All about Sarah, Alana and David.

Today is my birthday. Sarah thinks I am 24. I’ll take it. If I had my 24 year old body…

I decided to bond with my little (big) girl this morning by asking her how she’s doing in 2017. She can’t read this stuff yet, but she’s starting to understand the letters and she is telling me “I see D-A-V-I-D and S-A-R-A-H” and I am proud of her.

Name: Sarah Leya
Nickname? “Sura Leya. I don’t know what’s my nickname.”
Age: A little older than 4.5

Weight: 33.2lbs as of January 1. Thanks for the Withings for helping with that.
Shoe Size: I did an ad-hoc measurement with her sitting on my lap. I think she’s a size 7.
Siblings: “Alana, David, and Danny.”
Current Residence: “New Rochelle”
Occupation: “I don’t know.” Rephrased: “What do you do all day?” “I go to school.”
Schools attended: “WTA”
Hobbies: “Going to school. I like to play with my baby for Chanukah.”
Favorite TV Show: “Teen Titans Go”
Favorite Movie: “Anna and Elsa and Kristoff and Olaf.” Funny, last week it was Moana and the Troll movie. I just reminded her and she agreed.
Favorite Actor: “Kristoff in Frozen, my favorite”
Favorite Actress: “Anna and Elsa, my favorite.”
Favorite Music Genre: I had to prompt her. “Kids’ music.”
Favorite Song: “I like the WTA” song.
Favorite Singers: “Rabbi Rami”
Favorite Book: “Lightning McQueen’s book”
Favorite Magazine: “I don’t read magazines.”
Favorite Musical: I had to prompt this one. She’s never been to a musical. But for now, I suggested Moana and she agreed. I mean, after all, the musical score did come from Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Favorite Food: “Chicken nuggets.”
People I Most Admire: “I like mommy the most.”
Best Friend: “Nava and Nava at school.”
Favorite Drink: “Water.”
Favorite Soda: She made a grimace and said, “I don’t drink soda.”
Favorite Month: “December.” I asked why. “Cuz that’s when we don’t have school. I don’t like school. I like school sometimes.” This directly contradicts her words above.
Favorite Words: She shrugged her shoulders and said, “I don’t know.”
Favorite Restaurant: “At the pizza store.” Mind you, we don’t go out to pizza.
Favorite Sport to Play: “Soccer ball.” I do not think she knows how to play soccer.
Favorite Sport to Watch on TV: “Baseball?” She’s never watched a sport on TV.
Favorite Sports Teams: “I don’t know.”
Favorite Store: “I already said pizza!” She doesn’t know what shopping store is her favorite.
Favorite Holiday: “Chanukah!”
Favorite Dessert: Ice cream pronounced “Ice queem.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Strawberry.” I don’t think she had strawberry ice cream more than once.
Favorite Candy: “Candy canes.” What?
Favorite Color: “Purple and pink.”
Favorite Smell: “Flowers.”
Least favorite food: Wacky Mac. But then David told her to say guacamole, and she did. She has no idea what guacamole is.
Least favorite smell: Alana’s doodies.
Favorite Websites: NickJr.
Best day of my life: “I go to school.” Can we sense a pattern here?
Current car driven: “I drive a minivan.”
Current computers owned: “I use David’s computer.”
Current mood: “I’m happy.”
Current soaps used: “Baby soap.”
Current conditioner used: She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Current toothpaste: “My toothpaste is raspberry.” I’m not sure that’s true.
Current detergent used: “What’s detergent?”
What I do in my spare time: “I don’t know what that is,” followed by “I play at home.”
My temper: She gets angry sometimes and confirmed it when I asked her.
Best characteristics? “I’m funny! I’m cute!”
Worst habits? “I throw something at Alana.”
Morning Person or Night Person? I clarified this question by asking “Do you like to stay up late or wake up early?” and she answered with “I like to stay up early.”
Early, on time, or late? “Early, on time”
Pet Peeves: “Alana hits me”
When did you last cry? “When Alana punched me.” But I think that’s wrong.
Do you like your handwriting? Yeah. And she does pretty good at her age.
What is you favorite lunch meat? “Baked zaidie.” She doesn’t know what lunch meat is.
If you were another person, would you be friends with you? “No.” So I said, “you wouldn’t like Sarah?” And she said, “I would like Sarah!” I guess this is too complex a question.
Are you a daredevil? “No!”
Do looks matter?  “Ugly.” (I think, to her, they do.)
How do you release anger? “I smack somebody.”
Where is your second home?  “I don’t have a second home.”
Are there any family heirlooms in your possession?  “No great-grandmas gave me something” (as in anything.)
Do you trust others easily? “What is that?”
What was your favorite toy as a child? Huggie
What is your favorite thing about yourself? “Because I’m the best one in school.”
Who do you miss most?  “I miss Daddy the most.”
What are you wearing?  “I’m wearing a sweatshirt, a shirt, and jamas pants.”
Last thing you ate? She has no idea that she just had a quesadilla.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? “Purple.”
What is the weather like right now? “Nighttime!” (The answer is 29 and partly cloudy. It’s different than the previous quizzes. Sarah went to school in the meantime and we’re just wrapping up.)
The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? “I don’t know.”
Do you wear contacts? “What is that?”
Last movie you watched? “Moana!”
Scary Movies or Happy Endings? “Happy Endings”
Summer or Winter? “Winter”
Hugs or Kisses? “Hugs”
If you could change any part of myself what would it be? “I don’t know!”
What book are you reading? “Elsa”
What did you watch last night on TV? “I watched Teen Titans Go.”
Last person you called: “I don’t know.”
What’s the furthest you’ve been from home? “LA.” She took a train ride.
Next preferred vacation spot: “To New York Avenue.” I’m not sure where that is!

