Fantastic Four (for now)

There is a lot of planning that goes into the details of our summer.  We are realizing that the older the kids get, the more there is to keep track of.  We are learning. Avi is almost a kindergartener.  We underestimated the impact of him attending two different camps this summer, with a couple of weeks hanging with nanny Ilse and Lilit mixed in.  As in, it wasn't the best choice.  But he is as resilient as any other almost 5 and a half year old, so it wasn't the end of the world, either.  He is Avi, through and through, and when Leeor is driving him to camp Kee Tov and they pass the camp Gan Izzy bus, Avi expresses nostalgia.

 Even Lilit gets nostalgic for her babyhood as the reality of her baby brother's arrival gets closer and closer.  I'm 30 weeks tomorrow.  Leeor and I are freaking out together and separately, eg., I'm fixated on the time after the birth and after maternity leave, which will find me back at work in SF and picking up all 3 kids at 3 different locations, two of them by 5:30.  It's these details that increase my heartburn. Leeor is more focused on the reality waiting for us more immediately after our third child arrives.  The kids are expressing any anxiety they may be feeling by cuddling and loving my belly with ferocity.  They love their baby brother.

 They have been having a good summer.  We decided not to take any big trips since the baby is coming in October, but we plan to indulge the big sibs by taking them to Disneyland in September.  Since Lilit is starting preschool and they both are in Jewish schools, they will have a decent amount of time off for the high holy days in September.  We plan to take advantage of the time and have a "family moon" together.  Leeor and I had a great last hurrah ourselves in Vancouver last month.

 I've hardly taken photos, much less documented anything here, in over a month.  I'm so grateful for Ilse's fun collages of her adventures with the kids this summer to places like Children's Fairyland and the Aviation Museum in Oakland. The kids are content with trips to our local parks and libraries, too.  We play a game at family dinner every night, Two truths and a Lie, during which we take turns rehashing our days and then guess which parts really happened.  Lilit always says the same thing, "I went to the little parque and then I went to San Pablo Parque!" she thinks it's hilarious when we all chime in, "No, that's not true!" There have been so many wonderful visits this summer, family and friends coming through town, birthdays and events big and small.  Many dates to coordinate on the calendar.  Too much to keep track of here, especially when I'm going to bed at 9:30 every night.

But I want to say more about Lilit. She has been so emotional lately, so three years old, so feminine and wonderful and also a little crazy.  We love our only girl so much.  Even the pediatrician advised us to make sure we spend special time with her once the baby comes, as it will likely be most challenging for her to lose her spot as our baby than for Avi, who has been through this whole thing already.

Not that he isn't processing in his own way.  He asked recently if I might "swallow him whole" so that he could take up some space in my belly with his baby brother.  Then he had a dream that he was able to see the baby through my belly and assured me that all was well with him.  Other dreams seem just right for his sweet tooth loving self, like this morning, when he shared, "Oh, I remembered a dream; I had two chocolates in my lunch!" That's my boy.

We had to take him to an ophthalmologist over the weekend after he had trouble at his well-child check up, which was late because I like to take the kids together to one visit.  Leeor and I exchanged nervous glances when it was apparent Avi was struggling to read the little letters on the eye chart.  Long story longer, we contacted the doctor referred to us and had separate but equally hilarious experiences with their office over the phone.  Apparently, the snarky Yelp community were not as forgiving, which Leeor tried to remedy with a glowing review.  I shared my feeling that we were dealing with an older couple in business together and my instincts were confirmed when we met with Dr. Stern and his wife in the city Saturday morning; they'd made a special appointment for Avi because they had suspected "an Israeli connection" and wanted to help us out. And since it was the same week during which we officially became members of a Berkeley synagogue, my religious-suspicious heart settled down.  Not only were they the sweetest couple ever, but our concerns were abated when we learned Avi is far-sighted and it's not that bad.  And we can come back in 6-9 months to make sure. I can't wait to hang out with the Sterns again.  We celebrated by going to our favorite bakery in our old hood.  Which lead to a lap around the bookstore before we headed home.

And that's sort of how things have been lately--good, really good. I can't wait to see how our little boy shakes things up with his arrival in the fall, but for now, summer is treating us right.  Leeor finally ended at Golden Gate and it's like a whole new life to have a partner who only works one job.  And loves his job.  I love mine too, and I also can't wait to be home with all my babies.  Or at least with my newest addition while the big sibs go to school all day.  I imagine that will be good, too.  Crazy, ridiculous good.