Lia and Noya's world

Summer 2011 recap

2011-10-09T04:37:00.001-04:00

This was a lovely summer! For a change, the weather was not scorching hot all summer, so we were able to enjoy some outside time.

School year has ended and Lia moved to a new daycare in a Kibbutz near Rehovot. It is a very nice place and she seems to be doing well there. After quite a lot of nagging, we managed to move Noya to the same place. No more driving around town in the morning to drop off the girls...

Noya is maintaining and even expending her reputation as the infamous hit girl. She is mischievous, loud, carefree, extremely cute, and mostly a danger for herself and others.
She understands both Hebrew and English, but for now only speaks half-language, meaning just the last sound of each word. That makes it very difficult to understand what she wants. Luckily, 90% of the time she wants what Lia has, so that helps with the guessing.

Most of the summer was spent at the pool, beach or hiking around Israel. We did some beach and river camping, and a few more days of fun at a lovely zimmer up in the north.

Lia had her 4th birthday on August 11th. She was very excited and ended up having 3 separate parties (with 3 b-day cakes), so you can imagine how happy she was...

Video: Lia's 4 years old birthday parties

Noya had her 2nd birthday on Sept 27th. She was happy to see all the people that came to the party, but didn't quite get she was the star, untill... the cake arrived and we all sang to her. Her reaction was just adorable.: Noya's 2 years old birthday party + an intimate moment with pumpkin

Lia and Noya are learning how to be good sisters. Its a work in progress but so far they have been really good at it. Most of the time, Lia is leading the way, making up games, storylines, and songs. Noya plays the part as long as she gets to have the same things as Lia, regardless of fit. Once Noya is dissatisfied, things start to break down and eventually a parent is needed to resolve the situation. However, most days the two can play for hours in their fairy tale land...

And finally, a little clip of cute things the girls do together... how can you resist?

More videos:
Lia and Noya display various jumping techniques
A collection of summer fun

More pics...

Israeli spring

2011-06-15T15:17:00.010-04:00

Well, its actually summer already, but the pictures are mostly from the spring. And what a gorgeous spring that was... we did a lot of hiking and had lots of fun, but now its time to sit tightly next to an AC because the summer heat is fast approaching...

Lia and Noya both did some growing in the past three months.

Noya is becoming more and more of a force to be reckoned with. She is an unstoppable mischievous little sugar pie that you just can't stop kissing... I think that pretty much sums it up...

There are so many places to travel, and everything is relatively close and easy to get to. We have picnics and hikes and get-togethers with friends in nature, its all great joy for us. Noya left her nanny and moved to a daycare and she is liking it a lot.
Here are some more pictures from recent months:

and finally, some videos :
Noya being silly
Why I like taking Noya on my shoulders
the girls eating popcicles and being cute
The girls eating apples and being cute
Fun at Weizmann institute
Lia in the forest
Lia dancing
Lia singing to Libby
The girls play outside in the garden

End of hibernation

2011-03-21T17:26:00.010-04:00

What???

3 months have passed since the last post?

That pretty much covers the winter, through which we apparently hibernated.

Very little rain (unfortunately), and some chilly days scattered between nice springy days- the Israeli winter is beautiful. What once was a thorny sand hill is now covered with lush tall grass and wildflowers (and even more thorny thingies).

We tried to continue hiking as much as possible to take all that liveliness in, but since none of us is yet accustomed to the local viruses (or is it viri?), we ended up spending a lot of the last 3 months between dr visits and a box of Kleenex.
We actually had a lot of "exciting" times in our life, most of which we would have gladly skipped. We spent some time in the hospital with Lia (those damn viruses!). We had someone break into our house and steal whatever they could take+ our car... hey, we haven't been here for 11 years, I guess we had it coming.

Yet, the girls are growing up nicely. Lia's Hebrew is great and she is comfortable playing with the language. At her daycare she takes all the kids who don't want to nap, sits them in a circle and tells them a story. She is truly captivating. This is a clip summarizing some of Lia's bests in the last 3 months. Warning: its about 5 minutes long.

Winter? in Israel?

2010-12-23T14:07:00.009-05:00

Guess what? Winter in Israel is not the frozen thing we got used to while living in New England. We did get a 3-day storm that almost flooded our house, but luckily it didn't.
On the family front, Lia and Noya are growing up nicely. It's amazing to see how Lia's Hebrew is developing, and at the same time her English is still growing. Check out some of the videos below for examples....

Lia is, as always, a super good sister to Noya. Seeing both of them play together just makes us happy.

The biggest news about Noya is that she started to walk. She is getting better everyday which means we are on the lookout all the time....

The last two months were also filled with trips here and there around Israel, and fun with friends and family.

And the-ever-growing-list-of-movies...
Noya playing on a hammock
The girls riding a toycar
Lia playing with the Neocube
Lia Clemantina
Lia tells a story
Playing with Pumpkin

Octoberfest with Lia and Noya

2010-11-09T15:16:00.008-05:00

This month was full of activities!
Time at the beach...

A visit to an orange grove...

A hike through the forest...

A visit to the museum...

A party in the desert...

Quality time with the cousins...

and the usual fun at home...

Can't wait to see what November has to offer...
Probably more of Lia talking Hebrew.

Noya is 1 year old & Lia is 3 years (and 1 month)

2010-09-30T06:12:00.008-04:00

Missed me?

This has been a very exciting time for us.
On August 11th, Lia turned 3 years old. We had a nice birthday party (video here) and there was much rejoicing...
Yesterday we celebrated Noya's first birthday! and the rejoicing went on...

Noya was ready to jump on her birthday cake and I managed to stop her at the last second. She's a little daredevil.
Don't let that innocent face full you. Noya crawls everywhere fast and stands holding on to things. She likes to pull pumpkin's tail (let's face it, by now this is a family tradition) and run into the fridge whenever we open it (in a way, that's a tradition too).

Lia is growing nicely. Her Hebrew is picking up and she says new words every day. Still can't say R like an Israeli (calls me ABA TZUL and before she goes to bed asks for שני סיפולים- two stolies). More than anything else, she is a wonderful sister for Noya.

Lia started riding her bike and she likes that very much. She is really good at it too, as you can see in the clip below.

As always, there are more movies on Ovi:
Lia singing songs at dinner time
Noya's best moments
Just some lovely moments (featuring Libby)- see also the Lazar Chronicles
Finally, some more pictures from our life. The heat is slowly fading which allowed us to go hike a bit, as you can see in the slideshow below. We are patiently waiting to do some more of that, but so far have been a bit too busy to travel much.

We are back!

2010-08-11T13:59:00.006-04:00

Today Lia is 3 years old and Noya is about 10.5 months.

We have been in Israel for almost 2 months and only now I managed to sit down and update the blog. Sorry for the long break, I will try to keep posting more regularly now.

The transition to Israel was not easy, but overall we are happy. The last few months in Boston were devoted mainly to tying up our work-related tasks, packing the house, selling and giving away stuff, saying goodbye to everyone and enjoying the short New-England spring. We even managed to squeeze in a visit to San Francisco and once again agreed that this is one of our favorite places in the whole world.

All this time, Noya has been growing nicely and Lia became more and more amazing in her own unique way. She quickly grasped the idea that we are leaving our house and moving to Israel, although she wasn’t always very happy about that. The day that we left our yellow house was difficult for everyone, and luckily we spent the last few days in Boston with very good friends who kept us well-fed and taken care of.

The day of the flight to Israel will be remembered as quite a horrid experience which we would have gladly skipped. I won’t bore you with the details, but the day started with an automated phone call announcing that our flight to NY (where we were to board the plane to Israel), got canceled and there were no other flights we could take. The rest of the day just kept getting worse. We arrived exhausted beyond belief and pretty much was out of it (us, the girls, and the cat) for about a week. Then we slowly started to pick up the pieces and get our lives organized.

Two months later, we live in a rented house in Rehovot, and Maya and I have both started our jobs. Our things arrived safely and we have unpacked most of them, although a lot of organizing work still needs to be done. The girls have been going to daycare and adjusting well to the Israeli culture (the climate... not so much- it's been hot as hell here).

