School Photos!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!!! THE BIG 04!!

Paul's 4th birthday party (with a Wizard of Oz theme) was supposed to be at a super cool play place, but Mommy got her times confused, and there was double booking, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth until Super Daddy took the reins, notified friends, planned an activity, and bought tons of paint in neat little plastic tube-brushes. Mommy already had all the paper goods, the cake, and a tank and a half of helium, and a house party was born. . .

Cowboy Paul wrangles some doggies, er, balloons. . .

. . .and of course Joss has to do whatever big Brother does.

"Somewhere over the rainbow. . ."

Thanks to Mike, Reiko, James, and Mikeayla for coming early and helping with set-up!

Toys, and costumes, and friends - Oh My!

Couple of balloons. . .

Oh, and a frikkin huge Nemo came by to say hello.

Woah.

(Thanks to Safta Sheila for the remote-controlled behmoth.)

Joss takes a quick break in the kitchen. . .

. . .before heading outside for a little fresh air.

The activity Daddy planned? PUMPKIN PAINTING!!




Joss was outraged that the pumpkins were being abused with paint instead of pureed with bananas. Outraged!

Thanks to Jon, Stacey, Tesla, and Faraday for supplying the pumpkins!

Paul says that Asher is his cousin and his friend (emphasis his).

Paul and his 4 balloon.

After the pumpkin painting - Pizza! Paul managed to find the cheesiest, goopiest slice ever witnessed this side of the mighty Charles.

Pizza party!

Pizza party picnic!

Adorable family.

Cheerful chaos.

Amidst the craziness, Jacob manages to fall into a good book - he makes his aunt proud.

Sonia is the collector and redistributer of balloons. . .

Safta and Bubbie plot their next caper. (Maybe robbing a bank? Really, really slowly?)


Cake time! While the cake looked kind of like a giraffe wearing a party hat, with the proper decorations, once can clearly see that it's the Emerald City and the Yellow Brick Road. Right? (And yes, that is a mini bottle of vodka on the spice rack. Mommy keeps that there for emergencies.)


Happy birthday, darling Paul. May all your wishes come true.

Brotherly love - post noogie/headlock.

Oh, did we mention the cake was RAINBOW inside? Yeah, Mommy rocked the cake this year.

Aaaaaaaannnnd, the aftermath. Once our wonderful guests left, and the party was cleaned up, Mommy baked, frosted, decorated, and packed up two dozen cupcakes for Paul's school on Monday. . .

Whew. So, what should we plan for Joss in February?

One more for the road.

Paul: (running into the kitchen distraught, brandishing an uncapped marker) I CAN'T find it ANYwhere!!!!!
M: What?
P: I CAN'T find it ANYWHERE!!!
M: The cap to your marker?
P: YEESSSSSSS!!!!!
M: The cap that's in your other hand?
P: (looks down at his hand, where there is, indeed, the cap he had been seeking). Oh.

Our weird life.

Irrefutable logic
Mommy: What did you do at school today?
Paul: I don't know.
M: what do you mean you don't know - you were there?
P: I don't know what I don't know. I only know what I know.

Good News/Bad News
Good news: Joss told me (as he was naked after his bath, and while pointing to his penis) that he had an "uh-oh."
Bad news: He didn't tell me where.
Good news: I found the puddle.
Bad news: I was barefoot. *sigh*

Planning for the Future
Paul: I know who I'm going to marry!
Mommy: Oh, really? Who?
P: I'm going to marry Aunt Margie, when we're all growed up.
M: Sorry to break it to you, kid, but Aunt Margie is already going to marry her friend, Jason. remember, we saw him at Passover?
P: Oh. *thinks* Well, then, I'm going to marry . . . Grandma!
M: Sorry, kiddo, Grandma is married to Grandpa.
P: Well. I'll marry Safta!
M: You're striking out, Paul. Safta is seeing someone else.
*Paul looks very dejected*
M: Maybe you can marry my friend, Jodi (sorry, Jodi!)
P: *brightens* Oh! Oh, I will marry Jodi!

(Jodi - in 14 years, he's all yours!)

Next on Hoarders
Joss had been moaning for his binky (Na-na. Na-na na-na. Na-na-na. *whimper* Na-na?) the entire 5 minute drive home from daycare.

We got in the door, and he ran over to the drawer where we keep them, anxiously waiting for me to put down the mail and open the damn drawer already. I took out one of the two binkies that was in there, and he took it, shook his head, placed it on the counter, and looked up at me. "Na-na? Na-na. Na-na!"

I took out the other binky, and the same scenario happened. I raised my hands in the international sign for "I ain't got no more" and said, "Joss - there aren't any more binkies in there." He scrunched up his face, then turned to my SodaStream gizmo . . . pulled up the drip tray, and there hidden in the space beneath the well was - finally! - a satisfactory binky.

Like, Totally
Part of Paul's routine is after he's had stories read to him, and his lullaby sung, he likes to look at read books by the ambient hall light for a while until he gets properly sleepy. I'm in the kitchen, trying to clean up from dinner while watching Lost - not as easy as it sounds.

Paul: Mommy? Mommmy? Mom? Mommy?
Mommy: (rushing to the stairs) What's the matter, baby?
P: I can't find the A to Z.
M: What?
P: I can't find the A to Z. Can you find it?

I go into his room, turn on the light, figure out which book he means (Sandra Boynton's "A to Z" as opposed to the gatrillion other ABC books he has), and begin digging through the book piles. After a few minutes of shifting the strata, I find the perennial classic in question on his night table.

M: Is this what you were looking for?
P: (grabs book and turns to climb back on the bed). Yes! You TOTALLY found it, Mommy!

Joss Speaks!

Not only does Joss have teeth now, but he has words! Here is a sample of them:

• Up



• Down



• No



• Yes (sssssssss)



• Daddy (Ad-dee)



• Ball



• Paul



• Nana (Pacifier)



• Nana (Banana)



• Mama



• Milk



• Uh-oh



• Please



• Meatball (or something like it)



• Mine



• Moon



• Baby



• Dog (oggie)

He can also sign:

• Please



• Thank You



• Help



• Milk



• No more

He also knows lots of body parts and animal sounds, although he isn't the performer his brother is. If he's in a good mood, he'll point to his nose and his belly. (He knows and will point to his nose, eyes, head, hair, belly, tushie, opens and closes his mouth for mouth, grins for teeth, and sticks out his tongue. -ed.)

A Great Question

P: Daddy, there is a "Shin" (שּׁ) on the Mezzuzah!

Daddy: (Surprised that he recognized the Hebrew letter and remembered the Mezzuzah). That's right! There is a Shin on most Mezzuzot. There is a Shin there because inside of the Mezzuzah is the Shema prayer. Do you remember what we do when we say the Shema?

P: Covers his eyes.

I'm a proud papa.