Shavit turns 14

A year has gone and new year comes, that's the sign Shavit's birthday is approaching. Being born on the eve of Rosh Hashanah makes Shavit's birthday an occasion and trouble for the actual celebration.

A year with its courses has gone, a year with its blessings is beginning - that's the annual Jewish saying for the new year. This year has many curses to get rid of. The first and most notorious is Bibi Hitleryahu. No longer can he avoid the comparison to the Nazi leader, he learnt too much from him. Israel is torn by the doings of a single man - a man that should be on trial for high treason too.

It appears like the country collapses while its government tries to let the orchestra play. Knowing their own responsibility for the current state of affairs most of the ministers are trying to avoid the elections, some are suggesting postponing them until a better time comes - a time when they can be re-elected by the tired public.

Just when I thought nothing can help I saw a tiny article stating an unexpected fact. The Jews didn't like a single leader ever. Jews like the challenges of multiple leaders combined. The Jewish tradition is to have different opinions over each and every subject reaching an agreement by discussion and endless debates.

We can see traces of many authors in the bible, continuing in the external books up until the last 2 decades - the rise to power of the Jewish nemesis - Bibi.

Having a kid who's turning 14 is scary everywhere in the world. In Israel it's doubled. I don't know whether to tell him we fight to the victory or we flee as refugees. At least for now we fight, but I know if we'll lose we won't be able to stay here, too many have already moved away from here.

Usually I like to write about the kids on their birthday blog post, this time I didn't and not for a good reason. I sure hope next year I'll be able to write on Shavit's guitar, his studies and researches.

I'll finish with a wish for a good year, we need it.

A bar mitzvah

The rollercoaster called Shavit's Aliyah laTora had finished 2 weeks ago. It was a journey in all aspects. He learned a few things, reading from the bible correctly for example. We met interesting people on the way. But the journey is just the beginning of another journey.

Shavit is turning to a grown man. He still has the normal issues for a boy with ASD, earlier today he totally missed a point because it was a cynical remark. But he learns, and he knows he must explain the meaning of ASD to people who talk to him.

On a higher level, we're sitting on an explosive barrel waving a torch. The country I grew in doesn't exist anymore, it was kidnapped by a serial killer called Bibi Hitleryahu. The Israeli government is leaving 101 hostages to die because they won't vote for them. The pictures of victory they provide are only pictures of vengeance masked as a victory.

Looking at the future I'm afraid one day I will be a refugee in my own country. Having 2 children in school makes the idea of leaving the homeland a terrifying nightmare, but I fear it will come to it. For now all I do is make sure they'll be able to finish school before we are forced to go. And by the way to allow us the easiest landing wherever we will find ourselves.

It's quite weird to talk about leaving in the middle of a war, with many victories and achievements accomplished, yet those achievements are the mirror reflecting the government's impotence. It feels like the idea behind this war is war. There's not an end in sight, and there's no real objective to it, unless counting Bibi's survival.

A country that wants future has to educate its children to be smarter. Israel is educating its children to be Dead.

I hope the future would prove me wrong, but now I have to make sure Shavit and Ella will live in a country worthy of them.

Shavit is 11

More than a week ago we celebrated Shavit's birthday. The fact he was born on the new Jewish year evening is making the celebration a tricky one. Luckily this year the dates aligned well.

Ophel, which shares Shavit's room after he learned to open his cage, was banished away - having a french kiss from a German shepherd is not the welcome we like to give. Truth is, Shavit likes having Ophel in his room because it leaves anyone else out of it, and nobody complains about a mess it doesn't see.

Shavit is responsible for most of the funny things in the house. Last "joke" was when I asked him whether he completed putting his clothes in the washing machine. He just replied by "ask me in 5 minutes..."

The new hobby he got is cooking. That's probably every child's idea at sometime. The thing about Shavit is he's good at it. By good I mean he got to a point where he's looking at the chickens at the butcher and saying "this one looks good enough". So far he hadn't said anything inappropriate, but the butcher we're going to is an excellent one. I fear the day we'll go to a lesser one, he'll just look at the meat and state it's not worthy of being dogfood. It might be correct for Ophel, he's getting only the best snatched leftovers - usually when everyone is too full to notice on time.