Lia has been speaking a lot more Hebrew, and understanding a lot more too. She is as cute as ever, and continues to be a wonderful sister to Noya. Lia still talks fondly about her room in the yellow house, although she likes it here too. She has lots of cousins that she loves very much, and keeps talking about them whenever they are not around. She meets new people every week- our families, our friends, their children, the neighbors, etc. She is friendly and happy although at times it seems that there are a bit too many changes happening in her life.

Noya has gone through a tremendous growth during the past few months. She crawls freely around the house, chasing pumpkin with the clear intent of helping her shed her fur. Noya is always happy, laughing and smiling and just generally being super duper cute. A real competitor to Lia. She can stand holding on to things, and shows great interest in everyone and everything. She is eating solids and loving every minute of it (especially the mess-making part). Unfortunately, we discovered that both girls have hernia, which means they will need to undergo surgery soon to fix it. It’s not a complicated procedure, but still a bit scary.

There is a collection of new movies on OVI. Here is one example of the interaction between the two girls (this was taken about a month ago).

To see more movies, just browse: http://share.ovi.com/album/tmk.public

I also put some more pictures on picasa: http://tinyurl.com/Aug2010Slideshow

This is it for now. I will post again in a few weeks.

By the way, if you want to get an email every time I post something new, just enter your email address in the box on the top left panel.

Happy 1/2 a year, Noya!

2010-03-31T22:17:00.011-04:00

Noya is all about being cute. She practices that daily.

...and we just can't get enough...

and more Noya...

and Lia is... well... see for yourself...

More videos:
A visit to Calahan Park
Babysmash!
Big spin
Tire spin
Roll down th e hill (like the Princess Bride)
Playing downstairs

It's been warming up and we got to get some outside time which we all appreciated after the long cold winter.

Our move to Israel is getting near very quickly.
Lia and Noya's blog will take a short break (after almost 3 years!) and return after we get settled in Israel. I will continue to post pictures in Picasa and movies on OVI. So check that out when you want to see how we are doing.
Ciao,
Tzur

Happy Purim!!

2010-03-01T19:23:00.008-05:00

Has anyone seen my seven dwarfs?
Oh, here's bashful!

aba is either doc or dopey, depending on the time of day. ima is either grumpy or the witch... just teasing...
In case you were wondering, winter is still ongoing. We recently had a little walk on the frozen lake which was a lot of fun.

Things are moving fast here. Four months from now, we'll be in Israel. Everyone is getting really excited about that. Preparations are full force ahead. Noya is getting bigger and stronger. She turns from the belly to the back, grabs everything in front of her and tries to eat it. I can do all that too, but no one seems to be impressed.
Wearing costumes is one of my favorite things to do lately. Here I am as a little village girl (and aba is dressed as ... well... as aba).

And of course, me as a princess (as if I really need to dress up for that...)

Noya didn't wear a costume, but she did show her different faces:

The "you're funny, but can you really make me laugh?" pose.

The "I'm just mellow like that" look.

The "now that's what I call entertainment" gesture.

The "I'm thinking of... thinking of... no... just pooping" posture.

The "I'm getting a bit hungry. Do we have any milk?" expression.

The "look, what's missing in my mouth? come on, starts with a B" hint.

And of course, the "wait, there's something I wanted to tell you..." gaze.

Quite an expressive little girl, isn't she?
I like to talk and tell stories to who ever is willing to listen. That includes random parents that come to daycare to pick up their children, Babies'R'us salespeople, and Stop&Shop clients. But mostly, I tell stories, sing songs and play to my parents' amusement.

other clips:
Tent hide and seek
Stroll on frozen lake
Weekend fun
The pizzawhale
Lia's tea party
Feeding babe
Happy b-day song to Ido

Besides all the above activities, I also like to read my books and listen to stories.

And although I often refuse to go to sleep when I should, once asleep, I prefer to stay sleeping...

Come on, who doesn't?
See you next month!

The everlasting winter

2010-01-31T18:45:00.012-05:00

Good day everyone!

Let me tell you about my little sister Noya. She is 4 months old now, no joke!

She is cute and easy-going and likes to sleep and eat (don't we all...)
She has beautiful big blue eyes, and a pretty little smile.

She looks around a lot, moving her legs and hands around.

Here is a little clip of Noya.
It's not as exciting as my clips, but I am sure she will get better with time.

And finally, another close look at Noya's eyes...

As for me, business as usual. I am still my usual silly self.

My hair has grown way too long without much order or direction, until ima and aba finally decided to take me to the hairdresser, Fred, who "cut my hair like a princess" (that's what I told aba when we came back).
Before...

After... much happier!

That calls for a song... here is my improvisation on Mary had a little lamb (by the way- "kalapila" is caterpillar).

I am still quite assertive. The other day, aba was about to go get a book to read to me, but he got distracted and started talking to ima. After a couple of minutes I stood up in my bed and in the most authoritative voice declared "aba'le, you BETTER read me the book RIGHT NOW!". Needless to say, he was on the task in no time.
I've also been saying some interesting things. This week we were driving back from daycare, when I spotted the moon in the window. I asked aba "who made the moon?", to which he replied unwittingly, "no one made it, it was always there". "No", I corrected him, "God made the moon".
Aba almost choked.
Lately, I got very close to my raccoon, "coon", and I like to take him with me to daycare.

As you can tell from the title of this post, it is still very cold here. Going outside is a rare occasion and I use up that time to run around as much as I can.

Yesterday we went to an indoor playground which was a lot of fun too. Whatever helps me get my energy out...

Until next month...

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-01T13:13:00.015-05:00

We wish everyone a year of joy and love.

Now, that's what we call winter...

December began with snow and cold, which means we all stay home together.
I get to spend lots of time with baby Noya, who's 3 months old already!!

Savta Tzipi came to visit and we had great fun together.

She read me stories and we played together.

We saw Mary Poppins and pumpkin joined the party.
We even ventured outside to the cold weather for a short and brave walk.

Every night savta would tuck me in. She left yesterday and I already miss her.
Some say Noya looks like aba.
Here is a picture when he was a baby in his mother's arms...

...and Noya with her savta. You decide.

With the new year, we had to say goodbye to our good friends, Aran and Dahlia. Good luck in New York, we miss you.

See ya'll next month!

Growing...

2009-11-29T21:40:00.009-05:00

***Noya's corner***

Excuse me for sleeping while aba is typing my thoughts... i'm only two months old!
I eat, sleep and do all the usual baby stuff (plus being extra sweet)

When not sleeping, I gaze into the world and ponder... when have I eaten lately? should I fall back to sleep? and days pass this way...

I get along well with the two creatures that run this house. I'm talking about Pumpkin and Lia, of course. I try not to eat their food and they try not to eat me... just kidding...

And here I am last week at the spa. highly recommended!

***Back to Lia***

Did you enjoy my sister's corner? She is super duper cute! I help ima and aba take care of her and sing her songs. I am a big sister now, and as you can imagine, i am being as mischievous as i can.

I am talking a lot more, and try to get what i want. ima says: "i'll make you some egg for dinner, you like it.", and I say: "I like ice-cream too, mommy." I'm just saying.
Singing is something I do well, if i may sing so my self. Hear for yourself:
ABCs and more
Songs in a basket

Fall is almost over, and the beginning of winter is felt throughout our neighborhood streets. Someone would have to clean all these leaves, I wonder....

See our day at the park in Framingham Autumn.

Saba and savta went back to Israel, and we all miss them very much (see Lia and savta's humus).
Luckily, I got to see lots of our friends lately, and I enjoyed that very much.

Me and Sara on a playdate.
With the arrival of Noya, ima and aba got us girls a new ride. Let me tell you, it rocks! (thanks, phil&ted) Noya sleeps in the back, while I ride in my red convertible, eating bamba and enjoying the view.

Our trip to the zoo was a lot of fun too. I was reunited with the lion, who seemed pretty unprepared for the occasion.

This was our 100th post on the blog! Can you believe it?
Till next month...

Baby Noya is home

2009-10-31T22:08:00.006-04:00

Introducing.... one month old Noya!! My baby sister! Isn't she lovely?

Although she is still very young, Noya is very expressive. She is mainly expressing her desire to eat, sleep, or a combination of both. Well, that is what babies do, you know. Plus there is pooping.

