Last night bedtime began with a bang.
I wasn't paying much attention to the clock, but the kids let me know when 7:00 rolled around! All of a sudden, instead of playing with two sweet, enjoyable children, they bombarded me with exhausted whining and crying.
"Off to the bath we go!" I said as I scooped them up and carried them to the bathroom.
Both kids were in and out of fussiness during bath time, but we drudged on.
After bath, I got them both in pajamas, and usually Ze'ev plays on Adina's floor while I read her stories and put her to sleep. Well he wasn't having any of that last night. He was a puddle of tears. So I asked Adina if I could put him to sleep first and then come back and do her stories. Unlike most children, who will jump at any opportunity to go to sleep later, Adina said, "No. I'm sleepy. My stories! Crib!" But Ze'ev just wouldn't allow it, so I had no choice but to take her off of my lap, close her in her room for a minute (she quickly decided she would sit down and read books to herself), and I put him to sleep.
When I rocked with Ze'ev for a minute and then put him in his crib, he let out quite a wail. As if saying, "No Mommy! This is NOT what I wanted!"
Ok, on to plan two... Food.
It had been a whole hour and a half since they had both eaten a good dinner, so apparently he was hungry. I went downstairs and got half of a whole wheat bagel (our go-to if the kids are still hungry before bedtime). I once again placed him on Adina's floor, this time with a bagel in hand. Yay, mystery solved. He happily wolfed down the entire thing!
However, if Ze'ev had a bagel then of course Adina needed a bagel.
Back downstairs I went to get Adina a half of a bagel to have with her milk.
Ah.
After 20 minutes of pulling my hair out with two fussy fussy kids during bath and bedtime, I now had 3 minutes of peace and quiet as they happily ate their bagels. I sunk into the recliner with Adina on my lap and enjoyed the moment.
Then magically, this little bit of sustenance turned my little monsters into bedtime angels.
I gave them both kisses, tucked them in, and enjoyed a beautifully quiet, peaceful evening.
Uh oh, I have to go now! Ze'ev just woke up from his nap and he's hunnnnnnnnngry!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Two worlds collide
A week and a half ago, Yoni and I (with the kids in tow) traveled to the opposite corner of the country. We went to Miami, Florida for five days! Despite the fact that Miami is quite a nice place to escape Seattle winter, we did not go for the weather. We went to attend the Aleph Institute annual conference and Shabbaton.
"The Aleph Institute is a not-for-profit national educational and humanitarian organization serving the unique needs of Jews in diverse and limited environments such as the military ... and everywhere they and their families can become isolated from their Jewish heritage."
The conference, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was a training and discussion forum for Orthodox Jewish chaplains and lay leaders. Yoni is a Jewish lay leader at JBLM (Joint Base Lewis McChord), so he participated in this training. There were a few programs for spouses, but I spent the majority of the days hanging out with the kids and the other spouses who came along.
On Friday, Yoni took over parenting for one hour as I participated in a life-changing meeting.
Ten frum military wives sat together in a room to discuss the challenges of this unique life. Being a religious Jew makes you a minority. Being a military wife makes you a minority. Being both is nearly unheard of! It almost brought me to tears as I sat in a room with so many other strong, inspirational women who all shared stories which are a direct reflection of my own feelings and my life.
I absolutely love living in the Jewish community here in Seattle. The support is wonderful and the friendships I have made brighten every day. Nevertheless, every single time Yoni is away I get lots of pity parties. There's a lot of "I don't know how you can do that." "I would never be able to do that." etc.
I know this comes from a good place, but the truth is, I don't know exactly how I do it either. If you had asked me two years ago if I would have been able to parent two young children on my own for weeks at a time, I would have said of course not! But Hashem only gives us what we can handle. Since this is the life we have been given, I know I must be able to handle it. And thank G-d, I do. The kids eat, they sleep, and we even have a little bit of fun in the process.
When I sat in a room with these other amazing women, I felt like the lot we've been given is a tremendous gift. One of the other more seasoned military wives told a story of home-schooling 5 children in a middle of nowhere town while her husband was deployed. Another explained how she had 4 school-age children when they lived in Germany. Over the summer, they brought a Jewish day camp to Germany simply so her kids could have somewhere to go.
Not only did these stories inspire me, but befriending these amazing women will prove invaluable. For the first time in years and years, I felt completely understood and belonging to a group of people.
