Elliot came home from preschool with this saying, “ISH! ISH!!” and I was like WTF? I asked Pazit Laufer. It means fire in Hebrew (for Lag BaOmer). He also said something about not knowing English until he gets older, but that he knows Hebrew now.
After picking him up at school and putting him into the car seat, he said to me, “I’m so happy to be with you, Daddy.”
May 15, 2022. I can’t hold the phone for most of it because I need two hands.
In the last week, I asked Elliot to join me when writing my gratitude log. Here are some of the things for which we are grateful. I did not give him any ideas. I did not prompt or push him.
May 15, 2022
May 16, 2022
The two “W”s are Elliot practicing to write. In the Purple Room at Garden Preschool, they are learning about U and W this week.
It’s 12:45. Elliot’s nap time. We are driving to the planetarium. Long drives put him to sleep, especially at this time of day.
We have a routine. I put on the “nap time playlist” on the radio (through Spotify). I got this playlist from his teacher, Ms. Mirel, last winter. They play it in the Purple Room (preschool) when it’s nap time.
So I start the music, and immediately Elliot yells, “it’s not nap time!” with a smile on his face. So I turn it off. But he’s asleep the next moment.
One of our routines.
“Daddy, Let me tell you something. I love you.” while in the shopping cart.
And this morning in bed, “Daddy? I love you. Hold my hand.“ then later he sings to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine… “I love you Daddy, I love you Daddy, I love you Daddy…”
Elliot LOVED Monster World! 500 16th St Mall Suite 180, Denver. I had a hard time getting him to leave. But afterwards, we ate TACOS on the 16th St Mall. Elliot specifically asked for tacos when he saw a man eating them. He has some kind of love for them, even though we don’t eat them. Maybe it’s because of the song “It’s Raining Tacos”.
Then took our very first ride in a rickshaw. The driver took us on the Cherry Creek Bike Path and through city streets. Elliot marveled at the skyscrapers. He kept saying, “Daddy, I love this town.” He really had never seen it like this. I think the last time he was in downtown Denver would have been for the Christmas Market, which was nothing like riding a rickshaw through the city in May. He absolutely loved it and wants to do it again.
After Tacos, he got bubble tea. Then the rickshaw ride. Then we went to Voodoo Doughnuts (pictured above), went home and played in the sprinkler again.
Elliot: “There are flowers everywhere! I don’t eat flowers because I’m Jewish?” (I told him in the last weeks last how we don’t eat shrimp, lobster, clams, shellfish because we are Jewish).
Today Elliot saw the red outdoor couch. He was so excited! He loves it and told me many times. He asked if we can eat dinner on it. He has not seen it, except in a photo in his room, since he was probably a year and a half old. But he remembers it well and has been asking for me to “build it” for weeks.
He loves the new pac-man shirt from Mara, Reid, and Morgan for his 4th birthday. I just showed it to him now, and he insisted on wearing it right away! He was laughing hysterically at it, too. He kept saying, “the email man brought it?”
Our washing machine and dryer are stacked, with the dryer on top. Once the wash is done, Elliot makes a game of throwing the wet clothes into the dryer. He’s too short to see into the dryer, so it’s like a game of basketball. My wet jeans are too big and heavy; he particular likes to throw the socks and underwear, but all of them are all fun. And if he misses, he keeps trying until he gets it right. He doesn’t give up!
When he’s older, will he still want to wash and dry his clothes? I already know the answer 🙂
We make a similar game out of making the bed! Hiding under the blankets as they are stretched across the bed…
THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS by Stephen Mitchell
We tend to think of Sisyphus as a tragic hero, condemned by the gods to shoulder his rock sweatily up the mountain, and again up the mountain, forever.
The truth is that Sisyphus is in love with the rock. He cherishes every roughness and every ounce of it. He talks to it, sings to it. It has become the Mysterious Other. He evens dreams of it as he sleepwalks upward. Life is unimaginable without it, looming always above him like a huge gray moon.
He doesn’t realize that at any moment he is permitted to step aside, let the rock hurtle to the bottom, and go home.
Elliot often asks me, when we are in the bathroom getting ready for bed, to show him my bicep muscles. I oblige, and he touches each of them.
“This one is from sardines and fish oil? And this one is from oranges and fish?”
I am notmsure where the oranges comment came from. He used to ask me how i got these muscles. I would tell him fish like sardines and salmon, fish oil,
and pushups and weight. There is a weight jn the bathroom. I do pushups on the bedroom floor, and Elliot often lays across my back as i do
May 1, 2022
It had been a long 5 days with Elliot. Great fun together, but he is still not at all independent. He won’t go to the bathroom without me, for example.
And I LOVE that he wants to help me with so many things. Simple things like preparing my coffee machine with filter, coffee, and water. He tries very hard not to spill anything, but he still does. I give him the space and opportunity to fail and try again, without criticism. I encourage him to try and try again. Then I clean up the mess.
So when it was late, and we’d been up since 6:00 AM, I wanted to sleep. I finally corralled Elliot into the bathroom and prepared his toothbrush. He’s still not brushing his own teeth yet, but he has done it once or twice before some weeks ago.
He was standing on the stool in front of the sink, too short without the stool. I was prepare to brush his teeth, but he wanted to play with the faucet or the toy LADA, I forget.
Often he procrastinated brushing at this very moment by saying “hug, hug” or “in love you” and reaching out to hug me. In love when he does that, and it brings my distracted brain crack into the moment… remembering that he won’t always be like that. Cherish it now.
But this time, he wanted to play. I sat down on the floor and tears came to my eyes from frustration. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t sob. I lowered my head.
Elliot said, “daddy, why are you crying?” I didn’t answer. But he picked up his toothbrush and brushed his own teeth!
I lifted my head, smiling at him through tears. I thanked him, told him how much I love him. I told him how good of a boy he is.
Just turned 4, and Elliot has empathy.
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