Noya's morning exercise includes some hand lifting, followed by leg kicking and then some...

well... sleeping...

Who are we to complain?
Noya's arrival home was truly wonderful. Ima and aba took me with them to the hospital. I immediately gave baby Noya a big hug and found a blanket to cover her. You can watch a video of the whole thing here.

Besides the excitement about baby Noya, there has been something else on my mind in the last month. I am talking of course about the sleeping beauty, princess Aurora, and in particular, prince Philip. Not only have I seen the full movie, start to finish, about 143 times, I also saw the scene of them dancing together about 466 times, and read the story about 872 times. I wake up in the middle of the night crying- "I want to give a kiss to prince Philip!", and so on and so forth. Saba and savta, ima and aba, have all been affected by my little obsession, and they walk around humming "once upon a dream" continuously.
The two pictures below were taken about one month apart, as I was watching my favorite scene. As you can see, the intensity of my concentration on every little detail in the prince's moves have not changed a bit....

I have long conversations with Philip. He is very supportive of my interest in animals, defeating the dragon, etc. Here are some of our favorite moments together:

Other than that, I have been growing and talking a lot more. Here are some of the cutest things I say:
"I don't think so" (whenever I don't like what you propose to me)
"and the duckies too!" (when aba asked- "did you feed the geese and the swans?")
"wait saba, it will come in a minute" (when saba tries to fast forward the promos on the sleeping beauty DVD)
"mommy is working on the computer" (when asked what does Olivia's mom do in the book- she is actually reading a magazine on the beach... but that's so not my mom...)
"Lia want to pump milk for baby Noya" (when I put two bottles on my chest and pretend to be mommy)
"go daddy, come on!" (when watching prince Philip ride his horse)

Eating apples straight from the tree is one of the unique pleasures of New-England's fall. I went with saba, savta, ima and aba, and we had lots of fun.

This is all for now. Please come see us again on Dec 1st. Who knows, we might have some snow pictures by then...

My baby sister Noya

2009-09-29T22:03:00.010-04:00

Hi everyone!

I guess you've heard by now... I have a new baby sister, and her name is Noya.
I haven't met her yet, but I already like to say "baby sister Noya", and informatively point at the crib where she would be sleeping. She is my tiny sister, and for now she needs to stay in an incubator, like a little chick. See how she sleeps peacefully?

This is me with aba and ima at the hospital, the day before Noya was born.

The next picture is titled- "Thank you ima for giving me a baby sister".
You're the best!

Saba Divi and Savta Nurit are here now and that brings me lots of joy.
Saba plays his clarinet while I sit on his lap and enjoy the music.

Here are some more highlights from my ever-growing collection of cute clips:
Aba is the horsey
That's funny!
The story about the dangerous plane and the not okay doggies
The tiny tiny grape
My friend Aran (who happens to be an excellent chef) made some chocolate mousse for me. I think this picture summarizes my feelings about it...

Boston is getting cooler (temperature-wise), as fall kicks in.
I can't wait for winter! (yes, I know sarcasm already...)

See you next month (Nov 1st). I promise to give Noya more "air-time".

New year, new class

2009-09-01T19:56:00.007-04:00

Hello everyone!

I graduated from the toddler room at daycare, and now we have new teachers and new experiences. So far I am happy with this transition and can't wait to learn new things.

Summer is starting to fade away into fall, but there is still time for me to eat popsicles with Eliza after playing in the pool outside. One of the perks of being a kid, i guess.

I talk all the time, although ima and aba don't always understand what I say (even after I take the bottle out of my mouth). I like to make up songs and sing to my parents. Sometimes I end my song with "aba, i sing it for you". He seems to like it when I do that.

I like to take off my shoes and play in the sand. Ladders, bridges, slides, swings, three-dimensional structures and bouncy things of all sorts- I like them all very much. Even aba, while laying on his back, can become a fun playground. All I need to do is smile and say "pleeez"

Running around is still one of my favorite things to do. I am really fast too...

And then there is eating ice-cream... need I say more?

I'm getting bigger and taller, but still keeping my slim physic. That's what a diet of ice-cream and some playground workout look like...

You haven't seen me asleep in a while. This is what i like to call "Saturday stroll bliss".

Come visit me again on October first!

Lia is two years old!

2009-08-09T23:12:00.008-04:00

I'm a BBBIIIGGG girl! I am two years old today!
Mazal Tov to me! Yayyyyy!!!! more on that later on....
The last two weeks have been super fun. My hair finally got long enough so that Savta could make me a little pony tail. I like that a lot and ask for a different color every day.

I also speak a lot more. My longest (and cutest) sentence so far was one morning when I woke up, went to Pumpkin and asked her in the sweetest voice- "did you have a good night, honey?" Ima and aba were truly impressed. One day savta asked me "how does a cow do?" and I said "mooo", then she asked "and what does a cow give", and I answered with no delay- "a hug!", and indeed I got one right away.
Also, lately I've been extending my usual "bye bye" which I say to anyone I see. Now I say "bye bye, see you tomorrow!". Also, when we drive under a bridge I say- "watch your head!"- I'm developing a sense of humor, no doubt.

I spent a lot of time with my saba and savta. In fact, they are leaving today and going back to Israel. I will surely miss them a lot. Thank god for skype, though...

They played an important role in my birthday party, taking the balloon-making procedure to a whole new level....

We had one party at home over the weekend, and one at daycare today. Both were extremely fun, and I got to feel like the queen of the day. And also, there was yummy cake to go with the festivities...

I had lots of fun and I think that so did everyone else. We should do that again next year...

You can see more clips on OVI:
The birthday cake
Playing with Eliza
How I reacted to savta Hana's present- my new kid's size bed
How I make saba and savta happy
Meeting penguins at the aquarium
Running around in circles...
I like Saba Avram a lot. He tells me stories about camels when I eat and he is always fun to hang around with.

And he's especially cooperative when I'm in my artistic mood...

Savta Tzipi and I are good friends. Every night now I kiss her good night and let her tuck me in...

Hope they'll come visit me again soon...
...next time, I will have a little sister too!

And oh yeah, i still love strawberries more than anything else...

Summer fun with saba and savta

2009-07-27T22:01:00.006-04:00

Summer is here in full force. Its hot and humid and I can finally play in my inflatable pool. Oh, how much fun that is... especially with my new bathing suit!

Saba and Savta take good care of me. We play together and go out for long walks. This weekend we all went on a trip to New Hampshire. We had a little picnic outside and that was lots of fun.

Later, we visited a nice place called Tarbin garden, where I had the pleasure to be carried around on aba's shoulders.

I strolled between the shrubs and flowery paths, looking for cats and chipmunks.

Eventually, I found a little rabbit- "Hello Rabbit!"

See you all next time....

summertime photoshoot

2009-07-14T23:52:00.008-04:00

tomorrow my saba avram and savta tzipi are coming to visit. I am so excited, i can hardly speak today... so i'll be brief.

here is me.

me and ima.

me and aba.

then and now...

6/7/08................................................................................................7/6/09
me on horsey.

me at the park.

animals i met at the zoo.

more me...

ciao!

What's inside ima's belly?

2009-06-29T21:48:00.010-04:00

Did you know I am going to have a little sibling soon? Ima is 4 months pregnant!!!
When I pointed at her belly one day, she said there is a baby inside, to which I replied- "Baby's hiding?" Later, I pointed at aba's big belly and asked the same thing- he did not appreciate that very much and started working out more often...

Other than that, all is well here at Framingham. The weather is still undecided- hot, humid, rainy and not sunny at all. Is this summer? what a joke.

At least I get to play outside in my little sandbox. It's fun, and I like getting dirty.

Taking care of our garden is a well known hobby of mine. I do it very well, if I may say so myself.

Here I am pointing at some weeds that need pulling. Go on aba, get to work on that!

Last weekend we went strawberry picking at this pretty place.

Ima and aba were picking the strawberries and putting them in a little container, while I kept picking the strawberries out of the container and eating them straight up. I must ate a pint or so. I LLLLLLOOOOVVVVVEEEE strawberries!

The weekend before that, there was a little town fair with a trampoline of sorts. The nice man let me in even though I am too young. He could tell that I needed to exert my energy with some uncontrolled jumping. Boy, was that fun... check the clip here.

