Princess YaYa and the Bootie Queen

PRESS RELEASE BY NETUREI KARTA REPRESENTING ORTHODOX JUDAISM

Orthodox Judaism is incompatible with and totally opposes the philosophy known as Zionism. It condemns Zionism both on the grounds of religious belief and on the grounds of the religious requirement to be compassionate and humanitarian to all mankind.

Neturei Karta is the group name of those Orthodox Jews who are prepared to express openly their religious opposition to Zionism and their sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinian cause in their struggle against the Zionist oppression.

As part of their expression of support for the Palestinian cause, representatives of Neturei Karta take part in protests, which draw attention to the Palestinian struggle, whenever and wherever they can.
THE WORLD, through the Agency of the International Court of Justice, has been examining the legality or otherwise of the physical barrier known as ‘the wall’ being erected by the Zionist State between them and the Palestinians. Our position is as follows:

The Jews were exiled some two thousand years ago by Divine decree from the land now known as Palestine, because they did not maintain the standards expected of them. From that time on we were forbidden and forsworn by our Torah not to attempt to come out of exile through our own efforts. To do so would be a rebellion against the wish of the A-lmighty and we were warned of the dire consequences of transgressing this prohibition.

Exile means that Jews must be loyal subjects of the countries in which they live and not attempt to attain political power over the indigenous populations of those countries. This stringent religious requirement applies equally both in any country in the world and in Palestine, where the indigenous population is the Palestinian people.

Added to the above is the religious humanitarian requirement to treat all individuals and peoples with compassion and consideration. To forcefully deprive a people of their homes and country is totally contrary to this requirement.

It follows therefore that it is the Palestinians, the indigenous population of Palestine, who have the right to rule in Palestine today. According to the Torah and Jewish faith, the Palestinian Arab claim to rule in Palestine is right and just. The Zionist illegitimate claim is illegal and what is more must inevitably be based on loss of life and deprivation of property.

Orthodox Jewry, therefore, pass no opinion on the legality or otherwise of ‘the wall’. We do however pass an opinion of ABSOLUTE ILLEGALITY on the ZIONIST STATE known as ‘Israel’. The root cause of ‘the wall’ is the illegitimate Zionist State that has caused untold suffering to both Jews and Arabs for decades. So many people ignore the root cause of the hate that has spread and engulfed the globe today.

IF THE ZIONIST STATE WERE TO BE DISMANTLED THE WHOLE QUESTION OF ‘THE WALL’ WOULD DISAPPEAR.

We want to tell the world, especially our Palestinian neighbours, that there is no hatred or animosity between Jew and Arab. We wish to live together as friends and neighbours. Let us not forget the peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs that existed throughout the centuries. All those memories vanished with the advent of Zionism.
The Zionist oppression of Arabs in Palestine is a tragedy for both the Palestinian and the Jewish peoples.

Opposition to Zionism and its crimes does not mean a hatred for Jews, so called ‘antisemitism’. On the contrary Zionism and its deeds are the biggest threat to Judaism and the biggest cause of ‘antisemitism’
Zionism is not Judaism – Zionists do not represent the Jews

We pray for an end to bloodshed, an end to the suffering of our Palestinian brethren and all innocent people worldwide. We are waiting for the annulment of Zionism and the peaceful dismantling of the Zionist regime, and would welcome the opportunity to dwell in peace in the holy land under a rule entirely in accordance with Palestinian aspirations.

NETUREI KARTA

It’s 3:30 a.m.  and Yaya has decided she wants to go see Patta Butta and go swimming…now.  Despite my attempts to convince my 2 year old of the necessity of R.E.M. sleep, it has become apparent we are up for the day.  Yaya has conceded to watching an Elmo video while we wait for cousin to rise and shine.  At some point during the last three weeks, our local 24 hour grocery store decided to change their hours (without consulting me), and now closes at 1 a.m.  That leaves me with three choices: sing along with Elmo (exciting!), unpack (more exciting!), blogging with heavy pictures….