In the military scene, we hang out with very nice people, but being observant Jews sets us apart. In the Jewish community, my friends all have husbands who work for Microsoft or learn at the kollel, or some other "local" job. I have a husband who leaves a few times a month to fly a plane around the world.
In this room, every single person had a life similar to mine. They all have a patriotic husband who is serving his country. They all live an observant Jewish life.
Feeling this camaraderie made us all recognize the importance of defining this group of women and creating some sort of "sisterhood" and support system. I volunteered to spearhead the initiative, so I am currently trying to locate each and every frum military wife that's out there. We are compiling everybody's information and then meeting with the Aleph Institute to determine the best course of action to take.
My ultimate goal, once we have firmly established the wive's group, is to create a kid's support system. My little vision is to have a "camp" for kids the same weekend as the conference and Shabbaton each year. The religious military kids could benefit from the same chizuk (strength) that all of us wives got from coming together and discussing our challenges and learning experiences.
With that, I'll leave you with a picture of Adina Rachel dancing with her shoes in her hands on our balcony overlooking Surfside Beach:
"The Aleph Institute is a not-for-profit national educational and humanitarian organization serving the unique needs of Jews in diverse and limited environments such as the military ... and everywhere they and their families can become isolated from their Jewish heritage."
The conference, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was a training and discussion forum for Orthodox Jewish chaplains and lay leaders. Yoni is a Jewish lay leader at JBLM (Joint Base Lewis McChord), so he participated in this training. There were a few programs for spouses, but I spent the majority of the days hanging out with the kids and the other spouses who came along.
On Friday, Yoni took over parenting for one hour as I participated in a life-changing meeting.
Ten frum military wives sat together in a room to discuss the challenges of this unique life. Being a religious Jew makes you a minority. Being a military wife makes you a minority. Being both is nearly unheard of! It almost brought me to tears as I sat in a room with so many other strong, inspirational women who all shared stories which are a direct reflection of my own feelings and my life.
I absolutely love living in the Jewish community here in Seattle. The support is wonderful and the friendships I have made brighten every day. Nevertheless, every single time Yoni is away I get lots of pity parties. There's a lot of "I don't know how you can do that." "I would never be able to do that." etc.
I know this comes from a good place, but the truth is, I don't know exactly how I do it either. If you had asked me two years ago if I would have been able to parent two young children on my own for weeks at a time, I would have said of course not! But Hashem only gives us what we can handle. Since this is the life we have been given, I know I must be able to handle it. And thank G-d, I do. The kids eat, they sleep, and we even have a little bit of fun in the process.
When I sat in a room with these other amazing women, I felt like the lot we've been given is a tremendous gift. One of the other more seasoned military wives told a story of home-schooling 5 children in a middle of nowhere town while her husband was deployed. Another explained how she had 4 school-age children when they lived in Germany. Over the summer, they brought a Jewish day camp to Germany simply so her kids could have somewhere to go.
Not only did these stories inspire me, but befriending these amazing women will prove invaluable. For the first time in years and years, I felt completely understood and belonging to a group of people.
In the military scene, we hang out with very nice people, but being observant Jews sets us apart. In the Jewish community, my friends all have husbands who work for Microsoft or learn at the kollel, or some other "local" job. I have a husband who leaves a few times a month to fly a plane around the world.
In this room, every single person had a life similar to mine. They all have a patriotic husband who is serving his country. They all live an observant Jewish life.
Feeling this camaraderie made us all recognize the importance of defining this group of women and creating some sort of "sisterhood" and support system. I volunteered to spearhead the initiative, so I am currently trying to locate each and every frum military wife that's out there. We are compiling everybody's information and then meeting with the Aleph Institute to determine the best course of action to take.
My ultimate goal, once we have firmly established the wive's group, is to create a kid's support system. My little vision is to have a "camp" for kids the same weekend as the conference and Shabbaton each year. The religious military kids could benefit from the same chizuk (strength) that all of us wives got from coming together and discussing our challenges and learning experiences.
With that, I'll leave you with a picture of Adina Rachel dancing with her shoes in her hands on our balcony overlooking Surfside Beach:
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
A Little Perspective...
During the rainy Seattle winter (I actually can't complain because we have had a lot more sun than usual...), it is easy to get a little down. It is easy to feel bad about staying in with the kids all day, being far from family, having Yoni gone so much...
The past couple weeks Ze'ev has made it particularly difficult for me because he has gone on a monstrous nursing strike! (Yoni says he hopes this isn't a prediction of Ze'ev's inclination later in life... apparently he will be forbidden to join a union...).
In the past few days, I have received two levels of perspective (both care of my favorite blog - JewishMOM.com)
The first level of perspective: Emuna. (Faith). Everything that happens, no matter how difficult or bad it seems, is happening because it is supposed to and for a reason.
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/31/the-jewishmom-com-despair-busting-challenge-week-one/#comment-15527
(In the 7th comment I explained my thoughts on the concept...)
And the second level of perspective: It could always be much worse! Thank G-d, we are all healthy, thriving, with enough to eat, a roof over our heads, etc...
Prepare to cry...
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/28/brothers-heartbreaking-tribute-to-their-mom-4-minute-video/
Wow.
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/29/rainbow-in-the-night-5-minute-official-music-video/
I don't usually link to other blogs from mine, but this week my life coincided perfectly with everything JewishMOM.com had to say.
The past couple weeks Ze'ev has made it particularly difficult for me because he has gone on a monstrous nursing strike! (Yoni says he hopes this isn't a prediction of Ze'ev's inclination later in life... apparently he will be forbidden to join a union...).
In the past few days, I have received two levels of perspective (both care of my favorite blog - JewishMOM.com)
The first level of perspective: Emuna. (Faith). Everything that happens, no matter how difficult or bad it seems, is happening because it is supposed to and for a reason.
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/31/the-jewishmom-com-despair-busting-challenge-week-one/#comment-15527
(In the 7th comment I explained my thoughts on the concept...)
And the second level of perspective: It could always be much worse! Thank G-d, we are all healthy, thriving, with enough to eat, a roof over our heads, etc...
Prepare to cry...
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/28/brothers-heartbreaking-tribute-to-their-mom-4-minute-video/
Wow.
http://jewishmom.com/2012/01/29/rainbow-in-the-night-5-minute-official-music-video/
I don't usually link to other blogs from mine, but this week my life coincided perfectly with everything JewishMOM.com had to say.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Developmental update
I have received a few requests to give an update on what the kids are up to these days. Thank G-d, they both seem to have new milestones nearly every week.
Adina has finally begun her language explosion! Every single word out of our mouths is repeated by her sweet little lips. Her favorite words (following suit as a good 2 year-old) are "No!" and "Self!" She wants to do absolutely everything all by herself, and she's actually getting pretty good at most things. She's mastering getting dressed, putting on socks and shoes, peeling bananas and oranges, and all sorts of other things. She also thoroughly enjoys the commands she's learned from our disciplining Libby (the dog). The second Libby makes a peep, Adina is the first to say, "No barking Bibby!" (She's still working on her L's...). One day, as I put Adina in her crib for naptime, Libby started barking. Adina began screaming, "No barking Bibby, no barking Bibby!" She wouldn't settle down until I went in her room and told her that Libby was sleeping now too so she wouldn't bark anymore. Adina also likes to assert her independence by using the "Stay" command on her parents. If she's getting into something she's not supposed to, or wants to accomplish something on her own without interference, she sticks out her hand and says, "No, stay Mommy! Stay!"
All of her new language has also helped her become quite proficient with her manners. Adina is getting very good at using "please" when she wants things and then says, "Thank you Mommy" or "Thank you Aba." For some reason, manner words sound so much cuter coming out of little mouths...
She also loves her role as a big sister. Whenever Ze'ev is sad, she leans into his face with a big smile and says, "Hi Ze'ev! Smile Ze'ev :)" Whenever he is in a giggly mood, she has found that bonking him on the head with toys brings out a good old belly laugh. Since it's all done in good fun, and everybody involved is happy and having a good time, I usually allow this. Sometimes, however, I have to draw the line. This morning for instance, Adina decided to bonk him on the head with the heel of her plastic dress-up shoes. While it did elicit the desired laughter from her little brother, I took the shoes away before the heel ended up in an eye or she accidentally hit him a little too hard.
Ze'ev is becoming quite mobile. He hasn't figured out the proper crawling technique yet, but between rolling and "creeping" (the army crawl), he can get basically anywhere he wants. He has also found lots of new foods that he loves - including hamburgers, cholent, bagels, and basically anything we give him that he can gum.