Well, that's all for today. More news about the identity of my future sister/brother will probably be provided in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned!
Ciao!

Singing a song...

2009-06-14T22:58:00.004-04:00

How do you like my new shades? pretty cool, ha?
Last two weeks were very nice. I recovered from the flu, and regained my energy and good spirits.
And yes, I am eating again... Apricots are yummy when they are ripe.

Aba and Ima took me to a local co-op farm where we pick up our own vegetables and fruits. That's really nice, as I get to run around between cherry tomato and blueberry bushes.

Here we are looking at horses. Can't you tell?

Summer is fast approaching and our garden at the back of the house is at full blossom. The pond in front of the house is so pretty now (see picture below), and all the ducks, swans and geese are feasting.

Here are all the geese standing in line and waiting for their feathers to dry off.

We take a lot more strolls now, and I get to run around as much as I want.

There is another pond, about 5 minutes walk from our house, where we can swim. The beach is still closed, but we can sneak in and play in the sand. I like that a lot!

I am talking more than ever, saying new words and phrases every day. When I grab something I was looking for, I say: "I GOT IT!!!", and when I want to do something myself, I say "I do it." I say "Please" (which sounds like "peas") when I want something, and "Sorry" if I throw food on the floor. Some words I say only in Hebrew and some only in English, and some, in both. It's quite funny because I sometimes combine the words together into one. This is how "KAKI-POOP" and "OPEN-TACH" came to life...
But talking is nothing... You should hear me sing...

A trip to Ithaca, and then the flu....

2009-06-03T19:45:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone!
Two weeks ago, ima, aba, and myself drove all the way to Ithaca, NY to meet our friends Gideon, Yael, Adam and Ari. We had lots of fun on the way there, here I am on a picnic with ima.

We stopped at the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) in North Adams, and i really liked it! All these shapes and colors....

On the way to Ithaca, we stayed one night at a nice B&B. They had a little farm with sheep, chickens and horses. I visited them in the evening and in the morning and made sure everyone is feeling well. In the middle of the night I woke up, lifted the curtain and called outside- "bye bye horsey!"
When we got to Ithaca, I immediately fell in love with everyone there. Especially Adam and Ari, who seem to have fallen in love with me as well...

We had lots of fun together, eating, playing and blowing bubbles.

We also found out that I really like to run around in the rain, as you can see from this clip below. There are many more new clips here.

Eventually, we came back home, after many hours on the road. The next day, I had a high fever and was feeling very bad. Turns out I had the flu (not swine, don't worry...)
I was "out of order" for a whole week, and then, ta daa...I came back!

My parents were so happy I was getting better, that we went on another picnic at a place called World's End. It was really pretty and I enjoyed just walking around in the tall grass.

All in all, I feel much better now. Can't wait for the summer fun to continue!

I like rogalach

2009-05-17T19:45:00.009-04:00

...as you can clearly see from my chocolate covered smile. Ima made some fresh yummy rogalach and I can't seem to stop asking for them. I say "BIS?", which is short for "biscuit", but also means "can I have a bite?" in Hebrew.

Every day, I do something new. One day, I took my doll for a ride in a makeshift train, that was fun for everyone involved...

Ima and aba were angry with me this week for throwing my food on the floor after being asked not to do so. I felt bad for upsetting them, and I said "sorry" very nicely, and then said intentfully "no food on floor!". The next day I did it again. Tough luck, ima and aba... learning takes time.

When people sneeze or cough next to me, I look at them and say "bless you". It sounds more like "besu", but they seem to understand, as they look at me surprised, thinking "who is that cute well-mannered child?". gee, I hope they don't have swine flu...

Speaking of flu, my friend Itamar flew from Israel to visit us (pun intended). He is super cool and we had lots of fun together. Hey, Itamar, when are you coming back?

The other day, Aba took pumpkin to the vet and I decided I want to join the ride, so I tried to see if I fit in her carrier. Turns out I can!
now, I wonder if we can fit pumpkin here too....

I can already count till 10 in steps of two. That is, if someone says one, i say two, and if they say three, i say four, and so on up to ten. I can say all the odd numbers too, but if you want to hear me count to 10, you need to share some of the load.

I also know a lot of new words in both languages. Aba is keeping a list on a piece of paper in my room, but he's running out of space. There is really no way to tell which word I will pick up. Some words which I hear all the time, like colors, I don't say yet, while other words that people hardly use, I end up learning quickly. The two most obscure words I say are "Bassoon" and "DARGASH" ("a little ladder" in Hebrew.)

good night!

Growing joys

2009-05-03T20:53:00.005-04:00

Missed me?

I sure am having lots of fun with this nice weather outside. I get to wear all kinds of pretty dresses and hang out near the lake and in the playground a lot. This just makes me want to dance... see the clip below....

Turns out my Israeli genes started to kick in. I LOOOOVVVVE humus!!
I can even almost say humus with a real CH (ח) sound, but aba was not so successful capturing that live. Step it up, aba!

I learn new words every day and surprise my parents when I hear a word once and remember it (examples: grape, alpaca, cello...) . I also say short sentences like "aba is here!" or "duckie's all gone!", and even "sit, there, yogurt!".

I like my car seat and like to fall asleep just 3 minutes before my parents reach whatever destination they are headed to. Isn't that really nice of me?

I am almost 21 months old, but that doesn't stop me from starting the "terrible two" period. Not that I am terrible, but I do like to say "no" to just about any question anyone asks me. One day I began to say "yes" and shake my head accordingly. My parents were very excited at this new development and kept asking me all kinds of questions for which the answer was clearly yes. Eventually, I went back to say "no" to everything. Life would be boring otherwise, don't you think?

The other day ima and aba were singing a song, and pumpkin the cat was just laying there in the sun, disengaged. I turned to her and said with excitement- "pumpkin, sing!". She looked back and yawned.

And finally, here is what I do when I see the ducks and swans in the lake near our house. I am very well behaved- always say "hello", and "goodbye" like a good girl.

Spring is in the air, la la la la la la la...

2009-04-19T22:09:00.012-04:00

Hello everyone,
My grandparents left after two weeks of pleasure, and I still get up every day and look for them. "Saba? Tata?". Well... ima and aba are still here, so I still get all the lovin' I need...

I'm not sure whose happier- aba, for getting to sleep 5 minutes extra so that ima could take this picture, or me, who gets to snuggle in bed with aba, the bottle and my lulu. I guess we are both quite content.

In the past two weeks we celebrated the Seder for Passover with my grandparents, my uncle and his family, and dear friends. I also had lots of fun with my cousins, Roni and Gilli. Here we are taking a walk at the woods near our house.

During the seder, I didn't get to sing the MA NISHTANA but I think I can do it by next year. Every day I say new words, some in Hebrew, some in English. And some, in what my parents call Swalia, my own language. For example, pumpkin the cat is "MAANY", and banana is "MANA", bottle of milk is "SHABU" and the word shoe in Hebrew (NAAL) is "NAMU", go figure.

I recently discovered I have a shadow. Isn't that cool?

It's getting warmer and I play more outside, swinging at the swings, running around... the usual...

After an hour of playing at the playground I enjoy a snack with ima.

more movies on OVI:

Saba and Savta are here again!!

2009-04-05T20:34:00.005-04:00

I am probably the luckiest girl in town, 'casue my grandparents came to visit, all the way from Israel. That makes me sooo happy!

I am getting bigger and can do lots of things on my own- eat, take off my cloths, open bottles, and such. Today I opened my bottle in bed and soaked it with water. I thought that was funny... Aba seemed less happy.

The weather continues to improve and I take advantage of any opportunity to be outside and play.

Today I also helped aba clean the leaves from the lawn. I'm a great helper!

There are more videos of me on OVI. You are welcome to check them out...

Here comes the sun, and then it's gone again

2009-03-23T19:46:00.009-04:00

Hi there!

Last week was sunny and warmish, and I loved every minute of it. Now its cold again, and it even snowed for 10 minutes this weekend. Spring, where are you?
I guess all there is left to do is to take long hot baths with my duckies...

As it turns out, it doesn't matter whether i'm drenched in water or draped in fabric, i just like to lie on my back and giggle.

(picture courtesy of my good friend, Aran)

Last weekend we all went to the zoo and I had a personal encounter with the lion, rrrrooooaaaaarrrrrr.

After meeting the lion (on which I commented- "niccccee!"), I started randomly roaring at people I saw at the zoo (walking around, of course, not inside cages...).
I just wanted to tell them how impressed I was by the lion, and make sure they don't forget to visit him. If someone got a little startled by my roar, I simply gave them one of my best smiles (#5. random strangers' smile), and they would melt away...

I also met the gorilla who tried to show off, but I told him, "there's no point fussing around, I have better posture than you, and that's a fact."

Then the gorilla and I became good friends and I ended up kissing him before I left (don't worry, there was a plastic wall between us...).

That's all for today... if you want more, you are welcome to watch new videos on OVI.

It's getting warmer!!

2009-03-08T21:29:00.009-04:00

Believe it or not, but the weather is actually getting better. Today was almost 15 degrees Celsius and all the snow melted. I get excited about going outside again.

I've grown taller, stronger and more fearless. My parents are trying all kinds of inventive ways to prevent me from climbing the stairs/oven/tables/chairs, or open drawers/doors/boxes, or pull out electrical cords. I usually just laugh at their futile attempts to hold me back and go ahead and do what I'm not supposed to do. Its just more fun this way, can't they see that?

Here is a rare moment of me drinking from my sippy-cup. Usually, I only want my bottle, and refuse any other form of liquid containers. I simply love my bottle, and it loves me back. It is a beautiful relationship, why spoil that?

The other day I came back from daycare with a painting I did all by myself. Quite remarkable, don't you think? Reproductions are sold on e-bay. Bids start at $99.99.

I like to go through ima and aba's wallets (another thing they try to stop me from doing). Eventually they gave up and let me have my way with an old wallet where I found aba's old ID. For those of you who don't know Hebrew, I'm saying something like "look, here is daddy!".

I also learned to jump. That is, I know what I should be doing, but it's not working out just yet. It makes me laugh when I try to jump and fall down...

And finally, my skills in building stuff significantly improved. Here is my LEGO replica of the Empire State building.

If you want to see more videos of me, then check out http://share.ovi.com/channel/tmk.public. aba will post videos there almost every week.

New experiences

2009-02-23T00:25:00.007-05:00

Ever since I was a little girl, my parents told me about these mythical creatures, PARPAR, in Hebrew, or butterfly in English. They showed me pictures and did funny movement with their hands. I thought I knew what it meant, until they took me to the Magic Wings butterfly garden... where I finally got what they were talking about.

Butterflies came down and landed on Ima.

(You can see more pictures of the butterflies here: http://picasaweb.google.com/tzamak/Butterflies#slideshow)

And me and aba had some great time too...

Overall, that was a great weekend. When do we go again?

I also started holding pens and crayons better, which helps me draw nice lines on papers (and other things).

I don't have any artwork to show yet, but I promise to draw something nice for the blog soon.
ciao!

Almost 18 months

2009-02-08T16:14:00.007-05:00

In just three days I will be a year and a half! That's no joke!

I'm quite a big girl already.

But also still a little girl.

I like animals very much. I look at books with animals with great interest. I look at pictures of bears and greet them good morning. Most days I run around holding a rubber duck and saying "Ducky, Ducky!".

Sometimes aba or ima say things that REALLY crack me up. They are so silly!
Here is a video clip of my uncontrollable laughter...

Did you know that I am an inspiring chef (specializing in soups?)

That's it for tor now. See you in two weeks!

New year, new things i like to do

2009-01-25T15:18:00.007-05:00

I finally recovered from being sick. No more coughing, sneezing and runny nosing. Well, mostly...

I go to daycare four days a week and spend time with ima and aba all weekend.

I think I like this arrangement.

I got a new high chair because I outgrew my old one.

This new chair is really cool and so far I have been eating well on it. Let's keep it up!

You can't tell from this picture but apart from the 6 front teeth I already have, I grew four molars (1 on each side, top and bottom), and now I have some new teeth coming out on the front. Did anyone mention steaks? I'll be chewing those pretty soon...

I've been making animal sounds and saying some words, mostly repeating what I hear in daycare or at home. Hey, I'm learning two languages and I'm not even 1.5 years old, that's hard!

I'm a curious little girl with lots of energy and "pizazz". I must interact with everything I see. Here are some examples.

If you're a bench, I will mount on you.

If you're a tunnel, I will crawl inside you.

If you're a shape, I will sort you; and if you are water, I will splash you.

If you're a step, I will climb you (and fall).

If you're a mess, I will cause you.

If you're a tractor, I will ride you; and if you're a door, I will open you.

And if you're me, I will cute you...

You're not in Israel any more...brrrrrr

2009-01-09T18:16:00.007-05:00

Happy new year, everyone!

Snow is fun (for about 5 min before it gets too cold).

Being back home with ima, aba and pumpkin is also very nice. I get to sit with pumpkin on aba's lap as we watch movies on his computer.

Then I venture to mess with the printer, pull unsecured cables and randomly press the keyboard. Oops, did i just delete the file with all the passwords?

Back at the living room, I take my baby doll for a walk in the stroller.

This week I started going to daycare (lots of changes for the new year). First I wasn't sure what to do, and just wanted to be with ima. Then I noticed all the toys and started playing.

Soon after, I was playing with Miss Felicia and the rest of the kids. When ima and aba left, I cried a little, and then was all my regular self again.

Just a couple of days at daycare and I already got my first cold. I cough and sneeze , have no appetite and feel kinda kvetch. Let's hope that I'll be better soon.
aaaaaaattttchhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!
oy...

Back from Israel

2008-12-28T18:37:00.008-05:00

You won't BELIEVE what we did this month! We sat in a big plane and flew over the clouds all the way to Israel! and back!

Yes! and we met all these people there, and they all really liked me and we had lots of fun together! and... and...we saw horses, and chickens, and we went to the zoo! and we played with this toy that spins and we lit candles every night! boy, was this a fun trip!

My sabas and savtas cared for me every day and made me feel really special. I love them all very very much! All my uncles and aunts and nephews (and niece) are all so lovely!

It was a great trip and I can't wait to visit again. To my parents delight I was a little angel all through the flight, and didn't jet-legged my sleeping habits much.
Here I am playing at saba Divi's home-made amusement park.

click here for more movies!

Have a nice winter, I'm going to Israel...

2008-11-30T22:32:00.007-05:00

This week I had to say goodbye to Carol, who has been the most loving and caring nanny a baby could ask for. She has been with me a whole year, and helped me develop into the lovely person I am now. This ode is to you:
Oh dear Carol, how can I thank thee?
You've fed me and held me and cared for me deeply.
We went to the lake and fed the ducks,
Then at home we ate lunch and some snacks,
We went to the library and read many books,
You sang me a lullaby and I hit the snooze.
You watched me roll, sit and crawl,
then walk, run around, and rock-n'-roll.
So, thank you for everything, Carol!

As the title says, we are getting ready to hit the road for the big journey to Israel. Ima and aba are worried that I am going to run around in the airplane like I do at home (which may involve climbing on people and things, and generally causing havoc).
I actually intend to sleep, so I hope they'll be ok with that [...aba is interjecting his wishful thinking into my words...not for long, buddy!]

If you want to get a better picture of what my parents imagine is going to happen on the airplane, take a look at the following examples...

Favorite thing to do #15: lie on my back, lift my legs as high as I can, then wiggle my whole body as I drop my legs to the floor.

Favorite thing to do #23: Run around the house while singing & playing with Pumpkin
Favorite thing to do #12: Playing with Pumpkin (also, this is one of Pumpkin's favorite things)

Did you know that?

2008-11-15T22:05:00.006-05:00

Did you know that I love my ima?

Did you know that I like to להישתולל?
(if you don't know that means, you better watch the clip below)

Did you know that I like walking outside?

a lot...

Did you know that I like picking up stones?

Did you know I like climbing on chairs?

Did you know I like riding on lions? well, stuffed toy lions, anyhow.

If you knew all that, you must be a fan of my blog!
thanks for checking in on me, visit again in two weeks!

Enjoying the fall

2008-11-02T15:33:00.006-05:00

Hello again!

I have been taking advantage of every last bit of sun and warm weather (actually, it's more like not-terribly-cold weather).

I like to run around between the dry leaves and pick them up from the ground. They are crunchy and brown, and actually don't taste very good (believe me, I tried).

I've been practicing different sounds like "baboo", "babi", "mama", "mimi" and "papi". They sound like aba, ima and pumpkin, but I'm not really speaking yet...

aba and ima told me we'll go visit our family and friends in Israel in about a month.
I can't wait to meet everyone again. They won't believe how much I've grown!

Last weekend we went to a big birthday party for my friend Jonah and his buddies at a local YMCA. There were SOOO many kids there! and balls! and balloons! It was quite an event. Since it was so close to Halloween, I was dressed up as a black cat (with a white cap), and as I was running around, my tail flipped around to everyone's delight. This video below captures some of the highlights of the party.
Did i mention I like running around and jumping up and down?

Well, that's about it for today. Next update will be in mid Nov. Don't forget to come back and read all about my adventures....
Goodbye.

Lia is 14 months old!

2008-10-19T21:59:00.012-04:00

I've been having so much fun lately, I don't know where to begin!
Between apple picking, pumpkin hugging, museum-going, and around-running, I hardly find time to sleep! well, except for when I'm sleeping.
Here are some recent pictures from our trips to some local farms.

This weekend was our last visit at the farm where we pick vegetables. they are closing for the winter season. It was also probably the last weekend to pick apples.

Me and pumpkin (the food, not the cat).

As you can see, ima and aba started to dress me with at least three layers of fleece. winter is creeping up on us and they try to keep me warm like a little muffin.

I really like eating outside. it gives me the energy to run around and explore. I developed a special liking for melons and cantaloupes. they are so sweet and squishy!

Last weekend we also went to the DeCordova museum. the weather was just beautiful and I found so many interesting things there!

till next time...

Fall is here again

2008-10-04T22:34:00.009-04:00

I stashed my bathing suit and said goodbye to the inflatable pool. Fall is here and its time for sweaters, warms hats and apple picking. And this weekend was no exception.

Lately I have been running around a lot, climbing on things and causing havoc wherever i go. that makes me really hungry so i have been eating more too. I started sleeping less during the day (don't want to waste precious running-around time), but more during the night.
Here is a clip of me in the farm where ima and aba pick vegetables. there are lots of things to explore and also eat cherry tomatoes off the bush.

An ode to Pumpkin:
Oy, dear friends, here and away,
Who makes me happy all through the day?
She is so cute, so plump and so furry
I run up to her in a great deal of hurry,
To hold and to pat and to whisper meaow,
She's still while I pull her hair, don't ask me how.
I love her so much, she's really somethin'
This song is for you, oh my dear Pumpkin!

Finally, a recent clip of how we made fruit shake when we visited the orchard. I drank some milk in the car, then ate some apples, a plum and a pear and then aba threw me up in the air and everything blended together perfectly in my belly. Yum!

Hello again! Missed me?

2008-09-20T22:50:00.006-04:00

I've been doing a lot of walking around, as you can imagine. It's working out well for me, although ima and aba complain that they need to run around a lot. They just can't keep up...

If you wonder why I am wearing a name tag, it's not because my parents are senile. It's because ima took me to a music class, where all these kids and their parents were having lots of fun with musical instruments. I really enjoyed it and made some new friends. The highlight was when everyone was sitting in a circle and singing, and i decided to stand in the middle and dance for everyone's delight. Ima could not be more proud...

On Friday's afternoon we go to the farm to pick fresh veggies and I get to run on the grass and eat cherry tomatoes right from the bush. That's a lot of fun, even if i end up spitting them out.

Whenever I go down to the basement, I like to do two things:
1. steal aba's mouse pad and bite it.
2. "re-organize" aba's CD collection using my own cataloging system which involves dropping all the CDs from their shelves, opening a select few and licking their shiny surfaces, then shuffling all the CDs on the floor and leaving them there in a complete disarray.
what? like... do you have a better system?

I'm walking!

2008-09-05T21:51:00.013-04:00

By far my greatest achievement so far. No more crawling for me! watch out world, these baby socks were made for walking!

Taking advantage of the last few days of summer, ima and aba set up a pool outside, and just let me go wild, as you can see...

So as it turns out, I love water. And when we went to visit my dod Irmi and doda Dorit, and their daughters Roni and Gili in Kansas, I got into a real pool for the first time. At first i was afraid, but luckily, Gili helped me through.

I especially liked my new seahorse which helps me float on the water. but i mostly liked it as an appetizer...

My main course lately has been fruits, and especially plums. Oh, plums... if I could only eat plums all day... i would just cover myself in plum, it's so good... hey, wait a minute, that is actually what i do!

I also learned to climb down the stairs, by first turning around and then stepping down slowly. Thanks ima for teaching me that!

Starting my second year

2008-08-22T20:03:00.006-04:00

My life's second year began very well. Last week we all went to visit our friends Dennis, Chu and their lovely daughter, Jenara in NJ. Me and Jenara had lots of fun. I can't wait to see her again!

The trip to NJ took 6 hours and I was very well behaved all the way through.

We stopped in a wildflower patch on the side of the road and I roamed around freely. I must say that the world is really pretty and people should take the time to enjoy it.

Back at home, I keep exploring the territory as much as I can.

Besides climbing stairs and crawling around at the speed of light, I can stand on my own and walk while holding my parents' hands. Recently I began to walk a little on my own, supporting myself on furniture, walls, and sometimes our cat pumpkin, who doesn't seem to mind me pulling on her tail. I even made 3 little steps on my own today. Yippie!

This is all for today. Check back on the first weekend of September. I will have many more stories to tell.

Happy first birthday Lia!

2008-08-11T00:00:00.002-04:00

This is Tzur writing while Lia is sleeping. When she wakes up in the morning, it will be her first birthday. MAZAL TOV!
We already celebrated her birthday when her grandparents where here.
I think in this picture we are singing היום יום הולדת. and there was much rejoicing.

Yes, it has been a wonderful year and although the beginning was a little eventful, we can't be happier with our little precious doll.

She is quite a happy girl, as you can see in the clip below.

A message from Tzur:
In the past year i've been posting pictures almost every week. Now that Lia is starting her second year, i will be positing every two weeks. I apologize to all of Lia's fans... hey, at least i'm not quitting... right?
If you want to get an email whenever i post something on the blog, just email me.

Very Mainely weekend

2008-08-04T08:30:00.007-04:00

This weekend saba, savta, ima, aba and myself drove for hours and hours until we reached Maine.

We came to visit Acadia national park which is supposed to be very pretty this time of year, but ... it was hard to see all the beauty because it was foggy and rainy.
Still aba found something pretty to take pictures of... that is, of course, me!

When the sun came out for a short visit, I practiced my favorite sport of flower-picking.
Here I am doing the one-legged-crouching-dragon posture.

We came very close to the Atlantic ocean. I wasn't scared to walk on the giant rocks near the edge of the cliff, but I think aba was a little worried because he held me so very tight!

We even met a little froggy sitting in the pond. His name was Pond, James Pond.

And after all the trips and fun, I can safely conclude... there is no place like home (x3).

Next week I will be 1 year old. Can you believe that?

The humidity is on!

2008-07-27T18:09:00.004-04:00

This week was raining all the time and I got an ear infection. Thank god Saba and Savta are here to take care of me.
The only sunny day this week was Saturday and we went to Dim Sum with our good friends Lisa, Dan and Sophia.

Two new teeth started to grow in my mouth. Soon I will be eating big juicy steaks!
In the mean time, here I am enjoying some yummy sweet tofu soup.

The heat is on!

2008-07-20T19:41:00.003-04:00

It is too hot and humid to really do anything besides sleep in the air conditioned room, or play outside in the pool.

Here is me and aba sharing a sweaty hug.

We went to the DeCordova Museum and I played with this little waterfall. Then it started to rain and there were big scary thunders.

Tomorrow my Saba and Savta are coming to visit. I can't wait to show them all my new "tricks"...

walking and climbing

2008-07-13T22:14:00.005-04:00

A picture is worth a thousand words...
...a clip of me climbing the stairs is priceless.

