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Ideas Questions

God

Eitan and I talk about God a frequently. It’s already a somewhat combative discussion as I try to be honest while also providing traditional Jewish answers. Here is a recent conversation.

Eitan: “Mama did God make the oceans?”

Hannah: “That is the story in the Torah”

Eitan: “But what do you think?”

Hannah: “Well I think that’s just a story. Oceans are part of the world (I was not that eloquent but that is the idea).

Eitan: “I think people made oceans.”

Hannah (thankful for an easy one): “No, the oceans were around before people.”

Eitan: “Who made people?”

Hannah (wary): “What do you think?”

Eitan: “I don’t think God made people, the ocean did.”

Hannah (happy Torah and science contradict this): “no, the ocean did not make people.”

Eitan: “Who made people?”

Hannah (darn, back to that): “People descended from monkeys through a process called evolution.”

Eitan: “What’s that?”

Hannah: “The slow process of animals changing. We descended from monkeys.”

Eitan: “Really? Did we eat bananas?”

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Ideas Thoughts

A Trip to Staples with Nana and Papa

During chol chamoed Pesach, Eitan is home a lot, and we have to work. Nana and Papa always help out a lot, which we really appreciate. However, having him in the house isn’t very conducive to a calm work environment. I suggested – since Eitan is a great shopper – that Nana and Papa take him to Staples. They came home with some gems.

At one point, Eitan had to pee. Papa took him to the bathroom. They peed together (make an X!). However, Eitan’s pee was much shorter than Papa’s. Eitan was impatient and ended up yelling at Papa, “You’re done, Papa!” and trying to close the lid. Suffice it to say, Papa was not pleased.

When Eitan finally decided to let Papa finish peeing, he went to wash his hands. Suddenly Papa started to hear an electronic sound vroop vroop vroop. He looked around and Eitan was getting paper towels out of the automatic dispenser. Lots of paper towels. Papa called, “Eitan that’s enough!” and Eitan replied, “I’m getting for you!” vroop vroop vroop

Finally, they continued their shopping journey. At one point Eitan was behind Nana. Nana started yelling “where is he?! where is he?!” Eitan popped out, “Don’t freak out Nana”.

They came home with sticky notes, note pads, a new box of colored pencils, a ‘time we’ll return’ sign, and lots of great memories.

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Ideas

Fireman Eitan

Eitan has been loving playing Fireman lately. One of us stands outside his room and “calls” 911. He answers and we provide a brief explanation of the fire. He rushes to the scene, with a truck of course.

After he put out a fire one time, I did a short interview with him.

Mama: “Fireman Eitan, how could I have prevented this fire?”

Eitan: “Aaaah, buy a fire truck”

Mama: “Fireman Eitan, what caused this fire?”

Eitan: “Aaaah, the moon.”

*Short pause*

Eitan: “I have to go; I have 15 kids at home.”

Mama: “Okay, thank you for your time.”

I held out my hand to shake and got a low-five instead.

*Interview over*

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Ideas Thoughts

Fact versus Fiction

Eitan knows that after fifth check at night we don’t come back in, and it’s time to rest. The goal being sleep, of course.

The other night he was having a lot of trouble, and talking to himself. We heard snippets such as “Bennett please play with me.” and “how do I play with them?”. So of course, when the call to me came, I went in to have a little discussion.

First, I got a big story about trouble playing with Bennett and Asher. I suggested asking them how to play. Hard no. I suggested asking a teacher to help play with them. Some hesitancy, but he didn’t like that idea either.

Finally, I said I would talk to his teachers in the morning. He gave me an innocent look and said, “this didn’t really happen, mama”.

GO TO SLEEP, Eitan.

I love you.

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Ideas

Four-nager

We didn’t get a three-nager, we got a four-nager! The other day I had to wake Eitan up for school. I got the following response, “I’m not waking up, you Bummer!”

His actual teenage years will be interesting….

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Ideas Questions Thoughts

Loving Shabbat

To continue our Christian versus Jewish discussions, Eitan recently became aware that Rich’s parents are not Jewish.

Eitan: “What holidays do Ooma and Oompa have?”

Mama: “Well, they don’t have as many as us. Ooma and Oompa celebrate Christmas and Easter”

Eitan: “Keep telling me”

Mama: “That’s it”

*shocked silence* Note: this was during the Days of Awe

… several days go by …

Eitan: “Ooma and Oompa don’t celebrate Shabbat?”

Mama: “No, they don’t have Shabbat”

Eitan: “That makes me sad for them”

Mama: “It warms my heart that you love Shabbat so much”

Papa: “It warms my heart that you are thinking about how other people feel!”

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Ideas

Change of Plans

While we were driving back to Sudbury one afternoon, we had this conversation.

Mama: “After you go to sleep tonight I need to make deli roll”

Eitan: “How about you go to sleep and I make it?! I don’t know how, but it’s going to be noisy!”

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Ideas

Our Superhero

This morning, while we’re rushing to get out the door for the long drive from Sudbury to Newton, Eitan asks if he can do some painting. He is also wearing his new superhero cape. I respond, “I’m sorry but that requires too much supervision right now.”

Eitan replies, “But I have super-vision!”

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Ideas Thoughts

Logic

Eitan is playing with Duplos and building a very tall tower. It suddenly falls down and Dada asks “you okay, bud?”

Eitan replies, “I’m okay, but the tower is not!”

So true!

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Ideas

Follow the Rules

You didn’t follow the rules Nana. You stand over there. Papa-we can play.