What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?
For the past five and a half years, I've been mainly home raising my children. When Ari was born I made a decision to stay home with him so that I wouldn't miss a thing. I saw him crawl, walk and talk.When Ari turned one I began substitute teaching. A few months later, I started transcribing for reality television. The teaching was flexible and I could do it when my parents were available to watch Ari. Transcription I could do from home and was also fairly flexible, although deadlines were tight.My life has changed now, and I'm in need of a more steady income. I need to find a full time job.The challenge is this: my resume looks like an impressionist painting. It's full of varying jobs. From working at a veterinary hospital to being a vocational rehabilitation counselor to becoming a substitute teacher.I've had many jobs, but I've never had a career.At this point in my life, it's time to decide on a career and pursue it. As a Libra, I tend to be indecisive. But once I make up my mind it's unmovable. It's just getting to that point where I make a decision that's tough.The question is, [...]
SuSu – A New York Cat Story
We were all devastated when our cat Simon died. Samara kept saying at random intervals. "Simey died," or "Simey went bye bye."Just a few weeks before Simon died, Ari and I were passing by a local bodega on the way home from school when we noticed a kitten walk outside onto the sidewalk."Get her, Mommy! We have to save her or she might run into the street and get dead!" Ari said frantically. So we brought her back inside the deli. Ever since that day, we made it a point to visit the deli after school and see SuSu, which is what the store employees named her.We would play with her and hold her. She particularly enjoyed batting my dangling earrings around. Sometimes she would just curl up with Ari on the floor. After a while, the kids and I became attached to SuSu.One day, suddenly (after sixteen years of life) our cat Simon passed away. We were left with a empty place in our home and in our hearts.The day Simon died, I went to the bodega to see if SuSu was there. In my mind, I thought, if she was there, I would ask the owner if we [...]
The Simon Book
Dear Simon, I remember the day Brian and I found you at BARC shelter in Brooklyn. You had no tail and you were wrestling with a white cat named Cody. Joanna, who worked there, said you were a special boy. She was right. For the past 11 years you have been there for me through everything in my life. You were there through heartbreaks, good times and awful times. You snuggled with me when I was sad and slept next to my chest when I was sick. You were a wise professor. I loved how you were great with other animals. You loved dogs, bunnies, and other cats too! You loved to eat any and all food, but you especially loved oatmeal and apples. You would eat anything though, including licking the cap of my dad's Diet Coke. I'm so glad you got to see my children and be in their lives, but let's face it: you were my first child. Ari and I made a book with our memories of you in it. It was Ari's idea. Hopefully, I be able to stop crying soon. I really miss you. I will never forget you. I love you, Simon. I [...]
Please Stop Screaming – Zombies Are Not Eating Us
Samara is two and a half-ish and she has developed this delightful habit of screaming when she doesn't get what she wants. I know (in my mind) that it's a phase. She won't be screaming for the rest of her life. I don't reinforce the screaming by giving her what she wants when she's shattering the glass windows in my apartment with her screeching. But still, I'm starting to lose whatever sanity I might have had left.I'm so tired of the screaming. It makes me cranky.Every time she screams I say "Please stop screaming and tell me what you want."This tends to get her to stop for a minute, but then five minutes later something else pisses her off and she's screaming again.I mean, I know it's hard to be two. I get it. You have limited control over what you wear or what your day's activities are going consist of, but can you please do me a favor and stop screaming about it?For example, if Ari took your dollhouse away, just say "Hey Mommy! Ari took my dollhouse!" You don't need to scream so loud that my ears feel like someone shot an arrow through them.Perhaps you object to [...]
Halloween!
This Halloween we went trick or treating on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. We stopped at all the various stores. The kids were happy to fill their 99 cent store plastic pumpkin baskets with candy loot. As we were collecting the goods I kept thinking about how different it was trick or treating when I was little. I lived in a ten story building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We used to ring every apartment doorbell and try to get as much candy as possible. Then I thought about how trick or treating would be for kids who grew up in the suburbs or the country. It must be fun to knock on actual house doors! I've never had that experience as a city kid. How was your Halloween? Boo!
The Circle Line Halloween Kids Cruise!
On Saturday October 26th, the kids and I had the pleasure of attending an awesome Halloween Kids Cruise by the Circle Line! There was a balloon artist, a face painter, a magician, and a band on board the boat. Samara was excited about the face painter. She requested to become a mermaid. Here she is with her mermaid face and tail! While we were waiting in line to get her face painted, the magician showed us some cool card tricks. This is our friend Liam (who we met on the cruise) getting his face painted into a scary pumpkin! Liam was visiting New York all the way from London. All the kids on the boat got to dance to the sounds of Baze and His Silly Friends! Baze and His Silly Friends is an awesome kids band from New Jersey. They were dressed for the occasion like pirates. We liked their music so much, that Samara requested a CD. One of our favorite songs was a jam that combined the popular nursery rhymes and had all the kiddos rocking out. And let's remember the best part of being on a boat: looking out on the water! The kids and I [...]