Have Princess Will Travel:  Here we are, Snow White in tow, almost ready to go….

Can’t leave the country without one last call to Cousin Butta….

Our favorite airplane activities: Playdo, Writing home, Doobie Doo…

It’s official, Yaya is the big 1,2, free! 

Technically, her 2nd birthday was official the 27th of June, but we wouldn’t dare have cake without her BFFE, Patta’ Butta; she was on a journey to the ends of the earth (MN). 

The “cake” was a chocolate chip cookie icecream sandwhich.  Had the icecream frozen as solid as the cookie, it would have been awesome, but probably very hard to cut.  Next time I think I would follow the proper directions for a cookie cake and make the cookie much thinner.  I was thinking fat and chewy, not thin and permeable. 

Pilsbury says to spread a 16.5 oz package of chocolate chip cookie dough over a 12″ pizza pan, but I think the cookie would have been large and unmanageable.  I had a 32 oz package of cookie dough divided evenly between two 9 inch pans.  Next time I think I’ll try dividing the dough into two 13 oz portions, and use the 6 oz of left over dough to create a shaped cookie for 3D decor on the top.  Initially, this is what I had planned, but thought the cookie looked far to thin. 

If you want to give it your best shot, bake both 13 oz, 9″ cookies in a springform pan on 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes (closer to 10 is better to ensure the much thinner cookie would remain chewy).  Allow to cool completely, and then using the same springform pan (latch closed) layer: 8″ cake board (optional), the least pretty cookie – face down, about 1″ of softened icecream, and, last but not least, the most edible looking cookie.  Freeze overnight. Run a butter knife around the edge before opening the springform.  My buttercream recipe is:

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

3 to 4 C. Powdered Sugar

Watermelon – $3.99

Plastic Kiddie Pool – $19.99

Fourth of July Fun with your cousin….priceless!

Yaya’s new favorite boob tube time is “moobies”; preferably, anything with “scawy monsters”.  It’s genetic; her father was practically weaned on American slasher films.  Don’t get the wrong idea.  To her, scary is ”Doobie Doo” or any the villian from any Disney animated film.  This week we’re working on wearing out our “Aladdin” collector’s edition.  Finally something I can stand to watch 30 b’zillion times (sorry, Barney!)

It is a little known fact I had a crush on Aladdin in the third grade.  Yes, I had a crush on a cartoon character!  Kindly collect yourself from the floor and read on…

The first time she watched, as her hero entered the screen she squealed “DADDY!”.  If you ever watch Aladdin in our home you’ll hear Yaya cheer on Aladdin with “Go go go, Daddy!” or “Oh ma Daddy got de munkey?” or “Oh! Where ma Daddy?”.   

Since being approached by major modeling agency, HRH Daddy has been up my royal keister to get a new camera.  After mine pooped out, I was holding out for a digital SLR, but we bought a Canon Powershot sd870 for the meantime. 

Although it has one of the shortest shutter delays in its 8mp point and shoot class, I’m not happy with the shutter speed, the macro mode is lacking, and don’t get me started on the evils of autofocus.  I could go on all day with a review, but it really boils down to if you’re used to a SLR, whether film or digital, you won’t be satisfied with a point and shoot…ever.  It will do for now; it does have some fun features like color accent. 

I’m a shitty blogger.

That’s right, I’m just going to put it out there.  Although my visions for this blog were grand, my blogging has been, at best, a half-assed effort.  I feel pictures add substance where there is not… I’m a little more motivated now that I have a new camera to take blog pictures with.

Yaya, Daddy, and I had lunch today at Cheesecake Factory…and dessert, of course!  I should’ve taken a picture of our meal like all the foodie bloggers, but I was more interested in eating it.  So all you’re gonna get are our ugly mugs:

I’m not one of those weirdos that dresses my kid to match, but:

“Aunty” Cheryl and “Uncle” Hamdan:

They had no choice.  She was kickin’ those legs up whether they participated or not…suckers!:

Move it or lose it!:

P.S. “Fooshy” in Arabic is Fuschia.