I can stand without support for almost a minute. With support, I can do much more, for example, walk! This is great fun, as you can see...

Summer is full of fun!

2008-07-06T21:40:00.007-04:00

If you ever wondered what it looks like to be eaten by a little baby- click on the video clip below and wonder no more.

This weekend we had a visit from my dear friend, Ella, who came with her parents from New York. We had lots of fun together. Especially when we went to Davis farm and played in the water fountains. I was ecstatic (that's an understatement).

Here is a little photostream from that joyful event-

New England is really pretty in the summer. Everything is green and blooming. ima&aba take me out to nature every weekend. Last weekend we hiked in a forest and found this little lily pond. It was super lovely. Our garden is also very colorful and I like to help ima&aba by pulling out the weeds, and some of the grass too...

This weekend we also connected with some animals at the farm. I really liked the goats, until one of them tried to nibble on my toy. Sorry mister, only I get to do that...

And finally, as promised- here is me singing praise to chewing the crib bar.

Back from Utah!

2008-06-29T21:54:00.005-04:00

Home, at last!
My parents kidnapped me from my dear home, put me on a plane, drove for hours and hours and brought me to this place:

(click the picture above to see a panorama of Bryce Canyon)

I must admit, though, I had fun ...

Ima and Aba took me to Zion Park, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef and Arches Park. All of them, I have never seen before (well, I am only 10.5 m old...)

It really is a beautiful place, and the weather was great. We sang songs on the road, and saw amazing things everywhere.

You can see lots more pictures of us in Utah here:
Utah 2008 Trip Slideshow

I have grown a lot these past few weeks. I have my first two teeth and tiny curls at the back of my head. I can say lots of words that end with "a", like da, ba, la and ga. I can crawl fast too, and stand up on my feet for 2 seconds. Don't leave any paper next to me, unless you want it chewed. oh, and as for the cat... Pumpkin is no match for my ability to pull hair from every living creature in the house. I rule!!

promo for next Monday- videos of me crawling and talking!

I'll be back!

2008-06-14T10:30:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone!
Today we are going to Utah to see Zion Park and Bryce Canyon. We will be back in 10 days which means there will be no post next week. Don't worry, we will have lots of cool pictures when we get back.
In the meantime, here is a little example of what I do when I find a mirror.

Summer is near

2008-06-09T11:15:00.006-04:00

This week was hot! we had 95 F (35c) for a couple of days and I got all red in the face, as you can see...

Dod Eran came over for a very quick visit, and we shared some laughs together.
Dod Eran is lots of fun!

We all went for a walk together around Walden pond.
Here we are, all set up and ready to go!

It was hot outside and the constant swings of the seat on aba's back made me just... yaaawwwwnnn....

We came back home and ima let me drink some cold juice from a glass for the first time!
Also for the first time, I ate some ice cream and guess what-
I LOVED IT!

And finally, a wildlife update. The swans seem to be doing ok. On the left is father swan chasing away some ducks who wanted to eat the bread we were giving his offspring.
On the right is a snapping turtle who climbed out of the pond in front of our house and strolled up our street. Its the second time this happened this week. The snapping turtles are quite big and dangerous, so i am not allowed to pet them. I am not sure I want to anyway, some things are better left untouched.

It's all about mobility

2008-06-02T11:21:00.004-04:00

The fun thing about the weekends is that both ima and aba are home and we get to do lots of fun things together. Going outside is by far my favorite activity of the day. Well, other than eating... of course. My new top food choice is, without competition, vanilla flavored yogurt. I could eat a whole six-pack all by myself, if I knew how to open the fridge...

My crawling and standing up skills have been improving. I must admit, I am quite impressed with myself. When i manage to stand up in my crib all by myself, i get so excited i forget to hold on. Here is a short clip of me practicing my newly learned skills.

Pond tales

2008-05-25T22:14:00.006-04:00

This week, 4 ducklings hatched in the swans' nest in front of our house. As you can see they are especially cute and fluffy.

Ima and I fed them some bread, which they seem to enjoy.

This weekend, we all went to cape Ann, and enjoyed the nice weather near the sea.

And finally, here is me posing to the camera, when the mood was just right...

Lia is 9 months old

2008-05-17T21:07:00.003-04:00

Hello there!
Last weekend there was no post on the blog because aba went to Paris for the weekend (work and some pleasure). But now he is back in business.
First, we want to welcome to the world Zoe Brown. Mazal Tov Roni, Shelly and Ari!

Weeks are going by and I am getting bigger. Almost 8kg (17lb) and 66cm (26inch)!

Last weekend we had a visit from our Ithaca friends, Yael and Gideon and their cute son, Adam. He and I connected well. Here he is feeding me some yummy milk before I go to sleep.

Finally, here is a clip of me doing my morning yoga. I decided I will skip crawling and standing, and go straight to head stands... watch and learn...

Fun moments

2008-05-04T20:23:00.003-04:00

I'd like to start by saying "welcome to the world" to Tara Linnea Ramel Goldin.
Hope to see you face to face soon! In the meantime, here is my face...

Hey, did I mention I like to stand?

This is what happens when I don't feel like going to sleep
(Ima and Aba would like to thank whoever is responsible, that this "not going to sleep" thing does not happen very often).

Saba and Savta are leaving :o(

2008-04-27T20:12:00.004-04:00

Hi there!

I had a wonderful time with my Saba Avram and Savta Tzipi. But like all good things, their visit is about to end. Tomorrow morning they are flying back to Israel and I will not see them again for a long time.

Good thing I have my duck here with me. He will keep me company in time of need.

I am becoming more and more active, so Aba and Saba built a little gate on the stairs so I won't fall off. Here is a little clip of me doing some floor gymnastics.

Happy Passover everyone

2008-04-20T23:53:00.004-04:00

This week was really great. Saba and Savta were taking good care of me and took me out for walks around the pond. When I get back home, I tell Ima and Aba what I've seen outside and that usually sounds like "aaaaahahhaaa ahahaha yyaayyahhayyahahh pooopphhh". I think they get it because they nod in understanding and smile warmly at me.

We all went outside for a little walk at Garden in the woods. That was a lot of fun and I got to wear my pink hat. Don't I look extra cute?

The spring is really kicking in and I get to spend much more time outside. As you can see, I can hold the bottle all by myself.

That is all for today, come visit my blog next week!

Spring, at last

2008-04-13T20:02:00.004-04:00

Spring has finally arrived, marked by rising temperatures, sunny days, blooming gardens and visiting birds. Even the swans are back to nest in the pond in front of our house. With spring comes passover and as a present I got two very special visitors- Saba and Savta (aba's parents)!
Saturday was sunny and warm and we went out to the back yard, for some quality time...

I find many interesting things in the house- pumpkin the cat, the Hamsa next to the door, the button that turns on my mobile (I can press it all by myself!), and of course, my fingers, on which I like to chew whenever possible.

I have been practicing my "crawling" and rolling some more, but aba didn't manage to capture any real accomplishments on film. So here is just me smiling, because life is good...

Things I like to do

2008-04-06T20:06:00.004-04:00

I like to look straight at the camera and think "why is daddy taking all these pictures? what's the purpose of all this?"

I like to look at pictures of animals. So far, I like cats the best, but sheep and ducks are ok too.

I like to eat "solid" food with a spoon, preferably, by me holding the spoon. Here is a short demonstration.

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

2008-03-30T20:06:00.007-04:00

This week I started rolling over. That's a lot of fun and I highly recommend it to everyone over 6 months. Check my video clip below for a live demonstration.

I ate a tomato and some chicken (tastes like chicken) , which I enjoyed tremendously. As I get stronger and more active, I spend much more time exploring my surroundings and playing with my toys. Mostly I try eating them, but none tastes as good as Avocado, or the chicken for that matter.

Doda Einat (aba's sister) came to visit me from Israel. We spent some quality time together and now we are very good friends. I like her very much!

This weekend we went to a farm and I saw sheep, goats, pigs, birds, cows, foxes, a rabbit and a horse. I was wearing my sheep outfit (courtesy of the Saar family), so some people thought I was a little lamb. They're so silly, can't they tell that I'm a chick in sheep's clothing?

This is Johnny, the family's black sheep.