Ze'ev also seems to have quite an affinity for music. The minute he hears a note, he starts dancing. Sometimes, when I hold him on my lap he bobs back and forth and starts singing, as if he's asking for music. The minute I start singing back to him, he gets a big smile on his face and dances very enthusiastically.
Last week we had quite the snow here in Seattle. Ze'ev was too young to enjoy it, so he stayed bundled up inside, but Adina ventured out with some friends on the first morning of the big
snow...
She enjoyed keeping the snow pants on halfway and biting into her apple...
Ze'ev hung out inside...
This is a picture of Adina being a big girl getting ready to go to play group in the morning...
Today she was not very happy to see me come to pick her up. I walked in the door and she said, "Stay! Bye bye Mommy!" and ran off with her friends...
Adina has finally begun her language explosion! Every single word out of our mouths is repeated by her sweet little lips. Her favorite words (following suit as a good 2 year-old) are "No!" and "Self!" She wants to do absolutely everything all by herself, and she's actually getting pretty good at most things. She's mastering getting dressed, putting on socks and shoes, peeling bananas and oranges, and all sorts of other things. She also thoroughly enjoys the commands she's learned from our disciplining Libby (the dog). The second Libby makes a peep, Adina is the first to say, "No barking Bibby!" (She's still working on her L's...). One day, as I put Adina in her crib for naptime, Libby started barking. Adina began screaming, "No barking Bibby, no barking Bibby!" She wouldn't settle down until I went in her room and told her that Libby was sleeping now too so she wouldn't bark anymore. Adina also likes to assert her independence by using the "Stay" command on her parents. If she's getting into something she's not supposed to, or wants to accomplish something on her own without interference, she sticks out her hand and says, "No, stay Mommy! Stay!"
All of her new language has also helped her become quite proficient with her manners. Adina is getting very good at using "please" when she wants things and then says, "Thank you Mommy" or "Thank you Aba." For some reason, manner words sound so much cuter coming out of little mouths...
She also loves her role as a big sister. Whenever Ze'ev is sad, she leans into his face with a big smile and says, "Hi Ze'ev! Smile Ze'ev :)" Whenever he is in a giggly mood, she has found that bonking him on the head with toys brings out a good old belly laugh. Since it's all done in good fun, and everybody involved is happy and having a good time, I usually allow this. Sometimes, however, I have to draw the line. This morning for instance, Adina decided to bonk him on the head with the heel of her plastic dress-up shoes. While it did elicit the desired laughter from her little brother, I took the shoes away before the heel ended up in an eye or she accidentally hit him a little too hard.
Ze'ev is becoming quite mobile. He hasn't figured out the proper crawling technique yet, but between rolling and "creeping" (the army crawl), he can get basically anywhere he wants. He has also found lots of new foods that he loves - including hamburgers, cholent, bagels, and basically anything we give him that he can gum.
Ze'ev also seems to have quite an affinity for music. The minute he hears a note, he starts dancing. Sometimes, when I hold him on my lap he bobs back and forth and starts singing, as if he's asking for music. The minute I start singing back to him, he gets a big smile on his face and dances very enthusiastically.
Last week we had quite the snow here in Seattle. Ze'ev was too young to enjoy it, so he stayed bundled up inside, but Adina ventured out with some friends on the first morning of the big
snow...
She enjoyed keeping the snow pants on halfway and biting into her apple...
Ze'ev hung out inside...
This is a picture of Adina being a big girl getting ready to go to play group in the morning...
Today she was not very happy to see me come to pick her up. I walked in the door and she said, "Stay! Bye bye Mommy!" and ran off with her friends...
Monday, January 16, 2012
Wonder of the World
In the large pile of mail awaiting us upon our return to Seattle, each of the kids received a free gift from the "PJ Library." For the month of December, each child enrolled in the program got a different cd based on their age group. Ze'ev's cd was Neshama Carlebach's "Every little soul must shine." I know that as a singer she is quite controversial in the Orthodox community, but I have thoroughly enjoyed her songs over the last couple weeks. She has accompanied me during many hours of cooking and cleaning. Two songs in particular have touched my soul. I feel my heart smile each time I hear them.
