Tales of the Tots

What Happens when Zusha is Overtired:

Zusha: Is my Rebbe a person?
Me: Yes, of course he is!
Zusha: No! He's not!
Me: So who is he?
Zusha: A Rebbe.
Me: And who are people?
Zusha: Men, women...
Me: So- your Rebbe is a man.
Zusha: NOOO! He's NOT! He's a REBBE!
{bursts out crying} You're making me SAD!

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We were eating pizza and Zusha asked me what brocha to make on the pizza and on the milkshake. I told him, and he helped Gedalya say the brachos. By the time he said them himself, he forgot which brocha goes on what food. Suddenly I hear him in hysterics.
MAMA! You told me the wrong bracha! I made mezonos on the milkshake. It took me a while to calm him.

Pesach Chumros You Surely Haven't Heard of:

After weeks of telling the kids not to bring food into the pesachdik rooms, they finally got it. They now understand that when chometz crumbs fall, it makes a room chometzdik.
So a couple of days before Pesach, Gedalya was eating a pesachdik cookie in my bedroom. He made a nice little mess of crumbs and exclaimed, "Now this room is pesachdik!"

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Zusha doesn't fully understand the ins and outs of chometz. He thinks we can't eat chometz in the house because it has been cleaned, but no one cleaned the streets, so we may eat chometz outside on Pesach. On chol hamoed we were in a grocery and Zusha asked to get potato chips. So I did.
Zusha: We can eat chometz outside on Pesach.
Me: No, we can't eat chometz on Pesach at all.
Zusha: But... but...
{sadly glances at potato chips}
Me: Oh, Zusha! The potato chips are pesachdik!

The poor kid thought he couldn't eat the chips that we just bought. He doesn't trust anyone to do things properly and takes it upon himself to ensure order in this world. Another story to illustrate this point:

The day after Pesach we went to the bakery and got some cookies. I explained to the kids that Pesach is over but didn't realize I have to be very specific. I didn't think to mention that we can eat chometz already. I figured they'd make the connection.
When we went out of the bakery, I gave them cookies. Gedalya dug in, but Zusha hesitated.
"Are these chometz?"
"Yes."
"WHY DID YOU GIVE US CHOMETZ?"
"Oh, Zusha. Pesach is over. We can eat chometz now."
"Oh."
{chomp}

And now for some silly-boy pics!

Gedalya is a baby snail.


My little muddy-buddy. (Gedalya-- who else? )

Hillel came from work and saw the pants outside the door. (No way was I going to take them in until they dried!) He asked me if Gedalya was playing hippopotamus- submerging himself in mud so only his eyes are sticking out.


Zusha, satisfied because he threw a stick into a sewer.

Erev Shabbos Bonus: "Hint, hint- you're procrastination is showing!"

In our neighborhood we have a siren that signals the beginning of Shabbos. It is sounded twice; once fifteen minutes before Shabbos, and once right when Shabbos is about to arrive.
My conversation with Zusha this Erev Shabbos:

Zusha: Mama, I know why there are two sirens before Shabbos. The first one means you have to start cooking, and the second one means you have to light candles!
Me: