Tonight marks the start of Hanukkah, which by any standard isn't the most significant of Jewish holidays but when you are 4 and a half, it certainly is. My kids will be overloaded with gifts this year - from their grandparents, aunt/uncle, extended family, nanny and of course us. Yet, their favorite things still continue to be activities like baking cookies (Abby) or throwing a tennis ball to Sadie (Zach). So why did I find myself out at the beyond crowded and disorganized Toys R Us at 8 pm on a recent weeknight? Well, it seems that I, too, have gotten caught up with this holiday.
As a young child growing up in a reform Jewish home, I distinctly remember my parents actually hanging a stocking above our fireplace (the horror!) and leaving out cookies & milk for Santa until I realized there was no Santa. Looking back, I realize that perhaps that was more because my parents wanted to eat the cookies but also probably to see the look of joy on my face on Christmas morning. I never had a Christmas tree or egg nog, but I definitely looked forward to waking up to see what Santa had brought me.
While I won't go that far with my own family, I do look forward to the "traditional" Hanukkah celebrations of lighting the candles for 8 nights, saying the prayers (which I sure hope that 3 years of Jewish preschool have taught my daughter), eating latkes and watching my 4.5 and 1.5 yr old tear open presents that they will no doubt love (for at least a day or two). I also look forward to creating new memories and traditions with my own family that my kids can carry on.
Happy Holidays to all and here's to a great 2012!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The House of Sickness
I was just about to pat myself on my back and think how lucky we were that the whole first "semester" of school was nearing an end with Abby not having had to miss a single day of school due to being sick, with only a day or two of sniffles for the kids. And then, BAM! It hit our house like a ton of bricks. We got back from a lovely weekend trip to visit friends in Maryland on Sunday night, and by Monday at 9:30 am, Zach had a nice 103/104 fever.
And when we were starting to think that maybe, just maybe, it was teething-related, Abby came home from school and gymnastics that day with a fever. Monday night was a rough one in our house, with both kids up off and on throughout the night. And when Zach woke us up at 5:30 am Tuesday and would only sleep ON me, I thought the end was not in sight. Luckily I was only half wrong. Zach's fever broke on Tuesday and he got back to being himself. Not quite the same story for Abby, who got worse throughout the day. All activities, therapies and playdates were cancelled and the kids were in lockdown mode.
As of today, Abby still has a pretty high fever but after a quick trip to the dr, it was confirmed that it's just a virus that we need to let run its course. It would have been fabulous if she had something easy and treatable, like an ear infection or strep, but noooooo...we just have to wait it out. And hope she drinks Gatorade, which the dr recommended. Tomorrow will be day 3 of no school, and we'll have to see if she'll miss the rest of the week.
Here's to hoping that Jason and I don't catch whatever virus it is, and that the rest of the winter season is easier, but I am not overly optimistic about that!
And when we were starting to think that maybe, just maybe, it was teething-related, Abby came home from school and gymnastics that day with a fever. Monday night was a rough one in our house, with both kids up off and on throughout the night. And when Zach woke us up at 5:30 am Tuesday and would only sleep ON me, I thought the end was not in sight. Luckily I was only half wrong. Zach's fever broke on Tuesday and he got back to being himself. Not quite the same story for Abby, who got worse throughout the day. All activities, therapies and playdates were cancelled and the kids were in lockdown mode.
As of today, Abby still has a pretty high fever but after a quick trip to the dr, it was confirmed that it's just a virus that we need to let run its course. It would have been fabulous if she had something easy and treatable, like an ear infection or strep, but noooooo...we just have to wait it out. And hope she drinks Gatorade, which the dr recommended. Tomorrow will be day 3 of no school, and we'll have to see if she'll miss the rest of the week.
Here's to hoping that Jason and I don't catch whatever virus it is, and that the rest of the winter season is easier, but I am not overly optimistic about that!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Thankful for What I've Been Given
I just realized that it's been a full month since I last updated what's been going on with us. Oops! Call that mommy brain or simply a hectic pre-holiday season, it's been busy, that's for sure! In fact, my to-do list is about 99 pages long, but I'll check this box off now....
This past month, we celebrated a few exciting things: the birth of two friends baby boys (and two brises), a great parent-teacher conference report, a first-time meeting between Jason's grandmother and her great-grandson Zachary and of course, Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving brought Grammy Sheryl in from Chicago for a few days and it also brought many belt-loosening, tasty treats like sweet potatoe casserole, home-baked brownies and apple pie. We also took a trip to the city for a visit to the Museum of Natural History and a pit stop at Shake Shack for lunch. Not to mention, Jason's cousin Karen's 30th birthday surprise lunch in NYC, which was enjoyed by all. Needless to say, it was a busy and filling weekend - literally and figuratively!
Which brings me to why I am thankful. Not to sound cheesey, but with the last year being a bit of a struggle with Jason not working, somehow we've managed to make it work. We have a beautiful family and words can't even convey how grateful I am for my three little blessings: Abby, Zach and Sadie. With the holidays upon us in a few weeks, I want to try to focus more on what we DO have: our health, our family and our friends. I think that if we stay positive now, good things will come our way in 2012!
This past month, we celebrated a few exciting things: the birth of two friends baby boys (and two brises), a great parent-teacher conference report, a first-time meeting between Jason's grandmother and her great-grandson Zachary and of course, Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving brought Grammy Sheryl in from Chicago for a few days and it also brought many belt-loosening, tasty treats like sweet potatoe casserole, home-baked brownies and apple pie. We also took a trip to the city for a visit to the Museum of Natural History and a pit stop at Shake Shack for lunch. Not to mention, Jason's cousin Karen's 30th birthday surprise lunch in NYC, which was enjoyed by all. Needless to say, it was a busy and filling weekend - literally and figuratively!
Which brings me to why I am thankful. Not to sound cheesey, but with the last year being a bit of a struggle with Jason not working, somehow we've managed to make it work. We have a beautiful family and words can't even convey how grateful I am for my three little blessings: Abby, Zach and Sadie. With the holidays upon us in a few weeks, I want to try to focus more on what we DO have: our health, our family and our friends. I think that if we stay positive now, good things will come our way in 2012!
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