Friday at home challah

Because Avi makes a little challah at school on Fridays to celebrate shabbat, he suggested we make our own as his fever kept him (and me) at home today. I have never made challah but I felt game because Avi was so enthusiastic--I swear, I strive to be more like him when I am sick--plus I found a recipe at one of my favorite websites, Smitten Kitchen. I was in.

While all's well that ends well, the middle was a bit of a disaster. I have never kneaded dough before. Lilit pooped like four or five times this afternoon; I would hear it as she played on the kitchen floor while I stood at the counter, my hands gummy with my too-sticky dough. She was way too patient with me.

Worried that I would over-flour the dough, I think I under-floured. It didn't rise after an hour so I tried SK's suggestion of putting the bowl of covered dough in a preheated 150 degree oven that had been turned off and voila, it rose.

But it was still way too sticky so I floured it like crazy while Avi helpfully sat next to me on the counter, wondering about the flouring process and working his own little ball of dough. He sings songs about his challah dough while at school and I encouraged him to sing while we worked (it's something like, "knead, knead, knead your challah dough with several variations on the verb, culminating with, "we're making challah for shabbat!" super cute). I think it helped salvage a near-ruined batch of dough.

Avi with his fresh out of the oven "little challah" and grape juice.
Contemplation requires a tongue sticking out.
On our way downstairs for a bath . . .
I said, "Oh, you two look so cute!" to which Avi responded, "I pushed her over, Mommy!" Right.
When Avi came up from his nap and saw me wearing my apron he could hardly contain his excitement, "I want to put on the other one!" I asked him who had made our aprons and he proudly replied, "Grandma!" The quilt spread on the floor is one she made when Avi was born--still going strong!
Sweet Lilit at my feet, playing and peeking up at her favorite person in the world when Avi is not available.

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For a sick day, it was a good one. Avi had a low grade fever that kept him punky but also cuddly. When he had the chills he said, "my teeth are banging together!" with genuine surprise. He needed extra love today so I let Lilit go with nanny M like she usually does Friday mornings when I go to work. I initially felt such guilt at not going in and then at not keeping my baby home but this quickly passed as I spent the morning with sickly Avi. Sometimes things just work out in a way that best serves us and it helped to go with the flow.

***

Then Avi napped for 4 (!) hours while Lilit and I also got some quality time together. She is a little sick, herself--no fever, just a cough and sniffles. The revolving door of germs in our home these days! I have become a freaky handwasher, as if it's the only weapon I have against the nasty bugs that threaten our good health.

It felt so good to loaf on the couch (ha! no pun intended!) with my 8 month old daughter while the dough (didn't rise) did its thing. She is changing so much that I can hardly remember the spindly newborn she was. When it's just the two of us, it's easier to recall the time we shared in the hospital for much of our first 48 hours together, not to mention pregnancy.

There are moments I long for that magical time when it seemed we were suspended in our cocoon that grazed reality . . . all too soon we were home and life was speeding along. I keep the post-birth beauty of both my children close to my heart's memory, like an invisible locket etched with the wonder of those hours spent exploring each other after they'd left my body in a heated rush . . .

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The kids are asleep now and Leeor praised my challah as we both jammed warm, fluffy bites in our mouths. He plans to make epic French toast with it tomorrow (I accidentally made one giant loaf instead of two normal-sized ones, not to mention the braiding didn't turn out so well but la vida es asi) as there is a LOT of bread left over. But not bad for my first attempt!

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Escrow on the Berkeley house is ticking away . . .people keep asking when we are moving and I am guessing the end of February, beginning of March, which fills me with palpable anxiety. But there is some warm weather on the other side of the Bay just waiting for me to come bask in it. There's also going to be a whole new way of life for our family of four and I can't wait to settle into it . . .