Yeshaya's Birthday

Today is Yeshaya's second birthday (and Aliza Sussman's 32 and Rikki Volosov's 33rd - Happy Birthday). We are so proud of our little guy who is toilet trained, besides the occasional poopy accident -yuck (although today he was quite successful, but I'll spare you all the details). Yeshaya and I spent the day with Avi, Tikki and Elana in J"M. We drove in on 443 and took the route to the kotel through town. We were able to stop for a few minutes to see Eli Greenbaum (our shaddchun whom we probably haven't seen since our wedding ten years ago) since it was on the way. After much argument as to the correct way to reach to old city, we arrived and found parking. The weather was just magnificent and we did not mind walking around. After a visit to the kotel, we ventured up all the stairs to find a place for lunch. There was a group of soldiers there taking a tour of the old city and a very nice chayal helped me carry a sleeping Yeshaya and his stroller up all the stairs. Avi and Tikki had another kind chayal help them. We ended up at Bonkers for lunch and we all got sandwiches. We then went into a beautiful gift store (after several trips to the bathroom for Yeshaya) and admired all the gorgeous items that were way out of our price range. (if anyone would like to buy us a gift, there is a gorgeous 3-D picture hanging on the wall which I would love. I think the cost was something like 1600 NIS or maybe more).

We made it back to Modiin just in time for Rivka and Zvi to return from school. Zvi was complaining that a kid hit him, so I decided to call the teacher. Turns out she had been wanting to call me but did not have a home phone number, only a cell (which does not half reception half the time). She wanted to tell me how well Zvi was doing and how we need to keep encouraging him to do his homework etc. I tried to explain that that was easier said than done. In Baltimore it was always a battle and there he understood what he had to do. I am glad to say though, that by bedtime all of his missed homework was completed.

We celebrated Yeshaya's birthday at David's parents house since it would be easier for his grandmother. We enjoyed a pizza dinner and a home made birthday cake (from a package of course). Yeshaya got a toy phone and a package of markers and the excitement at receiving his gifts was like someone winning the lottery.