The first is called "Wonder of the world." The music is quite beautiful, but I couldn't seem to find it online. The lyrics are -
The Great Wall of China is mighty long
And nothing compares to the Taj Mahal
But I don't need to sail the seven seas cause
You're the only wonder of this world for me,
You're the only wonder of this world for me...
Machu Picchu reaches to the sky
And the Roman Colosseum, you won't believe your eyes
But there's nowhere that I would rather be cause
You're the only wonder of this world for me.
At first glance, these words can sound kind of cheesy, but what touches me is how true they are. Each child is such a wonder! I watch my children growing and learning and I feel so blessed to have these absolute wonders living in my house, spending day after day with me. I don't have to get on an airplane or cross time zones to marvel at G-d's creation. They inspire me more than any vacation or "wonder of the world" ever could.
**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**
The second song literally made me cry the first time it played.
I was taken aback by the emotion, so I asked Yoni to listen to it with me and see if he had a similar reaction. As the song began, Yoni quietly nodded and explained to me that when Adina was hours old, he played this song for me in the hospital and sang it as I held my baby girl. I had no tactile memory of this experience, but apparently I remembered on some level.
Independent from that experience, it just so happens that the week I listened to this song was the week of Parasha Vayechi where this pasuk is found. And the meaning is beautiful on so many levels...
Hamalach hagoel oti mikol ra yevarech et han’arim vikareh bahem sh’mi
V’shem avotai Avraham v’Yizchak v’yidgu larov b’kerev ha’aretz.
Translation:
May the angel who has delivered me from all harm bless these lads. May they carry on my name and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude on earth.
*Parasha Vayechi - weekly Torah portion
*pasuk - line
The first is called "Wonder of the world." The music is quite beautiful, but I couldn't seem to find it online. The lyrics are -
The Great Wall of China is mighty long
And nothing compares to the Taj Mahal
But I don't need to sail the seven seas cause
You're the only wonder of this world for me,
You're the only wonder of this world for me...
Machu Picchu reaches to the sky
And the Roman Colosseum, you won't believe your eyes
But there's nowhere that I would rather be cause
You're the only wonder of this world for me.
At first glance, these words can sound kind of cheesy, but what touches me is how true they are. Each child is such a wonder! I watch my children growing and learning and I feel so blessed to have these absolute wonders living in my house, spending day after day with me. I don't have to get on an airplane or cross time zones to marvel at G-d's creation. They inspire me more than any vacation or "wonder of the world" ever could.
**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**
The second song literally made me cry the first time it played.
I was taken aback by the emotion, so I asked Yoni to listen to it with me and see if he had a similar reaction. As the song began, Yoni quietly nodded and explained to me that when Adina was hours old, he played this song for me in the hospital and sang it as I held my baby girl. I had no tactile memory of this experience, but apparently I remembered on some level.
Independent from that experience, it just so happens that the week I listened to this song was the week of Parasha Vayechi where this pasuk is found. And the meaning is beautiful on so many levels...
הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי מִכָּל-רָע, יְבָרֵךְ אֶת-הַנְּעָרִים,
וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי,
וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק, וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ.
וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי,
וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק, וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ.
Hamalach hagoel oti mikol ra yevarech et han’arim vikareh bahem sh’mi
V’shem avotai Avraham v’Yizchak v’yidgu larov b’kerev ha’aretz.
Translation:
May the angel who has delivered me from all harm bless these lads. May they carry on my name and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude on earth.
*Parasha Vayechi - weekly Torah portion
*pasuk - line
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Together Again.
For seven weeks, the children and I traveled the breadth of the country, spending time with family and friends. Yoni had a 2 1/2 month deployment, and rather than stay home without him for such a long time, we decided to let the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have a good time with the kiddos in Aba's absence. Being away from home actually made the time pass extremely quickly! Before I knew it, we flew back home with only a couple days left to await Yoni's return.
While he has gone on short trips before, this was the first time (in Adina's memory at least) that he has been away for a significant period of time. As an adult and a Mom, I quickly adapted and learned how to deal with his absence. I missed him and thanked G-d every day for Skype, but we went about our lives. One of the hardest things about him being gone was watching Adina miss her Aba. She is too young to understand where he went and why. She is too young to realize that his absence was finite, and with G-d's help he would be returning home soon. Thankfully, kids are resilient and distractable, so it didn't upset her constantly. But those moments when she saw his picture and reached out her arms, with all her heart, craving a hug from her Aba... those moments I will never forget.
