Aureet's Childhood

AUREET* (*means light)

Excerpts from a Childhood Diary by Aureet's Mother Miriam

6/7/58

Today Aureet said to me "ph" "p" as she was looking at the blooming tree in the garden. Flowers have always excited and interested her and today she finally said that to me. "Prahim" (flowers) and "Or"(light) are the two words that Aureet says quite clearly and this is not an accident. Of all the things around her that Aureet likes, light and flowers are her favorites, just as of all the people around Aureet loves Aba[Father] and Ima[Mother]. The only reason Aureet doesn't call them by name is that they are with her all the time, they do things with her and usually know what she wants so she doesn't need to call them much.

3/8/59

Today Aureet is one and a half years old. Wow! she has come a long way. Lately Aureet is so busy with many things:

First of all, the walking, running and dancing everywhere at home and outside are an occupation in themselves. Secondly, chattering, talking, and singing with all kinds of words are a really substantial occupation. But all these are only outlines and hints of what she is busy with every day. It is not easy to tell about everything. Let me just mention a few of her favorite things:

She loves taking walks and isn't shy about hinting - saying "Tai" or "Haifa" or "by bye" or waving her hand for "good bye" and pulling the doorknob of the outside door. Of course she gets her jacket or snow suit ready with the hat and the gloves too. Everything and anything to make clear her wish to go out for a walk.

On rainy, snowy, or very cold cloudy days, when it is impossible to go out, Aureet understands the situation. She satisfies herself by standing on a box near the window and participates from a distance in the game of some cats or dogs by calling out excitedly all kinds of words which she hopes they understand. She especially makes bird sounds and shows the birds where her mother put the bread outside the window for them to eat. When there are any children outside, she watches them and tries to call them. She is sorry they don't always hear her.

What else does Aureet like? She likes doing everything by herself. Of course she feeds herself and she almost doesn't need any help from grown ups since she is so big already. Also, she helps in tidying the house and she knows the place for everything. Aureet puts everything in its place and if she cannot reach, she shows her intention to the grown ups.

Aureet and Yaneer, 1959

Something important Aureet loves to do is drawing. Give her a pencil and paper and she can be busy for half an hour or more. When we put some of Aureet's drawings in an envelope, Aureet looked as if to say "Well, let them keep those until I will draw even nicer pictures".

Aureet calls Ima and Aba by their real names: "Iam" and "Vi" [Miriam and Zvi] and only sometimes calls us Aba and Ima. After all, where is it written that you can't call them by their names, especially when you hear those all the time? Aureet still calls her doll: "Booba" [Doll in Hebrew] and takes good care of her of course. She feeds her, takes off her pants to change her, gives her a ride in the big cardboard box all around the house pulling it with a string Aba gave her.

In general, there are many things Aureet likes doing and she delights those around her by singing to them, talking to them and dancing especially when she hears music on the radio or a record. She just loves hearing music, singing and dancing to the rhythm of music.

4/4/60

Today Aureet and Yaneer had a "party" and a "show". Yaneer played the music using a spoon and a big stainless steel pan and Aureet danced and sang. It was a great joyous time.

2/2/62

Aureet and Yaneer, 1962

There is a children's song about a porcupine that was looking for a friend to dance with but no one wanted to dance with him and he finally danced by himself. About a year ago Aureet was changing the ending of the song to: "He found a friend and danced with him." (she often changes words to songs according to her ideas and creativity). Today she suddenly sang the song with the original ending: "suddenly he stood and danced by himself" but she added an explanation: "He knew already what he wanted. He wanted to dance alone and he was laughing and happy."

3/16/62

Aureet and Yaneer built a "city" from colored blocks with small beads.

They made a road with cars, park made of pegs, swimming pool made of blocks with arcs, little lambs "meh" "meh" made of small blocks, a train made of plain wooden blocks with a caboose, a tractor, a car with little people (beads) inside it, a baby in a carriage made of pegs, dogs running to the train, houses made either of plastic cups or thick plastic rings one on top of the other, sandboxes with "pretend" sand in them and some small beads to represent sand, people-beads and soldiers-beads marching, a stage made out of the box of beads and on it people beads. Using an empty vitamin bottle, Aureet "sows seeds" so that trees will grow everywhere. Then bowling pins are added as trees.

4/2/62

Aureet already knows how to tie shoelaces by herself. This is a complicated business and one must be careful to make sure the shoelace is long enough. Now, she can completely dress herself without any help. She also tries to teach Yaneer how to do it but he is still too small now. So she helps him dressing himself and she ties the shoelaces for him. Aureet is sure that soon enough he will do it for himself like any big boy.

12/14/62

Aureet and Yaneer were washing dishes. Aureet washes carefully every dish (they come out really clean and shiny) and Yaneer wipes every dish enthusiastically calling to me: "Ima it will break, put it away, away." and on and on. Washing dishes is a "prize" for "good behavior" for them.

1/15/63

Aureet tells me: "I just went downstairs to make sure that Yaneer got to the car all right. It is so slippery outside on the snow."

Later the same day: "I think that mailmen's feet are very sore when they get home at night. They should have cars to take them to the houses to deliver the mail."

10/18/63

Sageet is such a mischievous girl. She likes laughing and singing and dancing and learns a lot from Aureet her big sister who loves to take care of her. Aureet and Yaneer like laughing and singing with Sageet and they all sing together with me.

Since Sageet doesn't like just sitting quietly to eat but prefers to jump and dance in her chair, she almost fell down yesterday and we caught her at the last minute. Aureet and Yaneer particularly like it when Sageet puts the soup bowl on her head when she finishes eating and sometimes even before.

Purim 1966

For Purim, Aureet, Yaneer and Sageet prepared a dance in which Yaneer was the music professor dressed in a cap and gown with music notes taped on them; Aureet was a butterfly, and Sageet was a flower. The rehearsals of the dance, choreographed by Aureet, went very well. Sageet sang: "I am a little flower", Yaneer played on the piano "To Celia" and Aureet danced. Then Sageet sang "Parpar Parpar Perach Hai" ["Butterfly, butterfly, Lively flower"], Yaneer played "Long long ago" and Aureet danced around Sageet. At the last rehearsal on the stage, Sageet refused to sing and when we asked her: "why don't you sing? How will the dance be without your singing?" She answered: " Little flowers don't sing". Aureet finally convince her that it was OK to make believe.