Category Archives: Uncategorized

2 Years — sadness is still too much to bare

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2 years ago today a lovely little boy ERS died in a horrible accident at the local JCC — he drown in the pool there, during a swim lesson at camp. ERS wasn’t our son, we knew his sister S since Bob and she were in school as two year olds, they were supposed to come over for Shabbat the week after he had passed. A funeral like this I have never before seen – I remember it and all the raw emotions. My heart still goes out to the entire family…. I dreamt last night that G-B was with him, reading to him…the perpetual 1st grader with the perpetual 1st grade teacher….

Easy morning x2 days…

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OK, make that “easier”! Belle was able to get her stuff together enough to get out both thursday and friday am. That isn’t to say we didn’t have our moments, but Jeven sent a picture of her smiling in the car on the way to camp.

BTW – we didn’t make it to ZeroCNS — we’ll try again for next week

Zero CSN

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J’s new motto — Zero CSN (zero csn sunday night) — We are part of a CSA *- below is a copy from the groupy’s e-mail about what it is. The problem is I thought this would replace our produce visits. I thought we would spend less on groceries — boy was I wrong! We layed out the money for the CSA and have basically the same shopping list…though add the extra stuff that J needs to prepare the things like collared greens and rubarb and garlic scapes….

It is a lot of pressure! I just love my peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, grapes — the real stuff you can get at a super market — I know, I’m a party pooper!

*Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a mutually beneficial partnership where urbanconsumers receive fresh, nutritious vegetables while helping to sustain the livelihoods andstewardship of regional farmers. In a CSA arrangement the farmer pre-sells “shares” in his or herfarm’s upcoming harvest to individuals, families, and institutions in the city.Tuv Ha’Aretz, a program of Hazon, means both “good for the land” and “the best of the land.” Ultimately, it also means the best for you and your family. As a Tuv Ha’Aretz member at TI, you’ll know where your food is coming from, and enjoy:
• a variety of fresh, organic vegetables at competitive prices from Calvert Farm.
• weekly produce delivery to TI, on Monday afternoons
• supporting local farms, a healthy environment, and strong community
• connecting in new ways to Jewish values and tradition
• a weekly newsletter, Tuv Ha’Shavua with recipes from the farm, divrei Torah and more!
• farm trips and inspiring education classes

Better Start…

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Today Belle got it together and had a good morning – don’t know why, but it worked. I have to keep reminding myself that she is not doing this to us. That she doesn’t set out to upset us and make us mad. In the anger of a being late for work, for not running smoothly through our “routine’ — I tend to forget.
She is not doing this to me/us.
She wouldn’t do it if she could stop herself.

Happy Birthday Auntie Lolo — 23rd!

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I know Lolo doesn’t read this blog — she would if she knew it existed…but she doesn’t yet. I remember that day, when my life as an only child was no more. When she screamed her way into our lives….we all thought she was a boy – I even convinced Grandma A that we KNEW she was a boy — LOL

I was 3 weeks shy of 10, what a special day it was. I became a sister, something I waited a VERY long time for….though now, I’m waiting even longer to be an Auntie myself:)

Love you Lolo — we all do.

One person’s lie is another person’s fiction

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Belle did it again today. She got up, she got dressed, she even came down and ate breakfast so nicely. Getting ready to leave and she says she is bringing her dog – we say, no, toys are not allowed in camp or school — party line – though we compromised to let her take him in the car on the ride.

As we pull up to drop off Cookoo and Puppy — Belle says, “you know what mommy and abba, you were right, I shouldn’t take my dog to camp, I’m glad I left him at home!”

Boy were we upset — a straight out fabricated lie.

(Fast forward 7 hours and she left the car without permission and crossed the parking lot at the pre-school without a grownup — almost full meltdown over dessert, but we were able to cut it off at the pass…this time.)

When talking to my friend and doula tonight – B – I recounted my day with among other issues, Belle — and I gotta love B — she said:

“wow! she is going to be a great writer when she is older!” A refreshing and creative ending.

M*E*L*T*D*O*W*N

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Well — the perfect end to the perfect day — a meltdown — just like the Justin Roberts song Meltdown – Belle ended today in a meltdown – this time over not getting more cookies. We went to a friends house for dinner tonight (H and I), everyone else had the 1.5 — Bob, Belle, Puppy, the friends children M and L — but Belle decided she need more, needless to say it was a car ride of piercing screeching and crying for more cookies…

I found my niche – life of the impromptu!

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We just got back from our impromptu picnic/bicycle ride! It was great — but had we planned it and thought about it — again, wouldn’t have happened. J went and got a new pump, and came home and said he wanted to take the kids to ride — but it was lunchtime….

So I pulled out salami, bread, ketchup, mustard (2 kinds), carrots, peppers, ice water & blueberries — add the picnic blanket, camera — 4 bikes, 4 helmets, wipes – plates, napkins, utencils AND BUG SPRAY — and we were off within 14 minutes flat …nope, could not have planned it.

We took two cars, and with gas prices at $4.22 per gallon, we drove the mile to a local elementary school parking lot — put out our spread, and had the entire lot to ourselves for riding.

Amid the raindrops, and sunshower…Bob took of riding as usual, Belle rode for the first time without training wheeles!! Though did take a spill — Bean didn’t love getting wet, but rode for a bit and Puppy was too funny in his three wheeler — and helmet.

I survived, though I HATE the outside, bugs and all — but I feel proud of myself, I think that I did ok…I did it for my kids. Had I had to think about it, and plan it and worry about it, I don’t think I could have pulled it off… I’m so glad we did.

Happy 4th of July!!

Shabbat Playdates O-My!

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So it started out as a simple – Bob was going to have a playdate with his best bud form birth JM – well JM has a sister EM who is Bean’s age – so they wanted to play…ok god who will we have for Belle? We call AP and she can come, thank god! So now you are thinking that I am leaving out Puppy….no no! That is when it got crazy…

BSP, my oldest and dearest friend from kindergarten gas been telling me about her friend BR and her husband RR, who have a daughter SR who is going to be at school with Puppy…but they also have a son JR who is 18 months old…BSP herself has SPa who is Puppy age and SPb who is 4 months old (yes, both their names start with S — I’m not the only one to mess this up!) so I invited both families….J was aware of this, but what I forgot to tell him….is that when I thought of who was coming — I invited TG — with her three kids – SG who is Bean’s age, LG who is Puppy’s age and NG who is JR’s age so they could meet too….

Needless to say, the 4 year olds were the loudest – the 2 almost 3 year olds cried the most…and some parents handled the noise better than others…

All in all I had a great time, lovely people — and J chose not to divorce me yet!