Category: Life in General

Here’s the thing about systems – they don’t actually solve the problem. They don’t make the challenge go away. They do make you feel in control and they do make it easier to put into words what’s not working. But the system itself isn’t magic. It’s the people keeping (or not keeping) that system that hold the keys to success. 

That brings me to the Sock Crisis.

In this house of many children there are many, many socks. Many many boys’ socks. Way back when boy number four was born, I felt I needed a sock system, and quickly.

I had one girl at the time, so that made her system simple. One girl, one bin. Done. For my boys, I needed a new route.

Before making a system, I had to establish a policy. And the policy was: only solid colors. Life is too short to spend so much of your time trying to pair up small dots and big dots and wide stripes and medium stripes without making mistakes.

Continue reading “The Sock Crisis” →

It was finally here – our annual family Chanukah party! After numerous community events and parties, tonight would be just me, my husband and our kids. The sound of latkes sizzling on the stove combined with the sight of pretty matching plates and tablecloths was the perfect combination. The mason jars labeled with the adorable stickers, each filled with another donut topping, stood in a neat row. Chanukah themed edible place cards with each kid’s name on it were propped right near their placemats. It was picture perfect.

And then I woke up.

Continue reading “The most perfect Chanukah Party of all.” →

I missed my daughter’s graduation. 

I had it all planned out just right; I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

High school had been a ride full of surprises, including meeting many principals and teachers; some who connected better than others and some who understood teens better than others. But we had made it, both my daughter and I. We survived high school; her for the first time, me for the second. 

And I had to be at the graduation. 

Even more so because she was graduating from the same school I did; there was something incredibly special about that.

The11:30pm flight right after shabbos would get me to NY with a few hours to spare before the 1pm graduation, or so I thought. I grabbed my bags right after havdala and scrambled to the car to get to the airport on time.

Sailing through security with TSAPre, I arrived at the gate with time to make myself comfortable and finish some other things on my to do list.

Continue reading “I had to make it to the graduation!” →

My son is toilet trained! 

No, that doesn’t do justice.

My son is toilet trained!!!!!

MY SON IS TOILET TRAINED!!!!

This may be my tenth child that I’ve toilet trained, but that doesn’t diminish the joy and exhilaration. I want to shout it from the roof tops – I succeeded at toilet training!!

Hands down, this strong willed four year old was the hardest one yet. Yes, you read that right. Four year old. If I was a first time mom, I would have assumed I was just a failure of a mother who just couldn’t get it right. Being the tenth time around, I KNEW that I had it in me. I knew I had what it takes, even when I felt that I didn’t.

Continue reading “He’s toilet trained!” →

I can’t help but wonder what my neighbors think is going on in my backyard. They hear things like, “No, don’t do that! It’s dangerous!” Or “Stop, someone is going to get hurt, that’s dangerous!” Or sometimes the very short variation of ”That’s dangerous, stop now!!”

Are they wondering what type of explosives or machinery I’m hiding behind my wood plank fence, that makes everythings so dangerous?!. Do they wonder if things are safe on my side of the divider? Who knows. Maybe they even peek through the slats of the fence when I am not looking to see what is going on. After all, my kids love to stick their little noses through the fence and ask the neighbors what they’re doing, while they are just trying to enjoy their life of retirement.

Truthfully, I have an inkling of what they do think…

Continue reading “I wonder what the neighbors think” →