudd style) things in my body. That's what happens if you walk. So what if I get my shoes a little dusty. That's the whole point about shoes anyway."

• Today YZ and I were walking to shefa shuk when YZ stopped short and said, "Mommy, hold on a sec. I have wocks in my cwoks" (Why don't ya just move over, Elmer.)

• Tonight I couldn't find the boys' toothpaste so I had to use "Mommy and Abba toothpaste". After being quite the good sport and allowing me to brush his teeth anyway, YZ sat up, rolled his eyes, and said, "Wow, that was AWFUL!"

Animals All Around

We have reached a new milestone. We are officially pet owners, or rather our boys are. Yitzchok Zevi and Aryeh Leib are the proud parents of 2 goldfish- Mr. Fishy and Rebbe Fishman. Yes, we have joined the ranks of all of those Mommies and Abbas who must ultimately face that difficult but, alas, inevitable question- what on earth are we going to tell them when they find their fine fishy friends belly up? For now the paddling pair are doing OK (though we think that Mr. Fishy is a tad depressed) but its just a matter of time until.............

Where did you get those hideous shoes?????? We've jumped on the bandwagon- my boys, I mean- I would NEVER!!!!!! Comfortable though everyone claims they are (and how comfortable can the 20 shekel imitation brand be anyway?), I shouldn't fancy walking around in shoes who's name is derived from its resemblance to a crocodile's snout. I only succumbed because they were the cheapest tisha b'av option on the market. Though, one could argue that Yisroel Meir didn't REALLY need tisha b'av shoes and that - perhaps- I was looking for a (not so?) good excuse to buy them.......Ok, fine! They may resemble a tinker toy on steroids but gosh darn it my kids look REALLY cute in them!

The fun never ends!

Don't get too excited- I make no promises to blog this frequently in the future, however, Aryeh Leib and I had the funniest exchange, I felt compelled to capture here, right now, for posterity- lest it be forgotten.



Aryeh Leib and I were loading the laundry machine together.

The machine reached its capacity at which point I turned to AL and said, "Good job, Aryeh Leib! Why don't you sit down on the couch now so that I can read you a book."

AL shook his head and responded, "No, Mommy, I want to help you put in the sugar too."



And, just to give you a taste of what I'm up against here (and because what's a good blog without a picture or a video???)

YM, at his best........

Yisroel Meir film fest

In honor of Yisroel Meir's english birthday, we present to you: YM the documentary.

Here's YM walking (as promised) and being a mazik....

More Walking....

Having so much fun, he just couldn't bring himself to go to sleep!



Making trouble....


Happy Birthday YM!

Good Shabbos

I know I owe y'all footage of the walking. G-d willing next week. In the meantime, we just wanted to wish everyone a good shabbos and extend an open invitation to all who would like to come taste the yummy (and fattening) dessert that we made!

Good Shabbos!

-Shira and Co.

We Walk!

Sorry, no footage today but you'll have to take my word for it (and have something to look forward to tomorrow!). We walk, we walk, we walk! We also climb INTO our crib from THE FLOOR! Yep, never a dull moment here. Sorry its been a while.....things have been CRAZY with work. Though I haven't had time to blog, I didn't stop taking pics so, enjoy enjoy.



Yitzchok Zevi had his birthday party in Chaider last week. Though a bit shy of five, his party was now since the actual event will take place during summer vacation. On the way home from the party, Yitzchok Zevi asked, "Nachon, Mommy, now I'm five?"
"No, YZ, you are ALMOST five."


"Nu uh, I'm five. I had a birthday party. YOU were there."


"So whats happening on Motzei Tisha B'av?"


"Oh, that? That's when I'm going to be SIX."


ah ha.

Aryeh Leib is SOOOO excited to go to chaider. Especially since instead of chaider (Nefesh HaChaim), he thinks he's going to the local candy store (Mamtakei Eli Chaim). For AL, if there is a candy in hand, life is sweet.

By the way, do these kids look like they are suffering for lack of a TV?

Always on the go

As you can see, we have found a temporary solution for my little acrobat. The only problem is, he's using it (with the help of his experienced older brothers of course) to perfect his technique.

We bought Yitzchok Zevi a new bike this week. Another one??? Yep, he is probably the only kollel kid who can boast not one, but TWO bikes. What can I say- I felt bad for the little guy. His "old" new bike was a wee bit too big for him. No problem with training wheels. However, once the training wheels came off (and he learned to ride a 2 wheeler on a smaller bike), he couldn't even mount his bike! So....the old one will wait until he gets a little taller at which point the "new" new bike will be passed on to AL. Poor AL- stinks not to be the oldest sometimes. Today we took the new bike out for a test run. Everyone (with their respective wheels) had a great time.
They can all use a little more driving practice,though.
With all of the open space, they even managed a traffic jam....

And a few accidents....


*Do not continue reading if you think that you are the nervous type or if don't think you can hold back a comment- oh wait- no one ever comments anyway....*
Speaking of transportation, I put Yitzchok Zevi on a city bus by himself this week. Ok, it was for 2 stops and my friend waited for him on the other end and I was on the cell phone with my friend from the time he boarded the bus until the time he alighted (all of 15 seconds). She told me that he STRUTTED off the bus. He felt SO BIG and I enjoyed a little nachas from my big little boy.

poor wittle guy

Hey there, sports fans.