Another thing about Shavit, he's good at school. Though he prefers seamanship. When confronted about it I got the explanation "at school they tell us being nice to each other is the most important thing, but don't act it. At seamanship they don't just tell us, they enforce it." As can be understood, I was dumbfounded. The kid is observant to a high level, and can't understand why trying to prove his teacher is an idiot is not a good idea.

Just the other day Shavit started talking too much nonsense. At a certain time I just said to him "close your mouth and leave it that way." The reply was a short one: "I can't eat without opening my mouth for the food to get in."

Shavit is a challenge and a blessing.

10 years with a cute Shavit

Shavit turned 10 by the end of September. This year we could at least do a minimal celebration with friends. It looks like Shavit is a kid everyone likes, but he can't get it to work. This celebration marks the beginning of many new things, though all of them began earlier, it did a wrapping of them all.

The new school with a personal assistant. He likes it and hates it at the same time. In some lessons it's a blessing that saves him from disaster, while in computers it's the cause of disaster. All in all, he prefers the new school, and complains about minor issues.

Tennis became a common hobby for Shavit and Ella. Having common stuff makes them fight more about details, and less about generalities. Of course sitting location in the car is a thing for debate on any ride.

Seamanship, which he started attending on July, looks like a thing he's going to stay at for a long time. We thought it might help with the seasickness he has. Turned out that it helps in many more ways. He likes getting early to the training sessions, just to dip in the sea. Until a week ago it was without a thermal suit. The water is not too cold, trust me on this I did the checking.

And now for the part I hinted at on Ella's birthday blog. I did my scuba diving license, and now I'm trying to find partners for the fun. At the same time I managed to get to a position in work that I waited for. Shirley started studying towards PhD in literature which is good, it makes life more interesting. The Chinese have a curse"may you live in interesting times", it looks like the Chinese don't know a curse from blessing.

We do live in interesting times, it's challenging, and mostly it's rewarding. The feeling you get after facing a challenge is priceless, even if you failed.

To wrap up, Shavit has many challenges, creates many more for us too. Yet somehow he he's the one Ophel listens to, and barks at whenever there's a problem.

9 in corona time

Shavit turned 9. Usually it means throwing a birthday party, alas this year we can't invite anyone. The reason is coronavirus. It looks like the world has lost its marbles, and not because the USA is lead by an incompetent imbacile.

In israel, a small country which has a superb army with efficient methodologies for investigation of almost anything, we reached a 2nd quarantine in 6 months. The 1st one was conducted incorrectly, but proved to be very efficient. The 2nd one is the result of a non functioning government. The prime minister is busy getting away from the court house, mainly because he's guilty, and uses the country as his hostage. Treating the coronavirus and its effects over the economy is the not on his priorities list. He decided to get tax refund for luxuries during this crisis.

For Shavit it's irrelevant, he hardly understands the meaning of the virus. It annoys him, but only because his sister can't go to school while he does. Beside that, he hasn't noticed we didn't visit the grandparents for a long while. He complaints about not seeing a friend of his, yet he won't talk to him on the phone. In general, he floats in an uncharted domain of his own and the corona-annoyance is just an annoyance.

So for his 9th birthday, which this year happens on "the eve of Yom Kippur", we're wishing him a happy birthday and to let him stay the way he is - careless and free. No matter what happens he'll be able to spread his own little ray of sunshine, and stretch our nerves to their limit with the inability to understand the difference between a smile and a sneer.

Happy birthday Shavit, hopefully next year you'll have a proper birthday party.

