We celebrate every day

 Leeor said this to me on Mother's Day when I was not feeling as celebrated as I'd wanted to feel.  It stopped me in my petty tracks.  He was right to resist the trap of a Hallmark holiday, to remind me what I know is true, which is that he celebrates my role as mother to our children every single day. And then he presented me with such a gorgeous gift he and the kids had picked out at the Whole Earth Festival in Davis.  They'd gone on Saturday while I was in Pasadena for a dear old friend's first baby shower.

 We celebrate mamas and abas coming home from work.  The kids know how to give a homecoming!

 Sweet Lilit needs to finish up her cold by this Saturday, because there is a 2 year old birthday celebration in the works.  We still manage to celebrate her every day and have kept our family "happy birthday" sign up since Leeor's birthday last month.  Our guests are confused when they see it.

 We alternate between the melancholic and comedic; I usually supply the former while Leeor (obviously) brings the funny.

 Lilit and I are fans of the self portrait. I am a fan of her cheeks, her skin, her expressions. Lately she has been saying, "hug me tight," and then we squeeze away until Avi comes running and demands to be held, too.  She always makes room.

 Avi, who never wants his photo taken, was all cheese for these shots with cousin Isaac at the Whole Earth festival.  The three of them are pretty sweet together, and soon there will be two more baby cousins in the mix between Leeor's brother's family and my brother's family.  Leeor has baby fever.

 The weather has been warm enough for popsicles.  Lilit hasn't been able to finish one yet, but I love watching her try.  "Cold!" she announces brightly.

 Avi tattled on Lilit, who loves to climb up onto the table, after she took all the flowers out of the vase.  Perhaps he felt regret, as later he confided, "She wasn't really busted, right?"

 There is nothing like father-daughter love.

 The kids had an impromptu tea party with the neighbors and I was so impressed by how politely they passed sugar and milk.  The big kids had long finished before I realized a lone Lilit was sitting at the table, quietly spooning sugar into her happy mouth.

 I really do feel celebrated every day by the kids, especially when they physically swarm me.

 Avi spied some "fisher guys" on the pier by the Berkeley marina Chevy's (what better place for a family dinner with Safta on Saturday night?). He was thrilled that they actually caught a tiger shark and a sting ray (both released back into the bay) and they were nice enough to let him hold the fishing pole all by himself.  Our big boy.

 Leeor took the kids to Golden Gate park after they dropped me off at my *last Saturday of work*!!

 Avi has gotten pretty good at his big brother duties, like swing pushing.

 And tree climbing.

 Lilit remains master of the steady gaze and impossibly round cheeks.

 We enjoyed a lazy, drawn out Sunday morning; Avi was thrilled to discover several tubes of glitter and was busy making art throughout the course of the day.

 Sweet Lilit can't understand the rejection she gets from her big brother and from the gato. She runs after him, yelling, "Gato!! Gatoooooooo!!!" and occasionally throws a ball at him. I hover anxiously nearby, admonishing Simon to be good and keeping Lilit out of swiping distance.

 It's harder to navigate Avi's rejection.  The other day, he came home from school only to hightail it across the street to play with the girls and Lilit was sobbing as I carried her out of their backyard, "I want Abi-ya!" over and over.  It was absolutely tragic.

 How could he not want to play with this delicious girl?

 The one who was born two years ago, May 26, 2010,

 The sweetest, softest, funniest girl ever.

Avi is managing his jealousy and feels the support of the grandmothers.  He informed me (again) today, "Safta and Grandma are bringing me presents at Lilit's birthday." They are so pure in their intentions, good and bad, with each other, these siblings.  And we just have to stay loose and keep celebrating every day.