woke up this morning at 6:00, a bit earlier then usual with no indications that this cold fall Saturday would be eventful.
before 7 am... Tal is playing in the kitchen and decides to pull the plastic tray thingy where various dishes were drying on, something hits Tal, and the rest crash on the floor. i hand the little dish puller to Alla and begin cleaning the floor. one of the ceramic glasses broke its handle, the rest survived.
A few minutes later there is a knock on the door, Babushka and diedushka visit. i am still looking for fragments, when i see something falling in my peripheral vision, and i rush to the front door to help Dina get up off the floor, she tripped somehow, but is unhurt.
Babushka brings a Russian treat for the kids- its a mix of chocolate and cheese. Mattan enjoys it, but some pieces fall on the floor. i clean it...
Tal comes for breakfast and also gets the same treat. i clean the floor again.
Diedushka walks in the kitchen and his knees buckle, he falls on the floor. lucky it is clean! and i am right near by, i help him up and few seconds later he falls again. I help him to the couch and give him some pedialite (juice with electrolites) . its 8:25 and Alla calls the cavalry and has to leave for work.
Cavalry comes and takes him for a check up- it was dehydration - nothing serious - but still worrisome for a while.
Tal does his morning business and i go change. he is becoming impossible to change, this is one strong baby. I scrape the gift with the diaper and put it on the side but he fights and places his socked foot right in the surprise. with a messy foot, he decides to squirm, turn around, dirty his leg, the change pad cover and possibly some other things. socks to the wash, pad to the wash, baby to the sink. i hope i got all of it. to my surprise, nothing on the floor.
Mattan is eating some cerniki - Russian flower and cheese thingy.- he is eating, but tal decides to take his apart....long story short, i clean the floor.
it's about 9:30 and we finally head out to the gymboree- the kids get to run around in a fairly safe environment, play next to (not with) other kids. since we came late to the cass we stay a little bit extra and watch as they clean the floor between classes. now they tell me , that since mattan is not registered there, i have to pay a bit...not for me, going back home.
the corn is ready now and Tal takes a pieces, after eating it hungrily, he takes the left over corn and decides to smudge it all over the clean floor, which is not clean any more... i get to do my favorite activity of the day.
Tal goes to sleep and Mattan gets a good clean lunch. and I take mattan for a nap. since Mattan does not sleep, i dont get much sleep either. post nap, Tal, the picky eater, eats bread and cream cheese, gets creamy from chin to both cheeks and nose, and some of the crust and cream hits the floor... will this day ever end.
its around 2:30 PM and i take them to the zoo, what ever happens, our floor will remain clean.
we see the elephant and the flamingos, both are right at the entrance, Tal runs towards the elephants area, and Mattan decides that seeing the tiger is the number one think he really really, reallllllllly wants to. an un-napped child is a fit waiting to happen.. the fit just started. i take Tal and we head towards this number one priority. luck the fence is nearby, both walk on the fence. we pass by the carousel. i try to focus attention on the path to the tiger, but Mattan has a new number one priority... please............... i really want to. who can argue with that logic.
last year, kids under two could enter free, but no longer, and they increased prices by 25% , these animals. Tal didnt want to go on, and by the end, didn't want to leave the carousel. Mattan selected the Lion and asked me to have tal, sit way over there. since he can't ride alone, Tal got the horse next to the lion.
back to tiger priority , we walked for a minute, almost made it to actual animals and passed by a snack booth and Mattan now wants ice cream, he really wants ice cream, he really, really really wants ice cream . I tell him, he will get it tonight, but he wants it now... never mind the snack booth is closed... the fit is back in full swing, He is crying so bad for the ice cream and i refuse to give in to these demands, and tell him, no ice cream today, adding lots of oil to this zoo flame. for several minutes we are in a stand still, while Tal tries to run in all directions. after a while, we begin to go back and reach the carousel once more, Mattan is giving in and wants to play in the play area. i have him do STAR- smile take a deep breath and relax slowly count to ten and he finally relaxes and gets to play for a while. back in control we pass the fence and they go on it. then the tram bus passes, a new number one priority , we get on the tram to the area of cats, apes and others but instead of going in, Mattan leads us to kiddie slides. they go up and down , then back on the bus down, and finally out- this entire zoo visit, for two hours we only saw elephants and flamingos... on the way mattan passes another snack booth also closed and tries to pry it open, no go. and also discusses his plan of getting his favorite rice (from trader joe's store). two minutes in the car and he is finally asleep.
back at the house, Tal get more corn, he likes corn, but now the mess is on the couch...
I give him apple pieces, i see them disappearing and give him more, excited the picky one is eating. a few minute later, i spot the remains, which are pretty much all the apple pieces, left on the stairs... back to cleaning.
Alla comes home and Mattan wakes, she gives him cereal, half of it ends up on the floor. at this point, the broom quits.
we're trying to feed Tal soup, and alla asks a shocking requests, feed him on the floor, we sit down, but 101% of the soups goes on the floor. clan duty once more.
now they are all asleep... i am sitting here, enjoying some ice cream!
cheers from the couch next to a very clean floor,,,, for a few hours more..