I have a riddle for you.

How do you know its time to lower your baby's crib mattress?

Answer: Thud.

Baruch Hashem, Yisroel Meir came out of his nose dive relatively unscathed, though his ego did get a little bruised......

There's no denying it- he's getting big and agile and mobile........incidentally, I wouldn't put it past him to try this stunt again.

Yup, like his brothers- he likes to get what he wants. If he wants outa the crib, out he goes.

I am SO outnumbered here.......

We're getting big

Yitzchok Zevi has become a fantastic bike rider. I know he's got a knack for balance (he balances on the metal bar doors as they swing back and forth, on the huge rocks in the park, on every possible ledge-anywhere.....) but even HE surprised me. I took him outside on his training-wheelless bike expecting a loooong process. Within minutes he got the hang of it and hasn't looked back since. He summed up my feelings quite adequately, "Mommy, I'm really proud of myself!" Now my goal is to teach him to curb his exaggerated looks of disdain towards any sorry fella who still has training wheels.

Aryeh Leib is turning 3 tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly time flies. He's SO big! Then I think about the fact that most of his life he's been living in Beitar- and we haven't been in Beitar very long. Incidentally, this blog is almost as old as he is. There's perspective for ya.
Yisroel Meir is ALMOST walking! He stands beautifully and has even taken A step. I haven't yet convinced him to do a repeat performance. Soon soon.......

And he loves giving kisses- just not on command.

Lag B'Omer

Just a little taste of Lag B'Omer here in the Holy Land. I took this tonight at a local (Beitar, that is) bonfire. Me thinks we won't be making the trip to Meiron this year. Hmmmm..........2.5 hour bus ride with 3 kvetchy kids to reach a place teaming with hundreds of thousands of people in varying degrees of inebriation. I think we'll skip that one. Those who have been to Meiron, the burial site of R'Shimon Bar Yochai, claim that the spiritual elevation that one can achieve there is unmatchable. AL's ganenet commented, "Inside the burial site is like Yom Kippur and outside the site is like Simchas Torah". A very nice idea but not one that I'm looking to substantiate at this time. Todah Rabah.
A happy Lag B'Omer to all!

p.s. no comments about unsupervised kids around the bonfire. Thanks!

Svei's on wheels

Who needs "Disney on Ice' when you can see "Svei's on Wheels"?
Below is Yisroel Meir being navigated ever so deftly by his big brother .


Help!

Our latest development is that YZ took off his training wheels ("Galgalei Ezer" in Hebrew. The boys have dubbed them "Galgalei Uncle Ezer").
The events unfolded rather quickly.
Yesterday we visited friends who's son, Moishy, had just learned to ride without training wheels. I observed as Yitzchok Zevi gawked at Moishy with a mixture of excitement, awe, and envy. I watched as the cogs began to turn in his little head. And then the inevitable question........I knew it was coming.......
"Mommy, when are we going to take off MY training wheels?" I was NOT ready for this. I was quite satisfied with the state of events as they were heretofore. But, alas, I wasn't given much of a choice.........
So off they went.
I don't yet have footage of my paperboy-in-training but he's actually getting the hang of it very quickly. He has great balance and is VERY motivated to be like his friend, Moishy. Whilst visiting Moishy, the two of them went to play with a third boy down the street. Incidentally, I knew that YZ did not like this other boy very much. When he returned, I questioned him. "So, do you like playing with Dani (not his real name) now?" "Yeah," YZ replied. "What changed?" I asked. "Mommy, its like this. I like any boy who can ride a bike without training wheels. If he needs training wheels, well, I don't want to play with him. That's how it goes."

...........We may need to fine tune our barometer for choosing good friends but at least I know my kid is self aware (and brutally honest).
Good Shabbos, everybody!

Nachas moments

AL: I'm going to take a banana. I'm gonna take one for Zevi too.

Me: How come, Aryeh Leib?

AL: (ponders for a moment) 'Cause I love him.

YZ: I love you too, Lubi!

(YZ notices my beaming face and decides to capitalize on the moment....)

YZ: And we're never gonna hurt each other ever again in our WHOLE lives! (or at least for the next 10 minutes.....)

Aryeh Leib the Chossid (and a little bit of good ol' Jewish guilt for dessert)

Wadaya say we've been in Beitar just a wee bit too long?



I'd just like to note that I've been such a faithful blogger recently, don't I deserve some kind of a response? Hello Hello Hello........... Anybody there there there there.............................Have I been talking to myself all this time?

blogging stam (just because)

Nothing too exciting to report. I just happened upon this yummy scene and felt compelled to share it with all of you.....

I could eat him- I could just eat him.

We installed an air conditioner today. I felt a little funny getting it since its such a luxury in these parts. Jason reminded me that last summer I made some rather convincing arguments as to why an A/C was absolutely crucial to my continued existence. I pointed out that I was 9 months pregnant at the time and could NOT be held responsible for anything said, insinuated, or thrown during such a time. Either way, we have it now and I'm sure we'll enjoy using it.

Yitzchok Zevi wanted to know why it was mounted so close to the ceiling. I didn't answer his question. I just stopped what I was doing, narrowed my eyes, and stared at him. And then he understood. "For the same reason that your candlesticks are really high up, huh?" uha.