Now it is Alana’s turn:

Name: Alana Leora
Nickname? “Lana.”
Age: “Two.” (Two and about 2 months.)

Weight: “Twos.” 26.1 lb.
Shoe Size: “Three!” I took her measurements again, ad-hoc, and it was closer to a 5. When we put it away, she said, “all done!”
Siblings: “Brodda!” David, Sarah, and Danny
Current Residence: “Um, this.”
Occupation: “Baby”
Schools attended: “Lana.” She goes to Beth El.
Hobbies: I think she said “Mommy play-doh.” I don’t think she meant “Mommy play-doh.”
Favorite TV Show: I have no idea and she is not cooperating.
Favorite Movie: “Wha?”
Favorite Actor: “Wha?”
Favorite Actress: “Wha?”
Favorite Music Genre: She likes “Mommy music.”
Favorite Song: She likes to sing “Happy birthday” and the ABC song.
Favorite Singers: “Daddy.”
Favorite Book: She pointed to the computer monitor and said “this.” But she does like to read books.
Favorite Magazine: “Daddy.” I think she likes Highlights. She gets it thanks to Bobbie.
Favorite Musical: “Wha?”
Favorite Food: “Paint.” She doesn’t eat paint. I think she likes chicken and cookies.
People I Most Admire: “Danny.” But only because I just named her entire family and Danny was last. She turned again and repeated herself, “Danny.”
Best Friend: “David.”
Favorite Drink: “Water.”
Favorite Soda: “Danny did a soda. Yummy.”
Favorite Month: “Wha?”
Favorite Words: “Wha?” Very apropos.
Favorite Restaurant: “Wha?”
Favorite Sport to Play: “Wha?”
Favorite Sport to Watch on TV: “Wha?”
Favorite Sports Teams: “Wha?”
Favorite Store: “Wha?”
Favorite Holiday: I asked her if she likes Chanukah. She said “yeah.”
Favorite Dessert: I have to prompt her. Today, it’s cookies.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “What? There’s ice cream?”
Favorite Candy: “Candy?”
Favorite Color: “Purple.” I’m not sure she knows what purple is.
Favorite Smell: I touched my nose and asked her. She touched her nose back and said, “wha?”
Least favorite food: I asked her what food she thinks is yucky food with a face. She shook her head and said “Yucky food.”
Least favorite smell: She crinkled her nose and said “yucky.”
Favorite Websites: “Wha?”
Best day of my life: “Wha?”
Current car driven: “No….”
Current computers owned: She pointed to my laptop that is shared between the kids. “This, Mommy! This!” She is right. It is my old Dell M1710.
Current mood: “Mommy is sad.” First, she mimicked me to show happy and sad faces. Then I asked again, and she smiled and said, “Lana.”
Current soaps used: “Wha?”
Current conditioner used: I don’t think she uses any.
Current toothpaste: Some sort of kids’ toothpaste.
Current detergent used: Kirkland brand from Costco.
What I do in my spare time: “Do you play?” “Yeah.”
My temper: Right now she is very stinky. Her temper is normally good.
Best characteristics? “Wha?” She is very funny. She is lovable. She is the cutest ever. HER EYES!
