The End and The Beginning

It's the end of September.
It's the end of 5768 on the Jewish Calendar.
It's the end of babyhood for our daughter.
It's the beginning of October.
It's the beginning of a New Year.
It's the beginning of our daughter becoming 2.

Where did the time go? How did we come to Fall and the end of another year? Time seems to be moving at warp speed and I am trying very hard to take each moment and enjoy my time with my daughter. It goes way too fast and I don't want to miss a thing!

I am in my sixth week of teaching 1st grade and getting ready for a 2-week October break. I cannot believe it's time to break already! My class this year is really wonderful, academically high and well-behaved. It's really nice after my long long year last year at 1st grade.

As Rosh Hashana begins a new year for us and a new cycle of the holidays, we wish a wonderful, sweet year for our family and friends. This past year we've reveled in our amazing daughter and cherished the life beginning within my body. We look forward to this year filled with wonder as our daughter continues to astound us with her wit, humor, and personality and when she becomes a big sister in December. It's going to be a marvelous year in our household!

Shana Tova.

Moments of Clarity and Contrast

This last week has been wild. US politics took center stage for a lot of people, with the DNC on the one hand and McCain's VP pick on the other. We've been ramping up at work getting ready for the Fall semester (classes started today). And here at home, Hadarya has been continuing her amazing growth and development and strengthening her grip on our hearts.

At Hadarya's terrific daycare center, they sit in a circle each morning and sing a song to welcome everyone to school. It goes, "Hi, hello, it's good to see _______" (with each child's and teacher's name filled in), and is accompanied by simple hand motions (clapping and patting the lap). Hadarya has taken to singing the song to us, Aba and Ima, which is cool because it shows her ability to insert novel thoughts into familiar situations, which is a neat developmental step I like noticing as a proud papa.

Over the weekend, though, after giving her a small baked good for breakfast, we heard, "Hi, hello, it's good to see... MUFFIN!"

Clarity in the midst of chaos.

We attend Shabbat morning services with Hadarya almost every week (and Friday night services somewhat less often), and she "knows" parts of the service and anticipates them with glee. Primary among these is the Torah service, when the aron kodesh (ark) is opened and the Torah scrolls are removed and marched around the sanctuary. Hadarya gets a huge grin on her face when the ark is opened and cheerfully kisses the Torah as it comes around.

The other day, she pulled out her stuffed Torah, a toy we haven't seen a lot of even though she got it when she was very young. She proceeded to march around the living room and sing, "Torah, Torah, Torah..." Aaahhh, the kvelling!

Clarity, again.