My Home in Israel

Sunday at four we were in the doctor’s office.  She said the tooth wasn’t wiggly enough and she would need to "make room".  (The last time I heard that euphamism it was in reference to an episiotomy.)

This required first numbing the gum, then an injection, and then pulling.  Big girl did a great job.  She got upset twice…the first time toward the end of the injection when her lip started getting numb. And the second time after the tooth was out.  I think that both were just that she had experienced things that were completely new, and not really the pain.

One part which was weird was that I held her hand but she didn’t understand the concept of squeezing when it hurt or was uncomfortable.  She didn’t squeeze my hand (and I couldn’t look, so I didn’t really know what was going on.)  I never thought of that as a learned response, but I guess it is.

The postscript is that she is excited to look like she is "going into first grade" because of her nice tooth gap.  The toothfairy did pay a visit, and we will see what her reaction to her first real money in her possession.  (The tooth was worth 10 shekels about $2.50)  Also, I asked her if she still liked the Doctor, and she said yes…so if anyone needs a good pediatric dentist in Jerusalem (fluent in English, Danish and Hebrew) I can give you a referral. 

 

My Big Girl is coming close to the age where teeth are going to fall out.  Unfortunately, when she was two she banged one of her top teeth, and it turned gray.  It didn’t fall out, and her dentist said it wasn’t anything to worry about.

 Two days ago she came up to me and said the bump above her tooth (a skin problem…already checked out by a dermatologist) looks like a tooth.  I took a peek and saw that her permanent tooth had indeed started coming out…about a 1/4 inch above her baby tooth.  To say this terrified me would be an understatement.

 The pediatric dentist called back and said it wasn’t really a big deal, but we have an appointment for Sunday when she will have to "make room" for the new tooth.  I really hate euphamisms.  I also hate dealing with medical stuff.

I can’t find any web information easily about what needs to be done, but I did find a great website about how teeth develop.  Keep an eye out for that first wiggly tooth at 6 years… 

 

Last night I was on my way to my knitting group and I looked in front of the bus and saw a Police Van blocking the street.  Arrgh a "Chafetz Chashud" (suspicious object), I thought…I’ll be stuck waiting for an extra 20 minutes.  Then the van moved and I saw a crowd of people. 

 It was a "Hachnasat Sefer Torah" (the bringing of a new

torah into a synagogue).  There was a "mitzvah mobile"–a small car with a lights in the shape of a crown, blasting music.  People dancing with torches, and to top it all off, the driver opened the door and some sefardi ladies did some uvulating and threw in some candies. 

 

It was well worth the five minute delay.  A few teens on the bus asked what was going on and I told them.  Their reply was "for what do they need to do this? (Bishvil ma tzarich et zeh?)  It was the one downside to the event.  How do you explain to a secular youth the importance of the torah?  I think the best answer I could have given (but didn’t) would just be to say–it is just another reason to celebrate. 

My big girl’s Kindergarten teacher gives them occasional "homework" assignments to prepare them for the homework of First Grade. 

Yesterday’s assignment was truly an only in Israel type of assignment.  Next week is Lag B’Omer, and the big event in Israel is building bonfires.  We’ve been watching the teens and pre-teens running around the neighborhood for over a week with shopping carts picking up any stray wood they can find.  So, what do you need for a bonfire?  Potatos wrapped in foil of course. So what is her assignement?  Pick what is her favorite way to eat a potato.  Then she had to write the word, and draw a picture of it.

 She picked "puree," known as mashed potatos in English.  She drew a huge bowl with orange-ish potatos, and put it on a table half the size.  She even included a tablecloth and chairs.  I’ll have to see if I can scan it some time.