Wait a sec - Why DID we do it??

Much has been written (by me, on this blog) about Noam's inability - or is that refusal? - to call Akiva and Hillel by their proper names. When they were first born, it was "Eema's baby" and "Daddy's baby" (interchangeably) or "this baby" and "that baby." Or (for quite a while) "baby" and "other baby." Then came "Hillel" and "other Hillel." These days, he pretty much just uses whichever name occurs to him first. Though occasionally, he'll check with a parent before proceeding. For example, at breakfast just the other morning.

Noam: Eema, which baby is this?

Eema: Akiva.

Noam: Akiva.

eats yogurt, slurping meditatively. Pauses.

Noam: We have too many babies to say all their names.

Eema: (thinks about this) Do you mean, we have too many babies for you to call each one by the right name?

Noam: Yeah.

Eema: I understand.

Noam: Why did we do that?

Eema: Do what?

Noam: Why did we get so many babies.

Silence descends. Noam, just eat your yogurt, okay?

Taking Our Children Seriously

It can be difficult.

Adventures in Toilet Training

Noam: Eema, change my diaper.
Eema: Noam - what happened to using the toilet?!
Noam: I don't want to.
(Sigh)
Noam: Eema, can I tell you something funny about poop?
Eema: [Hysterical laughter for quite a while]
Eema: What is it?
Noam: Um, I forgot.
Me too.


Adventures in locomotion:
Hillel: pulls self to standing on Noam's car.
Noam: NO! My car!
Eema: Please share, Noam. Hillel is having a turn.
Noam: But I'm taking a trip! I'm driving to Grandma's country house! I need the car!
Grabs car from Hillel.
Hillel: grins, giggles, and generally grovels at Noam's feet.
Akiva: Ditto.
Way to teach sharing, guys.



More adventures in locomotion:
Noam: Look Eema! Look! Hillel is crawling!
Eema: That's Akiva.
Noam: Yeah, this baby. This baby is crawling. I'm going to crawl with him.

[crawls to baby, wraps arms around neck, squeezes]

Eema: Gentle!
Noam: I'm gentle. Hillel likes it!
Eema: Akiva.
Noam: Yeah.
At least he doesn't call them "baby" and "other baby" anymore.


Us on vacation (by "vacation" I mean "away in a nice place with three children under the age of three")
We've been out and about around town:

On the home front, we're just hanging out and chilling.Everyone has their own project.
Hillel is attempting to climb the stairs.

Akiva is on a quest to eat Noam's shoes.

Noam wrestles with the pros and cons of toilet use (the pro is if you do, you get a cookie).

More soon!