Shavit is 5

5 years ago Shavit was born. He appears like Ella's twin brother, though he's a year younger.
5 years old has a special meaning, from now on he can drink coffee and eat nuts. It is a small change in the nutrition, but for a kid it's a huge milestone.
We learnt to be a kid rather than talk to the kid. When it comes to Shavit this idea is doubled. Just the other day he reminded me to put a bottle of water for him to use in the kindergarten. Shavit, the kid who wears his shirts inside out, cares about missing a bottle. We knew exactly why, where it comes from, and how to continue. It approved that Shavit can (and does) force to take into account what he wants.
The celebration will take place in a few days time, easier setting for us. For that reason Shavit tries to claim he hasn't turned 5 yet. It's always hard to resist logic, especially when it doesn't have an internal flow.

Between the birth date and the celebration Shimon Peres died. It wasn't important to the kids, except for the delay in the new Jewish year school toast.

On the day of celebration, which was the first day of the year, we did the feast. Shavit was exited. Even Ella was exited, though not as much as Shavit was. At the end of the day we were tired and happy. I was doubly happy, the celebration was successful and I didn't have to drive. Actually, except for throwing the garbage, I didn't get out of home.

Sometimes you just feel good about living. No worries, it doesn't mean I will ever stop trying to achieve the "better".

Shavit's annual blog

Amidst a huge turmoil popes out Shavit's second birthday.

Our current location is a temporary home, between the "normal" renting of an apartment and the new one, which is currently being built. Shirley's job is on hold too. Romy, our beloved puppy; 35kg by weight; can't stay with us anymore - actually she can't climb over a 10cm step.

Ella, starting to master the spoken language, is the main reason for Shavit's birthday party. Though, unlike Ella's party, Shavit's party was small. Only a handful of relatives, not the whole family like Ella wanted.

When it came to presents, Shavit had a clear definition for the "best present". It was a stone! As we all know too well, kids have the greatest grasp of what's good (and what's not...), and Shavit did his choice well.

Beside playing with a nice rock, he did eat. Shavit likes to eat. He enjoys it. Watching him eating a piece of barbecue is an amazing experience. He enjoys every single bite, every lick of the meat, and he did it all when his mouth lacked teeth. Now that he has some teeth, he enjoys it even more. He really does.

Just in case the house and the dog didn't give us enough to worry about, Shavit found a new method to do so. To be a bit more percise, Ella is the cause.

It was noon time, I tried to get the kids to sleep. They were in their room quietly talking, well this should have started a whistling alarm. I tried napping on the couch, a parent's sleeping method. Suddenly, after about 10 minutes, the door to their room swung open. Through the open door 2 kids ran out. Ella has a normal bed, one that you can climb into or out of at ease. Shavit, on the other hand, has a baby's bed; the ones with a high fence all over. Ella thought it would be good for him to learn how to climb out, and taught him to do so.

This post is a short summary of our turmoil. It's a mini-snapshot made hastily due to the lack of time. Hopefully next year's snapshot will be clearer.

Shavit has reached the 1 year

Today is the last day of Shavit's first year. Waking up in the morning he'll be 1 year old. Nothing for him to worry about, actually I'm not sure he knows it's his birthday.
Currently the kid (baby) is crawling all over the house, chasing whatever interests him. His interests vary, depending on time and location. Whenever he sees food in the area, I.e., somebody's eating, he's hungry. Just like his sister, anything is kosher for him. In the worst case scenario, he spits it out after tasting it.
Beside roaming freely in house, he has almost no worries at all. His greatest threat is his sister. His sister loves him, she can crash him with a hug, and a few seconds afterwards steal his pacifier. Usually, Shavit doesn't give a damn about his pacifier, he prefers to be able to shout out loud. It's just the stealing that offends him, or the use of unnecessary violence, either way, he starts crying.

Just moments before his 1st birthday, he discovered the "standing". He actually stands on 2 feet. Walking would be the next project, but as it looks, it's gonna' be mid-winter before he does.
Yet, when Shavit will walk, he WILL walk. It appears to us; his folks; he doesn't do too much. It's just, when he decides to do something, he DOES it fully. By fully, I mean - real thorough check, research, and actual doing.

Well,
Happy birthday Shavit