“Can Jewish Women Have it All?”
Tonight I had the opportunity to speak at the JCC of Greater New Haven on the topic of "Can Jewish Women Have it All?" I was joined by Rabbi Rona Shapiro, two wonderful female Jewish authors, Blu Greenberg and Michelle Cove, Rabbi Leah Cohen, and Doris Zelinsky, former CEO of Country Home Bakers. I was truly honored to be surrounded by such well accomplished women in the Jewish community and to have a chance to share in their thoughts about whether or not Jewish women could "have it all." Before I got to the JCC I had prepared what I would speak about. Once I began to hear the other brilliant women on this panel speak, my ideas shifted and changed. I was inspired by what ideas these women of varying ages and career backgrounds brought to the table. I am excited to read Blu and Michelle's books! Special shout out to DeDe Jacobs-Komisar for inviting me to speak on this panel. You're awesome! Oh! And here's my answer to the question, can Jewish women have it all? You can have whatever is important to you and what you set your mind to have. It's a matter of realizing what [...]
Stop! – Ari Speaks Up
When I picked up Ari today, one of the paras approached me. A para is someone who works one on one with a child who has special needs."I wanted to let you know that Ari came up to me on the playground today and let me know that a group of kids were hitting Bryan.** He said that Bryan was telling them to stop and they weren't listening. They asked him to hit Bryan too, but instead he said he wanted to tell a teacher."She said that she was able to stop the kids from hitting Bryan and she thanked Ari for telling her. I, in turn thanked her for telling me the story.I was glad that Ari spoke up. I was so proud of him, and I told him so.I can only hope that if one day Ari is in Bryan's position, another kid speaks up for him.**Not his real name
Circle Line Halloween Kids Cruise – 10/26/13 NYC!
Halloween is approaching and The Circle Line Kids Cruise is prepared to celebrate! Bring your kids on board the Halloween Kids Cruise on Saturday 10/26/13 at 10am and make sure to come in costume. Want to hear more? Here's Lindsey Guinn from Circle Line with the scoop:
Tooth # 2 is Out!
It's going too fast!
Random Words at Dinner
Sometimes we do this.
The Box Game
Today a tradition was passed down. Many elementary school children have learned this ancient practice over the years. It was time that Ari learned The Box Game. For those of you who don't know The Box Game, it works like this: Each player draws one line at a time between two dots. The object is to make a box. When you get a box, you draw your first initial inside to claim it. Ari now knows the sacred tradition of The Box Game.
Motherhood Comes Naturally (and other vicious lies) – By Jill Smokler -AKA Scary Mommy – A Review
"You'll sleep more when the kids get older.""Parenting strengthens a marriage.""It gets easier!""It's just a phase.""Parents have all the answers."These are some of the lies that people innocently (or not so innocently) offer to new parents to make them feel better about parenthood. Jill Smokler debunks these statements in her book: Motherhood Comes Naturally (and other vicious lies). I loved reading this book. I was laughing or nodding internally with each page. I have my own confession to make, I actually sat my children in front of the TV several times so that I could sneak away to my bedroom to read. That's how good it is. So if those statements above aren't true, then what is? Motherhood is never sleeping because every hour one of these things happens: 1. A child climbs into your bed. 2. Your kid is sleeping in your bed and kicks you in the face. 3. Your other child peed on herself and needs to be changed. 4. Your husband is snoring so loudly through all of this that you want to murder him. Motherhood Comes Naturally (and other vicious lies) makes moms feel sane. It makes you feel less guilty for wanting to pee [...]
Bee’s Wrap – A Natural Alternative to Conserving Leftovers
My friend Josina sent me a email a while back and asked me to check out Bee's Wrap. Bee's Wrap is a natural alternative to conserving leftovers rather than using things like aluminum foil. Bee's Wrap is fabric combined magically with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin and voila! There you have it, a natural way to keep your food fresh! Check out how it worked covering my leftover bowl of brown rice spaghetti! Bee's Wrap is awesome at covering leftover pasta, wrapping cheese, veggies, bread, snacks or even half an avocado!I love using Bee's Wrap with my leftovers. It feels great in my hands. It's fun to manipulate it, and it smells great!Do you want to win three sizes of Bee's Wrap? Enter below!a Rafflecopter giveaway