At the end of the day, what I enjoy the most is when aba and ima make me laugh. See for yourself in the clip below (make sure your speakers are on).

Lia is 7.5 months old

2008-03-23T11:36:00.003-04:00

This week I ate some pear and also tried some vegetable soup. Every day I surprise my parents with a new "trick". I try to hold the spoon and feed myself, and hold the bottle with two hands. I also try to grab things out of my reach, and I can be very determined...
Here I am connecting with the most interesting creature- Princess Pumpkin.

Here I am playing in my "gym"

I am a good girl

2008-03-16T22:15:00.005-04:00

Aba and Ima are very happy. They say I am a good girl because I sleep, play and eat so well. So far, I ate oatmeal, sweet potato, carrot, banana (my fav so far), and avocado (seems like the second runner up).

The weather is getting better and aba takes me out for walks with the baby bjorn. Ima says we look cute.

After a hot bath, I am in a funny mood. My cheeks are flushed with blood and overall I look like a cooked little lobster.

Tasting new things

2008-03-09T20:45:00.007-04:00

This week was a lot of fun. For the first time in my life, I tasted carrots and bananas. That was yummy!

Sometimes I need to show Ima exactly where I want the food to be, otherwise, she smears it all over my face, hands and bib.

The temperature started to go up again and all the snow melted away. When it's nice outside, I get to play in the sun with Aba.

Dod Itamar came to visit us this weekend. He is extra cute, so I did not cry when he held me. I always say- "Strangers' anxiety is for strangers...."

When will spring come?

2008-03-02T19:39:00.006-05:00

Another week went by, and snow covered the face of the earth once more. Meanwhile, inside the house its warm and cozy. I get to sit with Ima on the rocking chair and read a book.

Then, I eat some sweet potato mixed with milk, very high class... I only eat gourmet.

mmm... you think I was just posing for this shot? well, you're wrong. Check out the clip below-

First week with my new nanny

2008-02-24T20:09:00.008-05:00

This week I spent a lot of time with my new nanny- Carol. We get along very well. She takes me out for walks, feeds me and plays with me all day long, and I get to sleep on her arms for hours a day. Fair deal, isn't it?
Here I am getting ready to go outside. Did I mention its cold here?

Here I am being fed oatmeal mixed with milk, or in Hebrew, DAYSA.
to play: double-click on the arrow at the bottom-left of the frame below

Finally, a clip of me lipsinging to a CD. well, sort of...

Come back next Monday to see what's new with my life!

Last week with Saba and Savta

2008-02-17T14:32:00.006-05:00

Saba and Savta left on a plane to Israel, and I am all alone with my parents again. I know I'm going to miss my grandparents, but they will probably miss me more, because I'm so cute!

Also this week, I turned 6 months , and it was my first Valentines ever!

I decided sitting and standing are better than rolling or crawling...

Here Savta is helping me stand.

Ima and I are bff*

*best friends forever

Ima is back in town!

2008-02-10T16:05:00.001-05:00

Ima left for almost 5 days, and I missed her very much.

While Ima was gone, I started grabbing things firmly with my hand, usually leading them directly to my mouth.

I learned to enjoy sitting up right and looking around.

And... I learned to read. Well, sort of...

Saba is constantly amazed at how fast my hair is growing and he explicitly asked that we post another picture. so, voila...

Another week goes by

2008-02-03T22:41:00.000-05:00

Time flies fast when you are having fun. Saba and Savta are taking good care of me (and of my parents), and they already started complaining that soon they need to leave.
The other day, they took me to the nasty nurse who gave me another painful shot. I screamed and cried and eventually fell asleep for three hours, just from exhustion.
Our dear naighbor, Nomi, gave me this toy below, where I can stand safely and play with stuff. That brings me lots of joy (which lasts about 10 minutes and then I want out).

Here I am with Saba, looking down from the top of the stairs. I am not afraid at all, but Ima, who was taking the picture, was a little scared, I think...

Being cute is what I do best.

2008-01-27T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I hope the new year is happy for you as it is for me.

Here I am after taking a bath, by far, my favorite activity in the world!

I like sitting up. It gives me a new perspective on reality. Savta seems to be enjoying the moment too.

And for those who ask "why isn't your hair growing?"... here, a proof that it is growing!

Finally, a compilation of moments where aba is trying to make me laugh... enjoy .

Grandparents visit

2008-01-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

Saba Divi and Savta Nurit came to visit me. So much fun indeed!
They spoil me all day long, take me out for long walks, play with me and sing wonderful tunes.

Savta makes me laugh with her funny voices. Saba has all kinds of ways to calm me down and he even plays his clarinet for me.

But at the end of the day, what I really like to do is talk to my little ducky.

Lia is 5 months old

2008-01-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

Today I am 5 months old. It's been a fun sunny day and I've been sleeping and eating a lot.

Now its time to bathe and start my long night sleep. I've been sleeping full nights lately, much to my parents joy.

Winter fun

2008-01-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

This week was very cold. One day the temp was -15 Celsius (5F), brrrrr.....
Today the sun came out and some of the snow started melting. Aba quickly dressed me with my pink coat and took me out for a walk. True, I slept most of the way, but at some point near the frozen lake I opened my eyes and looked around most curiously.

Back home, as I lay on my favorite sheep shaped pillow, Ima made funny noises like a chicken and I started laughing. She really cracks me up!

Ima is also well known for her story time, which I really like.

Happy new year everyone!

2008-01-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

We wish you a peaceful year like a baby's sleep.

May this year be full of laughter...

... with lots of fun and interesting things!

Back from Israel

2007-12-27T16:56:00.000-05:00

We are finally back from our trip (and found our house covered in snow and poor Pumpkin all curled up in our bed).
Lia was extremely comfortable with the long travel, and especially enjoyed the in-flight movies. In Israel, everyone was happy to meet her and said "she looks much bigger than the pictures on the blog". well, duh...

Lia finally got to meet her other pair of grandparents, Tzipi and Avraham, and there was much rejoicing.

We also had a great time, seeing the extended family and all our friends. Most of all, we were happy to see how Lia developed in these 2 weeks. She started smiling and laughing a lot, and she started to explore the use of her hands much more. Overall, it was wonderful to be back in Israel after 1.5 years (and eat lots of Humus). We can't wait to go back soon...

Going to Israel

2007-12-06T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,
Sorry for not posting anything interesting for a while. We are getting ready to go to Israel tomorrow. We'll continue updating the blog once we return.
Take care,
Tzur, Maya and Lia

Things Lia can do

2007-11-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Hold steady in daddy's arms until mommy takes the picture...

Sleep when sleepy... and..

Display her spunky personality whenever possible.

Fun weekend

2007-11-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

We had a lovely weekend with Rani, Maurit and Mika who came to visit. I especially enjoyed all the extra attention and getting to know my new girlfriend, Mika.

Showing off my new body suite. I am getting longer and some of my cute outfits are too small for me.

Here I am in a moment of bonding with aba....

Lia is 3 months old!

2007-11-11T18:47:00.000-05:00

Happy 3 months birthday to me,
happy birthday to me,
happy birthday to meeee....tri li li li li li liiii!

A little less than a month from now I will fly over the sea to visit my family in Israel. So here I am practicing being cute for everyone's delight.

I never mentioned this before, but I really enjoy the outside, even when it's cold. Aba insisted that we take a picture outside in this chilly afternoon. I saw a squirrel on the tree and was very intrigued- I wonder if he knows I'm here...

Getting bigger

2007-11-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

Hello again!
Aba is too busy to take my pictures and upload them. Maybe it is because I am constantly eating? Sometimes I can gulp down 150 cc of yummy warm milk without even burping once! Last week I weighted almost 4kg (8lb 6oz). My head has grown bigger and so did my belly, butt and thighs (now I have what Jewish moms like to call "fisalach", which fits well with a "fresser" like me). Here is a little taste of what I do when I'm not eating or sleeping...

Lovely Sunday by the lake

2007-10-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

Hey, guess what? 99.9% of my clothes are pink! Well, after all I am a girl, ain't I..
Today was really lovely day, a sunny Sunday. Ima and Aba took me on a little hike in lake Cochituate. I think it was pretty, but I'm not sure, as I slept most of the time.