And the day he came home, all day she sat in his arms. Each time she woke up from a nap or a good night's sleep, within two seconds of opening her door, I heard, "Aba huggie? Yea? Aba!"
There is so much to take away from this experience.
First of all, I love observing the purity in her emotions. As a two year-old, every single feeling in her little body comes out in action. Her hugs are filled with love. Her cries resonate a deep sadness.
As we grow up and mature out of this innocent "wear emotions on your sleeve" phase, sometimes emotions get too good at hiding. We are taught to act with proper decorum according to a given situation, and train ourselves to keep emotions on the inside.
From my daughter, I learn that it's ok to jump up and down when something is really exciting. It's ok to run and give a big hug to someone you haven't seen in a long time. It's ok to sit down and be sad if something is disappointing.
Maybe this very trait is why little children are so distractable. Once they have expressed the emotion, they can move on. It doesn't fester. I miss Aba. That makes me sad. But, oh - look at that fun slide over there - let's go play!
If as an adult, we allow ourselves to acknowledge and express each emotion, life could attain a beautiful balance...
While he has gone on short trips before, this was the first time (in Adina's memory at least) that he has been away for a significant period of time. As an adult and a Mom, I quickly adapted and learned how to deal with his absence. I missed him and thanked G-d every day for Skype, but we went about our lives. One of the hardest things about him being gone was watching Adina miss her Aba. She is too young to understand where he went and why. She is too young to realize that his absence was finite, and with G-d's help he would be returning home soon. Thankfully, kids are resilient and distractable, so it didn't upset her constantly. But those moments when she saw his picture and reached out her arms, with all her heart, craving a hug from her Aba... those moments I will never forget.
And the day he came home, all day she sat in his arms. Each time she woke up from a nap or a good night's sleep, within two seconds of opening her door, I heard, "Aba huggie? Yea? Aba!"
There is so much to take away from this experience.
First of all, I love observing the purity in her emotions. As a two year-old, every single feeling in her little body comes out in action. Her hugs are filled with love. Her cries resonate a deep sadness.
As we grow up and mature out of this innocent "wear emotions on your sleeve" phase, sometimes emotions get too good at hiding. We are taught to act with proper decorum according to a given situation, and train ourselves to keep emotions on the inside.
From my daughter, I learn that it's ok to jump up and down when something is really exciting. It's ok to run and give a big hug to someone you haven't seen in a long time. It's ok to sit down and be sad if something is disappointing.
Maybe this very trait is why little children are so distractable. Once they have expressed the emotion, they can move on. It doesn't fester. I miss Aba. That makes me sad. But, oh - look at that fun slide over there - let's go play!
If as an adult, we allow ourselves to acknowledge and express each emotion, life could attain a beautiful balance...
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Inspiration for Blog
Being a stay at home parent is a more-than-full-time job. Each day is comprised of diaper change after diaper change after meal time after nursing after boo boos and hugs.... etc. And after a long, tiring day it sounds so nice to put on pajamas and curl up in bed for a good night's sleep. But the children often have different plans for Mommy. The baby needs to nurse at 1 AM. The toddler wakes parched at 4:45 AM, asking for milk. At that point, Mommy doesn't fall back asleep and the day begins! This was my experience last night. So at 5 AM, lying in bed, I decided to start a new blog. I have always enjoyed writing, and I find it very therapeutic. Since becoming a Mom, I don't make time for it as I should. But now is the time that it is most important! Not only will the writing help keep me balanced (providing a little intellectual exercise beyond "Old MacDonald"), but I hope it will help me document so many of the meaningful and educational moments I experience on a daily basis as a parent. Due to the perpetual sleep deprivation, days have a tendency to run together. I turn around, and my children are another month older. What did they learn in that month? What did they teach me? Twenty years from now, will that month have made a difference in our lives?
I hope that through my efforts to sit down at the computer a few days a week and write about these moments, I will begin to internalize each day I spend with the beautiful neshamot I am blessed to spend each day of my life with.
*neshamot - souls
I hope that through my efforts to sit down at the computer a few days a week and write about these moments, I will begin to internalize each day I spend with the beautiful neshamot I am blessed to spend each day of my life with.
*neshamot - souls
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