Worst habits? She’s not potty trained yet and man oh man, she has the stinkiest poops.
Morning Person or Night Person? She likes to sleep until 10-12 if she could, so I think she’s more of a night person.
Early, on time, or late? “Late.” Yes, my kids all make me late. I hate it!
Pet Peeves: I asked her what makes her sad. She mad a pouty face. I think the answer is being bothered by her siblings and having Sarah take away her toys.
When did you last cry? She fell off the bed last night. I saved the video clip.
Do you like your handwriting? All she did is scribbles.
What is you favorite lunch meat? Chicken and hot dogs.
If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Yeah.
Are you a daredevil? YES! THE WORST KIND. (Actually, she’s not so bad, but she’s the worst of the kids so far. We’ll see about her baby brother. She’s given him so much abuse that he’s definitely a qualified candidate.)
Do looks matter?  “Yeah. Looks matter.”
How do you release anger? She screams. And she cries.
Where is your second home?  “Wha?”
Are there any family heirlooms in your possession?  “Yeah.” Then she turned around and picked up a piece of Silly Putty and said “Right here! Right here!”
Do you trust others easily? “Yeah.”
What was your favorite toy as a child? She loves her Dolly.
What is your favorite thing about yourself? “Wha? All done?”
Who do you miss most?  Lana.
What are you wearing?  A heart sweatshirt and pink pants.
Last thing you ate? “Wha?” Her face is covered in chocolate. I think she had Cocoa Puffs. But I don’t think she eats the puffs. I think she just drinks the milk.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? “Green.”
What is the weather like right now? 25 degrees and fair. Brr.
The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? “Wha?”
Do you wear contacts? Nope! No glasses.
Last movie you watched? “Wha?” Unfortunately, I don’t even know the answer.
Scary Movies or Happy Endings? “Yeah.”
Summer or Winter? I showed her Google images of representations of both summer and winter, and she refused to choose just one. “This one this one!”
Hugs or Kisses? Kisses.
If you could change any part of myself what would it be? This is too existential for her. My answer: understanding what it is that she’s saying, and maybe to get her to potty train.
What book are you reading? “Wha?”
What did you watch last night on TV? “Wha?” She watches what the older siblings are watching.
Last person you called: Probably me.
What’s the furthest you’ve been from home? South Bend, Indiana, by car, not by plane!
Next preferred vacation spot: She has no idea what I just asked her. But as you can tell, that’s typical Alana!

And finally, David! I’m writing everything he says without quotes. The younger kids need direction but David doesn’t.

Name: David Jacob
Nickname? DJ
Age: 7. Apparently he needed direction. He now admits that he’s 7.5.

