The learning curve on kids that we are so often proud about apparently also has down sides (who knew?). During dinner the other night, Ezra threw out his newest word: no. Granted, he hasn’t said it in context or with any emphasis, but once he said it, it came out like 20 times over the course of the evening. He would be playing downstairs, then: no. He would be bouncing around, then: no. It’s funny, scary, and worrying all at the same time. Ahna and I talked about trying hard not to use that word much, but what else do you say when you need a child to immediately stop doing something? Any suggestions?
Pridefest
June 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
This morning we headed up to downtown Denver for the annual Pridefest celebration and parade. We made it down there just in time for the first piece of the parade to go by, and stood with the packed street crowds (estimated at 100,000) for about 45 minutes before Ezra had enough. After the parade, we met up with Jennifer at Watercourse for a wonderful brunch and conversation. A few pictures from the morning….it’s a lot of fun if you have never been to one, and yes, that costume is what you think it is.
So Jackson And Fawcett Died Yesterday
June 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
As I watched the tragic news about the deaths of two American icons yesterday – one for being a 70’s sex symbol and the absolute epitome of a blond stereotype, and the other for being a pop music groundbreaker and a complete character of himself – I saw every news program, every news web site, every news person leading with the story. The story of two entertainers, both of whom created some version of art, but entertainers none-the-less who ‘suddenly’ passed away.
I have been wondering more and more the role and responsibility of the media, and their obligation to cover what is news and what isn’t news. While nearly anything (and certainly public persons’ deaths are) qualifies as news; I feel like the mainstream media has lost it’s way with the importance of these stories. And I have long searched outside of the mainstream for my news, but I now wonder how to keep Ezra on track with what is important versus what is superficial (don’t worry, he won’t be inundated with the importance of news for at least another couple of weeks). Example from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams: ‘we must now take a break from the Michael Jackson story for a moment and take a quick look at what is going on with the economy and the war in Iraq.’ ~sigh~
To be fair, it’s not just the news companies that are leaning in this direction – it’s also us…I just read a story about how due to web traffic yesterday the TMZ site crashed, Twitter’s search engine was overwhelmed and became disabled, ABC News’ site only had 11% availability, Google had glitches, and Facebook status updates were through the roof.
So while everyone looked in the direction of the deaths of an actress and a singer yesterday, 33,000 children died of poverty worldwide, just shy of 5500 people died of AIDS in Africa, and more than 6000 people filed for bankruptcy in the US. The question:How do we stay focused on the real issues? The Answer: it’s our responsibility. And your 6pm local news ain’t going to get it done.
Moving Forward With Life
June 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
One of Ezra’s 1st birthday presents that Ahna and I were looking forward to the most was moving his car seat to a forward facing position. We had decided to wait until we got back from Israel in case he enjoyed the move so much that we wouldn’t sleep (which we didn’t want to happen when naps would be at such a premium on the vacation). Well, Tuesday was the day…Ahna’s car got it first, then mine a day or two later. Ezra loves it! We looks around, smiles, and hangs out staring outside or into the rear view mirror. We love it because it seems to have opened up all sorts of space in the car, and we can see Ezra and what he is up to – such a strange feeling to look into the mirror and see him. The only downside is when he tosses something (book, water, pacifier, etc) it goes directly to the floor and not to a place where he might easily get it back. The biggest bonus for us has been taking him in and getting him out of the car: much, much easier.
Home Sweet (Yawn) Home
June 24, 2009 by 2 Comments
Well, we are home. The trip back from Israel presented us with a completely full flight (with no seat for Ezra) that flew during the middle of the day…therefore little sleep for Ezra. Lots of trips up and down the aisles, and lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa – which were life savers for Ahna and I.
We got back to JFK in New York and had a 3 hour layover – which at JFK turns out to be just enough time to navigate your way through a gigantic mess. I think that it must be the most poorly designed/run airport that I have flown through in a long, long time. Everything seemed to be antiquated, too small, and not thought through.
Regardless, we made our plane okay and the trip back to Denver featured Ezra sleeping the entire way. His lack of sleep on the first flight, combined with way too much to look at during the layover resulted in him staying up until 1:30am Israel time. He was a trooper and wasn’t too grumpy, but we just felt for him and were happy when we finally dozed off. The plane ride itself was pretty uneventful – other than the fact that it was not a cool cabin, and Ahna’s seat didn’t recline.
We were able to leave JFK early, and that put us into Denver 1 hour earlier than expected. My Mom met us at the airport and drove us home…not much conversation as all three of us fell asleep. We got back to the house right around midnight and headed for bed.
The Best Of Israel – Photographically
June 22, 2009 by 1 Comment
Here are our best shots of Israel. Enjoy!
PS – Don’t forget to click on the photo, they will come up in a much better resolution.
