Third time is the charm

So this is officially my third time trying to get this off the ground- and I feel good about it. Third time's the charm, right? What have I missed- a lot. There was Hanukkah, Tu B'Shevat and of course Christmas and New Year's. So, I will try again. Purim is right around the corner (as in next week) and then not far behind is Passover with lots of "stories" in between I am sure.

Talk to you in a few days...

Hanukkah is coming

Has anyone seen how much bigger the Hanukkah section is at Target this year?   It's like twice the size of the past.  Last year it was an end cap that barely overflowed into an aisle in the stationary section.  But this year it has an entire side of an aisle and is right next to the Christmas section.  It even has cute stuff, which has always been hard for me to find.  

Start stocking up- Hanukkah is only 5 weeks away! 

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! I am silly and dramatic by nature so Halloween is like my own personal holiday. This year our family is going as "Wizard of Oz." My husband is the tin man, the little one is Dorothy and the older one is the lion. We had to buy a scarecrow and just keep him propped up next to us. Appropriately enough, I am the witch and just like the witch, I have things that will send me into a melt down. Here's my top five- not necessarily in "melting power" order.

1. All the little things that go wrong when I am already running late- can't find my keys, son running away from me as I try to get his shoes on, garage door won't close etc.
2. Inconsolable crying- I usually am a champ about this but when it does send me into meltdown road- IT REALLY SENDS ME INTO MELT DOWN MODE.
3. An annoying husband. Now let me follow that by saying I have the most wonderful husband in the world who treats me like a princess and puts up with much more from me than he should or than I care to admit, but he sometimes misses the key details in ourconversation which result in additional trips to the grocery store, a forgotten child at pre-school or duplicated work.
4. Not finding anything to wear. In 3 years I have gone from a mostly business wardrobe to a very casual wardrobe- 2 sizes bigger. I also have less time for personal attention so there is often no makeup and unwashed hair. All of this combined just leads to me feeling ugly and gross and often late as I try on one outfit after another.
5. Not being able to find something. I used to be a very organized person and have a very organized way of living- work off lists, strategically plan my week with errands needing to be run, coupons organized by aisle etc. However, I don't know if it's my husband, combining our stuff, being in a constant state of renovations on the house (until this year), working from home or just being a family of four, our house is frequently messy and things are never organized as well as I would like. When I can't find something I feel like my entire life is a mess and quite frankly just overwhelmed.

I know this seems like a lot. It really takes these things combined with a bad day, being over- tired, PMSing or some other circumstance that already has me on the edge. But I do know these are all little things and that's something I am working on. Because in the grand scheme of things who cares if I am the parent known for being late or if my son doesn't have his shoes on as we approach school, or if I have to go to the grocery store everyday of the week or if I am still in running shorts and a sweatshirt when my husband comes home. Nobody. Nobody really cares and it doesn't really matter.

So I will try not to sweat the small stuff- especially since I am probably already sweating from running my son into his pre-school class.

Mile high club

Don't get excited. It's not THAT mile high club. I wish I could say I was a member of that club but my life just isn't that adventurous (and plane bathrooms disgust me). For the first time I took my breast pump on the plane and pumped. I packed the pump and small bottle cooler as carry ons and then on the way home I emptied the ice just before security and replenished right after I went through. It was actually pretty easy. The best part was the reaction I got from the gentlemen I encountered along the way.

I am not really a shy person and will admit that I sometimes get pleasure out of making people uncomfortable. Not in a mean way- more of a teasing way. Like pretending I don't notice my son has a dirty diaper as I leave him with my husband. So yes, it was fun to watch the TSA official at the security gate take a second look at the milk and even more fun to watch the reaction of the 20 something guy behind me when I proudly, and a little loudly, announce that the liquid in the plastic bags was breast milk. I only wish I could have seen the face of the person banging on the plane bathroom door when I yelled, "it's going to be a minute, I am pumping my breasts."

Its Sukkah time

How did your Sukkah come out? Ours was fun- a day late but fun. The 2 year old really enjoyed looking for the "roof" pieces and then decorating it. We skipped the dry fruit and opted for painting instead. He insisted on having black which probably has some hidden meaning that will require years of therapy but thouroughly enjoyed the process and has asked to make another one. We were in the woods- hence the camouflage. This is obviously from my side of the family- how many Jews do you know wear camouflage?

Another Holiday? Jews Camping? What is this all about?

I am just not good at being a consistent blogger.  I just can't seem to get it together- which pretty much sums up all aspects of my life right now.  

Anyway, you may know it is the last day of Sukkot (rhymes with coat) although most Jewish multi-day Jewish holidays it is really celebrated towards the beginning of the week, most likely last Friday after sunset.   But here's the down and dirty anyway:

• Sukkot is an 8 day holiday coming 5 days after Yom Kippur.  
• It's a happy holiday- but no work on the first and second day.  
• It commemorates the 40 year period that Jews wandered the dessert living in temporary shelters.  Hence the sukkah.
• Traditions include building a sukkah, eating (really living in the sukkah for the 8 days but now most just eat a meal in it to fulfill the commandment) and waving the lulav and etrog. 
• Sukkahs must have at least 2.5 walls covered but they do not have to be solid walls (sheets and canvas will do).  The roof must be made of material that came from the ground and was cut off- branches, vines even 2x4's apparently count.  Traditionally, dry fruit is hung to decorate it.   
• Lulav- is a bundle of 3 myrtle twigs, a palm branch and 2 willow branches.  Etrog is a kind of citron.  These are waved in very particular way (lulav in right hand first, then etrog in left then bundled together all while saying specific prayers and facing specific directions- East, then South, then North etc.)
• The 2 days after Sukkot are Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
• Shemini Atzeret translates to "assembly on the 8th day" and while it is related to Sukkot is technically its own holiday.  
• Simchat Torah marks the completion of the weekly Torah readings- there's lots of singing and processions around Temple carrying the Torah scrolls. 

Here's a cute idea to make your own miniature Sukkah with the kids:

• Take a box and cut on of the long sides off of it. 
• Cut slots on the bottom of the box- this will be your roof.
• Using thread, fishing wire or twine, thread leaves and twigs through the slots. 
• Decorate the other sides with dried fruit or whatever you want.  

Let me know how yours turn out!

Yom Kippur

Technically Yom Kippur started last night so I am a little behind.  But here's the down and dirty of the holiday:

• Yom Kippur comes ten days after Rosh Hashanah and is the ending to the "High Holidays."   It is a time for reflection, repentance and fasting.   
  
• It's a day of prayer and reflection, repentance and fasting
• Fasting starts the night before it's marked on secular calendars, also known as Kol Nidre.
• You break the fast with family and friends. 
• Traditionally, a live white chicken would be circled above your head while you ask for forgiveness for your sins.  Then you would slaughter the chicken and give it to the poor.  Charity work can be substituted now days.
• It's a day for doing a mitzvah or other good deed.   
• No working, and services last most of the day.  Many synagogues will charge for these services since they are so busy- this is a new thing for us gentiles.   
• When pronouncing Yom Kippur it should rhyme with poor not dipper.  

Some activities you can do with your family-

• Write letters to yourself explaining ways you will be a better person in the upcoming year.   If your kids are too young to write their own letter you could go around the table and say something outloud. 
• If you are a little flexible in how you are observing Yom Kippur or want to do it the days leading up to Yom Kippur, you could volunteer together as a family. 
• Make your own Tzedakah box, ("piggy bank" to give to charity) out of a shoe box.  Let the little ones decorate it with anything you have around the house- markers, glitter, paint yarn, Stars of David from tin foil.  

Enjoy the break fast!