Ok, I don’t know how Prilly got this on her page, but here’s the link to mine…

http://www.myheritagefiles.com/I/storage/site1/files/57/85/52/578552_678743a7a77474709urk36.JPG

Dr. Phil once did a show on adults who had difficulty letting go of their childhood.  His first guest was a US Marine, who refused to give up his baby blankie.  I had a friend who cried even at the age of 17 if she forgot her “Woobie” for overnights.  Years later she refused to share him with her own 2 year old daughter.  I can only imagine how her wedding night went; maybe he was her ”something old” tucked under her dress.  Just recently I handed down to Yaya, 3 large tubs of stuffed animals I had saved.  Some of them I kept since the age of 2 or 3.  We all hold on to items with memories from childhood that comfort us, but I’m surprised my daughter, not quite 16 months and with so little history to cling to, would do the same.  She has her favorite toys, but nothing she can’t live without not even a blankie…or so I thought. 

Today we finished unpacking her room, and repacking baby things she has outgrown.  One item just couldn’t go in the box, her bassinet.  Yaya slept in a moses basket next to my bed for the first 3 months of her life.  I would never imagine she remembered, let alone had formed a bond with, her little bed.  She spent more months sleeping in her crib, and when we came back from our trip this summer, wanted nothing to do with it; she has slept in her big girl bed ever since.  

First came the sit in.  Based upon her body language (back to me, leaning forward, gripping both sides) if she had the vocabulary, she probably would have chanted, “Hell no!  We won’t go!”

“Yaya, can Momma put your basket away?”

She has the cutest little “no” with a long drawn out “ooooooo” and then leaves her mouth frozen in a pucker long after the sound is gone. 

“Yaya, this is for babies.  We have to put it away.”,  I say tugging on the end.

Here comes her second favorite argument, the silent stare down complete with furrowed brow.

Then, as if she remembers those short few months next to my bed, she hops up out of her basket, and drags it into her room.  ”Night night, Momma.”

Here she is pretending to go night night:

Bassinet

Bassinet 2

I decided not to pack this one away; it makes a great dolly bed.  We tucked ”Boo Boo Baby” in with Yaya’s own bottle of Cranberry juice, and left her to go night night.  Some time later, it got very quiet in the house.  Three guesses as to where I found my big baby:

Bassinet 3

Bassinet 4

Here is a comparison shot.  This picture was taken her first day home from the hospital:

Bassinet – 3 Days Old

Martha wrote a very important how to article in the April 1997 issue of Martha Stewart Living instructing cat lovers on how one should bathe their feline.   She writes:

‘Cats are not fond of being bathed.  The key to successfully bathing cats, or any animal, is to start when they are very young, so they grow up accustomed to the process. Don’t put your cat in the sink; use three buckets or metal tubs filled with warm water instead. Add some shampoo made especially for cats to the water in one bucket and swish it around to make suds, then lower the cat in. Allow the cat to rest its front paws on the edge of the bucket — this will help keep it from panicking. Rub the suds through the cat’s fur, and use a small sponge to clean the head and face. Then lift the cat from the water and gently stroke the fur to get out the excess suds and water. Use the clean, warm water in the next two buckets to rinse the fur, and use a clean, wet sponge to rid the face of any soap. Afterward, wrap your cat in a big, fluffy towel to dry. This will be sufficient for a short-haired breed; longer-haired cats may require blow-drying.’

While I do respect her methods, I think Martha is expecting a bit much from the cat.  I find the following process works much better, leaves the animal fresh, and is quite effective in killing parasites.

First, tie him in a sack with a little baking soda.  Be absolutely sure to tie the sack tight so he can’t escape.  Shake the sack vigorously.  You will want to take him outside before letting the cat out of the bag.   

Second, grab him by the back of the neck and give him a good beating with a stick. If he is still quite foul, throw him for a spin in the washing machine with some vinegar.  Afterwards leave him in the sun to dry.

 Good as new! 

 As you can see this method works well for babies, dogs, and even rabbits or Grizzly bears:

Clean Animals