Weight: “I don’t know.” 49.7lb is the answer.
Shoe Size: I think it’s 12.
Siblings: Sarah, Alana, Danny
Current Residence: United States of America, New York, New Rochelle, [redacted address]
Occupation: My job is to wash the dishes.
Schools attended: WTA stands for [redacted].
Hobbies: To go to Bobbie and Zaidie’s house for the summer.
Favorite TV Show: Teen Titans Go
Favorite Movie: Star Wars Rogue One
Favorite Actor: Robin in Teen Titans Go
Favorite Actress: Star Fire in Teen Titans Go.
Favorite Music Genre: Can’t stop the feeling – Trolls soundtrack music. Probably pop.
Favorite Song: Can’t stop the feeling.
Favorite Singers: I don’t know any of their names. (He insists it can’t be Justin Timberlake.)
Favorite Book: Discover Places
Favorite Magazine: Boys Life
Favorite Musical: He hasn’t been to one.
Favorite Food: Pizza.
People I Most Admire: Eli Litman. (I have no idea.)
Best Friend: Leor, Netanel, Yaffa, Cole, Isaac, another Isaac
Favorite Drink: Iced tea
Favorite Soda: Coke
Favorite Month: December because it’s Chanukah
Favorite Words: “You and me, but not and”
Favorite Restaurant: Carlos and Gabbys
Favorite Sport to Play: Dodgeball
Favorite Sport to Watch on TV:
Favorite Sports Teams: Football
Favorite Store: Toys R Us
Favorite Holiday: Chanukah
Favorite Dessert: Ice cream
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookie dough original recipe
Favorite Candy: Laffy Taffy
Favorite Color: Blue, I mean Golden
Favorite Smell: Flowers
Least favorite food: Guacamole. (Again, I don’t think he knows what guacamole is. But I think I said the same thing at his age.)
Least favorite smell: Alana’s poop
Favorite Websites: Gmail and more things–all websites that you can message on
Best day of my life: The day I got a Facebook account
Current car driven: A car that has 35 kids in it. (Wut?)
Current computers owned: The coolest one in the world.
Current mood: A happy mood. Alana’s in a sad mood. (She’s making a sad face. She’s not really sad.)
Current soaps used: Soap that only works on me
Current conditioner used: Warm conditioners
Current toothpaste: Sarah’s toothpaste that she hates
Current detergent used: What’s detergent?
What I do in my spare time: Play on the tablet
My temper: I try to kill Sarah.
Best characteristics? Smart
Worst habits? I have no worst habits.
Morning Person or Night Person? Night person, I stay up the whole night. (Actually, he wakes up way early so I disagree with his answer.)
Early, on time, or late? Late for school
Pet Peeves: Alana’s poop smell
When did you last cry? 4 years ago (he’s such a liar)
Do you like your handwriting? Yes
What is you favorite lunch meat? Chicken
If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I’ll see how I act
Are you a daredevil? What is a daredevil? (He’s not.)
Do looks matter?  Yes.
How do you release anger? I try to kill Sarah (he’s not serious)
Where is your second home?  I have one at the beach.
Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? He got a ceramic rooster from his great grandfather and then he promptly broke it.
Do you trust others easily? Nope.
What was your favorite toy as a child? Bunny bear
What is your favorite thing about yourself? That I have a lot of money out of the bank. (This is not true.)
Who do you miss most?  Daddy, when he’s at work
What are you wearing?  He’s wearing a Boy Scouts uniform becasue he was supposed to go today but that’s not happening!
Last thing you ate? M&Ms
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Gold
What is the weather like right now? 29 and cloudy
The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? That they’re weird
Do you wear contacts? What’s contacts?
Last movie you watched? Star Wars Rogue One
Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Scary movies just like Rogue One
Summer or Winter? Winter
Hugs or Kisses? Kisses
If you could change any part of myself what would it be? My name..actually no, I don’t really want to change anything.
What book are you reading? Amazing Places (this is the same as the “Discover Places” book that’s clearly his favorite. Right?)
What did you watch last night on TV? The poppy shows. (He wasn’t allowed to watch TV last night. He’s a big liar.)
Last person you called: You. (Me. As in the writer of this piece.)
What’s the furthest you’ve been from home? LA.
Next preferred vacation spot: Las Vegas. (I don’t know why.)