The Last Day
June 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Special Israel Edition
Well, it’s almost all over. Just a short night, and a trip to the airport in the morning are all that is left of an amazing trip to visit family and country. This morning we went to Yad Vashem, the Israeli museum for the remembrance of the Holocaust. It’s situated on a mountain top in Jerusalem, and is one of the most uniquely designed museums that you will ever see (and you will have to see it in person, as they don’t allow photos inside). It brings with it all sorts of emotion, especially since there are all kinds of direct family ties to Germany, the immigration to Israel (as well as the US, the UK, and Brazil), and the Holocaust itself. It’s such an amazing time in history – and obviously not for the right reasons. The visit to the museum qualifies as a ‘must-do,’ but be prepared to be educated and reminded – not to have fun.
After returning from Jerusalem, we all gathered and visited with Savta for a few hours. We had a great discussion, and a wonderful time. She and Ezra get along so well that it’s sad to have to say good-bye. We finished the evening with dinner at the local falafel stand, sandwiched between packing up.
So it’s time to go home and return to our lives in Colorado. We are looking forward to meeting a new addition to the family of friends, and to seeing our cat who has braved the early summer on her own. But we are sad to be leaving Israel. The visit has been remarkable, and the visiting with family has been unforgettable. It has been a real treat to be able to introduce and share Ezra with everyone here, and we can’t wait to come back and do it again. I suppose that there is only really one person left to thank before we depart, and that’s Rena. She has been unbelievable: letting us stay in her home, stocking us with food, supplying us with things to do, giving us information, and being part of the whole experience. We can only say ‘thanks’ and hope to someday be able to return the favor.
Walk This Way
June 20, 2009 by 2 Comments
Special Israel Edition
Today was a perfect vacation day….the beach this morning for a swim with the jellyfish (stings all around), a quite lunch, a visit with a good friend, a nice afternoon nap, and an enjoyable evening for drinks at the seashore (Ahna and Oren with Yuval and Sivan…we left Ezra with Dave, Mary Jo, and Rena).
Now to some Ezra news – afterall this is the purpose of this blog, right? About two weeks ago he started taking a step or two on his own; but in the last two days, he has really taken off on the adventure of walking. He is moving more and more confidently on his own, and his leaving things (like the table) to go somewhere that he wants to. I think that his range is approaching about 10 feet, so still not leaving the room, but that ain’t far away. It’s been really fun to be able to share this new achievement with Dave, Mary Jo, and the family in Israel. It’s really cool to see the newfound ability change and develop daily hourly, I suppose that it’s only a matter of time now.
The first is a picture from this morning’s nap, then a video of the walking.
A Little Wine With The Hertz
June 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Special Israel Edition
I suppose that upon re-reading that title, it doesn’t really make sense…but I will be surprised if most of this post actually does, since it’s pretty late and I’m pretty tired.
There was no posting last night because the computer and I parted ways for two days. Dave, Mary Jo, Ahna, Ezra, and I headed back to the north to spend a night on the shores of the Galilee. We found the same bed and breakfast that Ahna and I experienced the last time that we were here. It is a beautiful spot that sits several hundred feet above the Galilee in a town called Ramot. After we arrived and checked in, we traveled down to the shore…and found a kiteboarding gathering on the beach. Well, we had to join the fun – and by that I mean, go and watch. We later enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a restaurant that is adjacent to the bed and breakfast; and that’s where Ezra met his Israeli girlfriend.
We awoke this morning with plans to head to the Gamla Nature Reserve after breakfast, which was a feast that we shared on the porch of our cabin. We headed to Gamla, and did a short hike to the vulture overlook – where the birds come each summer. As you can see from the pictures, the flowers are in plenty here. After the nature reserve we headed to the Golan Heights Winery, which is in the middle of the Israeli wine country and is the nation’s largest producer. We enjoyed a nice sampling of several wines before settling on a bottle for purchase. And that’s when things got interesting.
It’s not a good feeling when you return to the car on a day where the temperatures were around 100, and find that it won’t start. Compound that with the fact that you are in a foreign nation, where you don’t speak the language, and 2+ hours from anyplace that family is. Long story short, we were able to call the Hertz help line, get a mechanic to come and meet us, and we got back on the road…3 hours later. It did ruin our afternoon plans, but thankfully everything is okay and we made it home just fine. Turns out the battery was dead – and no, we didn’t leave the lights on…it just died. So, a new battery and we are off and running again.
We had to skip out on a planned stop, and pretty much head straight for dinner at Yuval and Sivan’s house. They made us a spread of sushi rolls, fish, pasta, fruit, and desert. Savta came with Rena, Ezra and the kids played the night away, and we had a glorious time.
It’s hard to think that our time here is starting to wind down and that we only have a few days left. Lots to pack in…
Quick Ezra update: he is getting two more teeth in up top, and I think that he has grown in the past week. Hmm.
Ah, I almost forgot to mention this…the picture is of the park map for the Gamla Nature Reserve. It’s something that you don’t see very often on maps…
The Life of a Little Hippie 