Avi & Itai 101

Life with Avi and Itai is pretty great. There's a lot going on with these two boys. They have a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. One thing they both love is hospital grilled cheese sandwiches. No trip to the hospital is complete without a trip to the cafe.

Life is pretty busy and can be pretty exhausting. Just ask Avi.

Or Itai... Sometimes you have to fall asleep right where you lie. Avi has developed some favorite activities. Anyone who has seen him lately knows how much he loves standing on his head. He still loves running, jumping and climbing. Sometimes he has to be creative to find new places to climb; the counter is so last month! We took out our old baby stroller for a friend who is having a baby soon. I cleaned all the dust off and left it out for her. Avi quickly decided it was designed for purposes other than strolling. We're thinking Splore might be a good activity for him. They have climbing walls just for kids on the spectrum. It's probably safer than stroller climbing.

Itai loves the stroller too. He's not so much into climbing as he is into a good photo op. He climbed up, plopped himself down and started clapping. I took out the camera and he said, "Cheese!" He has a lot of new favorites too. His new favorite word is "uh-oh!" But he also likes saying "bulldozer, Jeep (a really new favorite), truck and tweet, tweet, tweet."

No discussion of favorites is complete without two things they both love. Water. A bath, a wading pool, a swimming pool, the ocean, a puddle, whatever. If there is any amount of water both boys are there and happy. Avi still asks for the ocean and every time we pass our neighborhood pool Itai points out that there is water over there. (No really, any volunteers to take them to the pool? My neighbors might try to whale me.) Itai's school will be doing water days soon. Avi would be so jealous to know that, the only fun thing he gets to do at school is hit a pinata. Oh, and the one thing they both love and hate is eating. Their favorite foods disappear before the we get settled down. Sometimes during the prayer. They could pack down these favorites all day, but if we put out something they don't like suddenly they can go days without eating. Lastly, they love each other. Avi, of course, has his personal space that he doesn't like Itai to violate, but he loves him none the less. Itai can bully his big brother but he loves him like crazy. Debbie told me while they were shopping yesterday they climbed into one of those car carts. She looked in at them and found Itai giving Avi hugs and kisses and stroking his hair. Then to her surprise she saw Avi return the favor by giving Itai big hugs and kisses. That's brothers: pushing and shoving one minute, best friends the next.

So that's Avi and Itai 101. Why 101? Is it because I'm feeling like school is consuming every part of my life? Maybe. Or maybe that's my subtle way of saying this is post number 101. Yay us!