Author grimholtz

From: Anna Faigenbaum afaigenbaum@denverjds.org
To: eric@ericjung.net, blodgettkarolina@gmail.com
Subject: Elliot’s Positive Attitude
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 6:22 PM

Hi Eric and Karolina,

Elliot has been working hard recently to ask for help in math when needed. I’ve told Elliot how proud I am of him for asking for help when something feels confusing, and for trying his best! We recently wrote addition stories in math, and Elliot did a great job coming up with a problem about cupcakes! We are moving into subtraction this week, and Elliot has a “can-do” attitude. Way to go, Elliot!

Have a great week!

Warmly,

Anna Faigenbaum

Anna Faigenbaum
First Grade Teacher
Denver Jewish Day School
2450 S. Wabash Street, Denver, CO, 80231
afaigenbaum@denverjds.org
(303)369-0663 (#135)
https://www.denverjds.org/

DJDS used this photo for the 2024 Fall Festival; it’s from 2023 with me holding 100 pounds of Kindergarteners! They later replaced it with a generic poster – no people in the promotional. But this was on their website and facebook page for some weeks.

Elliot used the word “ecosystem”correctly the other day. He’s six. I told him he has a great vocabulary.

Elliot and I were enthralled with the ferns in the wet, lush forests at Monhegan Island in Maine in July. Elliot had never seen such large ones before. We talked about the enormous fern forests during the dinosaur times. He really likes ferns.

Speaking of dinosaurs, we saw a T. rex 3-D IMAX film at the Denver Science Museum yesterday. Elliot had been to the museum in August with Camp Gan Izzy so he proudly took me to all of his favorite exhibits. The gems and mine were number one. Health exhibit was number two. Poison special exhibit was number three. Unfortunately the orca exhibit was gone; that might have been number two.

Some Monhegan Island photos are below.

Elliot had falafel for the first time today. He liked it very much.

“The spices wake up my throat!”

He also lost his second tooth today. He asked me to pull it. We watched a clip from Ren & Stimpy about the tooth beaver and the tooth fairy. Right now he’s lying next to me, tooth under his pillow, and I’ve put $6 there. I want t put a ball of lint, too…

Elliot are 6 1/2.

Today we went to the “Frog pool”. It’s the first time Elliot didn’t need to wear a life jacket because he’s tall enough.

He also didn’t ask me to go into the pool, even once. I was a both sad and happy. He showed me playing Godzilla with a basketball, something we’d usually do together with no basketball , me throwing him around and him pretend hitting me. And I wanted to join him badly, but no bathing suit. Maybe we will go back tomorrow, and I’ll go in with him.

How many more times? I’ll never know when it’s the last time except in hindsight.

p.s. his 2nd baby tooth is about to fall out.

Daddy, How Do I Spell TNT?

“I have to take a bath now, which is not my natural habit.” He actually said the word “which” correctly, which greatly impressed me.

“What is your natural habitat?” I asked.

“Throwing cats out the window and seeing if they land on their feet,” he replied jokingly. I think he is developing a morbid sense of humor! Young kids don’t often know how to make good jokes, but this was his attempt.

Two weeks ago in Leadville, Elliot wanted a rusted antique crow bar. He talked for a long time since then, over many different days, how valuable they are for self-protection. We didn’t get that crow bar but got a new one on Amazon that we’ll store with Grandpa Marty’s knives and guns.

We will go back to Leadville to get that antique.

This obsession follows his “brass knuckles” obsession from earlier this summer. And he loved that Grandpa Marty had a pair of them.

As we were falling asleep last night, Elliot said, “I’m so excited for Gan Izzy tomorrow!” He had just played with Maya and Ella for Lior Seluk’s birthday party at the Elster’s house. They are also going to Gan Izzy.

Before the party, we went to the Renaissance Fair for several hours. The fountain lady was not there at all this year; a disappointment for me but I don’t know if Elliot remembered her well. We went to the mermaid, as usual, and got a shell. The maze – Elliot went alone this year! Twice!

We returned from our trip from Maine. Elliot calls it a “field trip”. We went on a field trip to Maine. I love it!

With Max this time!

We went to the Arapahoe County Fair with Maxi, Aviva, and Sadie. It was Elliot’s 4th summer going there, although we may have been there more than 4 times. It’s where we got a lot of his carnival stuffies.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Daddy!“, he said in the middle of the trip – seemingly out of nowhere. I felt wonderful after hearing that.

He loves this place!

This is the first summer he’s tall enough to go on all of the rides. So we stayed a lot longer than we ever have. I think we left at 9:30 PM!

This year he only played one of the games. He wasn’t interested in them very much. It was a pop-the-balloon game and he chose a minion stuffy as the prize. He didn’t want to play the water shooting game; a definite first! He didn’t bed for a goldfish or hermit crab or to get more stuffies. He didn’t beg to play the duckie game or the other numerous games.

He was very excited and happy going on the rides. His favorite? ALIEN ABDUCTION. He went on it at least 6 times. Probably more.

He did the MUTTON BUSTIN’ SHEEP RODEO!

A few times, Elliot has told me that he wishes me and mama were married. He recently said I could sleep at mama’s apartment so we could all be together.

His innocence breaks my heart. I wish I could give him everything.

July 21, 2024. Age 6. Elliot dropped his tablet while juggling chargers. The screen broke. He came into the kitchen to tell me. He was so apologetic.

“I’m sorry I wasted your money”. He hugged me at the waist. I bent down to him.
“I’m sorry I wasted your money, Daddy”. He repeated this several times as we hugged.

I couldn’t believe how well he handled it. No crying, no screaming, no arguing. No accusing or blaming. Nothing hurtful. Just true love and genuine regret and sorrow.

“Thank you for apologizing, Elliot. It’s ok. We all make mistakes. We all break things sometimes. It’s ok.” I told him if he saved up money, it could be repaired. Later I told him how he could earn money. But now I want to just get the screen replaced for him, without him having to earn anything. He is so special.

Tasting Mountain Dew for the very first time, July 12, 2024 at age 6. Elliot says it tastes like Coke!