Raising four beautiful Avocado Juniors so close in age, Mater and Pater experience deja vu frequently. Sometimes it's obvious. Like seeing AJ4 sitting in the exersaucer, or pulling himself up in the garden, just like his siblings before him.
Other times it creeps up on us unexpectedly. Like seeing Sophie the Giraffe again. Back in 2010, AJ1
loved this toy. We went through a few of them (at $30 a pop!), not to mention Sophie's weird friend, Pie. And then half a decade went by and nothing. Or
rien, as Sophie's French creators would say. AJ2 and AJ3 showed no interest in chewing the living daylights out of the poor giraffe's legs or head. So imagine our surprise, seven years later, to see AJ4 falling in love again with France's greatest export - whether alone, with friends, while eating or asleep.
How to explain this strange phenomenon? Some have suggested sleep deprivation, but that would only explain Mater experiencing it, not Pater too. Others put it down to a glitch in the brain, but then that would only explain Pater experiencing it, not ... Anyways, science has over forty theories as to what causes the sensation of deja vu. However, less well known and researched is deja nu, the feeling that you've experienced a Jewish celebration before.
Over the last three thousand years, there have been a lot of weekly Sabbath meal with friends, and numerous Jewish festivals celebrated with family, so deja nu can carry a negative connotation of "wash, rinse, repeat". How best to avoid the risk of "blah, blah, blah"? Turn deja nu, into deja new by experiencing the ancient through the eyes of youth, that's how. And that's what we did this Passover, when we returned to Florida to celebrate the miracle of the Exodus, with family, friends and an abundance of food. And a young boy who has never experienced any of it before...
Once upon a blog, Avocado Junior firsts were captured religiously and often the sole topic of one post after another. Those were the days when Mater and Pater assumed we were the first parents in the world, witnessing the first of, well, pretty much anything done by the world's first babies, and so we reported each burp, roll and smile accordingly. Why haven't we done the same for you, AJ4? Does that means that we love you any less? Far from it! As our last child, we are hyper sensitive to the reality that is the last time we will see one of our children do something for the first time. Unfortunately space and time is limited, and you have 3 siblings who are still breaking new ground, still embracing life's challenges, some successfully, some endearing, some not, but all newsworthy. For example, at a concert last night, your seven-year-old sister informed your Mater that her attempts at dancing were embarrassing her (Pater could have sworn he would have been the first recipient of that statement). This wasn't captured on video, but your two-year-old brother's first ice-skating attempts this morning were:
See, it's happened again! This post was meant to be all about our last child's recent firsts and it got hijacked by the other kids. Argh, concentrate Pater. No more stories about AJ1 and her proficiency as a skater...
...or AJ2 and his amazing new hockey skills...
...or AJ3 and his first pee in the toilet...okay, not showing that video, but how about his first night in a big boy bed...
OMG, stop! Hereon in, Pater solemnly swears to only recount with FTPP (First Time Parent Pride) your firsts, AJ4. Like your first Autumn...
...and your first attempt at turning over...
..and your first bath not in a sink (with a little gift left over on one occasion)...
...and your first girlfriend...
...and your first, second attempt at turning over (probably not helped by AJ2's weird obsession with sucking his thumb and touching your head whenever he sees you)...
...and your first nursery rhyme singalong...
...and your first solid food...
...and your first, third attempt at turning over...
...and your first snow (don't be fooled into thinking it will always be this light)...
...and your first bedroom (yes, the previous tenant may need to be evicted if he doesn't stay in his new bedroom)...
...and your first successful rollover (good job, buddy, and well done for being successful while only Pater and his iPhone were around. Much appreciated)...
...and of course, your first taste of being a Hass Avocado...
That's certainly a lot of firsts; Pater hopes that they were as exciting for you as they were for us. And while you're not the first of our children to be experiencing these first moments, you are the first to do so surrounded by so many adoring fans...
...who can't get over how damn cute you are!
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