This Post is About Ketchup

Because ketchup is a really random item, not unlike this post. (It's really random for us, as we have one bottle for almost a year and it's less than 1/3 finished. This is also the first bottle we have in our house in 6.5 years of marriage. We only have it because Zusha sees boys in his class inhaling the stuff and he wanted us to buy it.) And also because I am going to ketch catch up on a whole bunch of topics that I don't feel like separating into different posts.

Random Topic #1: Zusha's reading update

He officially reads everything. All words that follow the rules, that is. Like, he will read the word "fine" correctly, but "engine" he will read the same way- rhyming with "fine." He needs to be reminded about combined letters- ee, ea, oo, th, ch, sh, ie. He also has trouble figuring out if the letters g and c are hard or soft in any particular word. But that will come with time and experience.
I will write out names of things around the house on index cards and hang them up so they can learn to read them at a glance. One time Zusha was listening to music on the MP3 player and announced, "Dveikus nigun!" Huh? I was sure he doesn't differentiate between the many different instrumental nigunim. And he doesn't. He read it from the screen!

Random Zusha quote of the day- I was telling Adel that her cuteness level is 10 today. Zusha took her from me and said, "No Adel, your cuteness level is one hundred thousand today!"

Random Topic #2: Gedalya funnies

~*~♥~*~~*~♥~*~
~*~♥~*~~*~♥~*~
~*~♥~*~~*~♥~*~
~*~♥~*~~*~♥~*~
~*~♥~*~~*~♥~*~

Today Gedalya read seven words outside, and he shared that info with everyone. He read:

stop
sale
off
boots
yellow
learn
take

Watch him read! Too cute.

Random Gedalya quotes of the day- "Adi plew with this already." (Played) LOL.
"Thanks for the panic attacks." (?!!?!??)
We passed by the Public School yard where there were chol hamoed rides last year on Pesach. Gedalya remembered and as we turned down that block, he asked, "Is it chol hamoed? Are we going to the rides?" I replied that the rides are only there on chol hamoed Sukkos and Pesach. "And today is chol hamoed Tuesday?" was his clever answer.

Random Topic #3: What I feel guilty for doing to Adel

I force-fed a cookie to my baby.
My baby, who is 98% breastfed and doesn't even eat solids every day.
We were heading home after picking Zusha up, and Adel started crying. Louder and louder. Apparently I lost track of time because I realized that she hasn't eaten in several hours. I nursed her at home, put her down for a nap, and when she woke up I just got us ready and we left. Then we spent a few hours in the park, stores... yikes! I quickly looked into our bags to see what I could offer her. Dried banana! Long slices, all natural, very hard to bite... I took off her mittens and gave her one to suck.
She was happy... until her hands got cold. I took away the banana, put the mittens back on and picked up the pace. Still wailing. Then... I took out a bag... of hamatashen. I pinched off a piece of the cookie. Crumbled it. And put it into her cheek. She was screaming and trying to spit it out. But I knew that she needs that little something in her tummy until we get home. Gah. No fun for anyone.
Guilty action #2: Adel is playing with her used diaper as I write this post. I'm not taking it away because she will cry. It's okay, though, since it's only wet and all balled up.

Random Topic #4: Fun with friends

I picked up Zusi, Zusha's classmate, one day after cheider. His family was moving that day, so he spent the afternoon with us. The boys really had fun. We went for pizza, to the park... by the time we got home, Zusi's father was there to pick him up! I told him that he came too early and we are not finished playing. He thanked me and went back to the moving.

This little daredevil became fast friends with Gedalya. Although they are two years apart, they have this in common:

Yikes!

Random Topic #5: Animals

I need to find animal food that is Kosher for Pesach. This is one major thing that is preventing me from slowly starting on cleaning the less-used corners of the house for Pesach- the animals will spread chometz there again.
Also, the cat attacked and killed Adel's therapy ball. Not like they are cheap or anything. Grrr.

Random Topic #6: A couple more Adi updates of the non-guilty variety

She learned to isolate her finger to point. That's new and fun! She also recognizes pictures. She meowed while reading her kitten book and again at the computer screen when I was editing our cat's photos. "Ah-mya, ah-mya."

Random Topic #7: Long lost friends
Last Shabbos my friend, Osnat, was in BoroPark. She was at her sister's house, not too far from me. We were friends since age 12, went to camp and high school together... but she moved to another borough and we haven't seen each other in four years! Yikes. I have never seen her youngest daughter, and would never have recognized her two older children whom I haven't seen since babyhood. It was such a nice little get-together. No pictures, of course. We'll have to plan something on a weekday- and not in another four years!

Random Topic #8: Ribbons and bows
Adel has more hair accessories than hair strands. That's something to think about. And that's the thought I'll leave you with.

{Wheeeeeew, was that ever long! I think I used almost all my labels for this post. }