Poncho for Eshiva
I made this over the last couple of days for Eshiva. She had a cotton one that was given to us (purchased, not hand made) but she outgrew it, so I made her a new one :-)
Read MoreActual news…
I don’t have much. Which is why you’ve been getting late Twitter updates and nothing else. I’ve even been avoiding the news and other blogs.
Channukah is almost here! First of all, my yearly link ;) Anyone else celebrating it? It’s early this year, Dec 11! My dad is going out of town the next day, for the weekend, so we’ll be doing it up big the first night I think.
Sara wants to make sufgoniyot (jelly doughnuts) this year, because you know we have to get fat to celebrate the miracle of finding oil
I need to make latkes – last year my uncle made some with spinach and feta and I think I might get his recipe this year. They sounded delish.
We’ll celebrate Yule this year as well, but I haven’t really thought about what we’re going to do just yet. Channukah looms large on the horizon :-) Brisket, latkes, sufgonyot, latkes, latkes, latkes…. mmmm latkes.
Speaking of Channukah, we had adult Hebrew school this morning (the Rabbi runs it once a month while the kids are in) and today was… Channukah! Quelle Suprise! I always feel so smart when we leave, because I know what he is talking about :-) We also spoke with another Rabbi and took care of HS tuition (which we can’t afford right now) and I was going to pull the kids out, but they will remain, and I will let them know when we have our feet back under us. I know I bitch about Chabad… I don’t feel like I belong there, like we are Jew-y “enough” to be there, and that we have to cover up (which I would do anyway, it’s the proper thing to do – I jsut resent *having* to do it) but those are *my* issues and they have never, never turned anyone away and I can get behind that. Recently a homeless Jewish man died in the community and they took up collection to bury him in the Jewish part of the local cemetary – his family wanted nothing to do with him. Things like that make me feel good about being connected to them. I might not be Jew enough in my own eyes, when compared to the ultra Orthodox there, but good people are good people regardless of faith. They are good people. I offered my graphic design skills in barter, but I know they have someone who does that already. I don’t really have any other skills to offer, so… I offered what I could.
If you are looking for someplace to donate to this season, and don’t care if it doesn’t match your faith, please consider donating to Chabad of Coral Springs (and please make your donation in memory of Phyllis Johnpoll). If your faith does matter, please consider Delrey School (please make it in Erin Johnpoll’s name) or UCP directly (this does not directly benefit Delrey school, again, please make your donation in Erin’s name). None of those make you feel good about yourself? Please pick any charity you desire and send them at least a few dollars. If you give back to the Universe, the Universe gives back to you.
In other news, I lost my shit with the kids yesterday. Their room is still a mess, as is the living room. They will be cleaning today before we do anything fun. Oh yes, they will. The dogs have fleas. I got Program tabs and Capstar tabs and once they arrive they will be administered, the house will be flea bombed and hopefully they will stay uninfested for a long while.
Today is a laundry day, joy! Not so much. I wish the mail came today. I am expecting a check. I need to give dad back 155$ (for the flea pills), set some aside for our dinner, buy Dorian some shirts, buy two new bike seats and two water bottle holders. I think it should stretch far enough to do that :-)
I need to get back into writing every day.
Read MoreOh my, it has been a while
This weekend Michael and I went away, without the kids, for the first time ever for more than a day trip (which we’ve only done once, last year). It was much needed and much enjoyed and much appreciated. We drove up to Orlando Sunday morning, checked into the hotel, stashed our stuff and headed for Epcot. Monday we went to Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom. Tuesday we went to MGM Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney and then came home.
Michael and Sara turn 18 in a couple of months. I need to find something to do for them.
Our van is paid off (the Ford) and for less than I thought, so instead of being responsible and paying off debt or sitting on it for other bills, we went to Target and went holiday shopping. I have almost everything I need. I need a couple more small things, something large for Malachai, and I need to order my brothers stuff. Dad told us what he wanted, and I need to get money from the twins to pitch in for it. I also need to order for my husband, but I know what he wants at least. I just need to scrounge up money for it. Sara’s stuff is already purchased.
We spoke with Olivia at Kids in Motion, and we worked out for summer camp. They are going to waive the registration fee and knocked us down to 20$ per child instead of 27$/24$/24$. We only send them three days a week, but we’re sending all three this year so… every little bit helps.
I keep playing Powerball and I keep not winning… here’s hoping. I have a long list of people and places I’d give money to/donate to and with everything that’s left over I’d handle what we nee handled. This is, of course, assuming we’d win the BIG jackpot.
Read MoreYay! Bought myself an early birthday present
A couple years ago I sold my serger, embroidery machine and a camera in order to buy my current camera. I decided the other day I needed a serger again.
I checked Craigs list and saw an amazing ancient ass solid metal, table mounted, iron peddle serger. I didn’t get it. The lady selling it said it may need a belt and had never used it (she bought it for her business and didn’t have room for it) and I had to turn it down. Crazy disappointing, but it let me to a used machine at a Vac & Sew repair place. So I called and they were closed and I left a message.
wait. wait. wait.
So we’re in JoAnn Fabric this morning buying some fabric and notions and I get a call from the guy so we schlep up to Boca to check it out.
I came home with a Kenmore serger for 150$ (it’s an older model, but it’s currently 230$ new) with a metal peddlepedal. I haven’t had a proper metal peddlepedal on a sewing machine in years.
The guy said it was clean and lubed and better than new. He let me give it a try there, so I saw it finish and cut about an inch and it looked fab. I am super excited :-)
Read MoreAutumn in Florida!
We went to a party on Sunday, there was face painting
Malachai wanted to be a skull
Eshiva wanted to be a tiger, but apparently the clown could only do butterflys on girls. Every girl walked away with almost the same thing. Fucker. She told E she was a tiger-butterfly. She also gave her a stupid heart balloon on a “stem” as her shape balloon instead of a sword like she freaking asked for. Dorian got her a sword.
Dorian did not get his face painted.
Then we went pumpkin shopping!
Can you see those nasty mold coloured ones? Yah, they are fine, that is their colour. Ew. I didn’t even want to touch them. They just looked sickly, like they would burst at the slightest touch.
We wound up with two large orange ones for carving, a slightly smaller one for carving, a tiny one for me, a mediumish white one for Michael to tattoo, and a handful of weird star squash for me to put on our table as a centerpiece. Oh, and a pumpkin for Dorian for school.
Read More86400 Seconds in a day… Time is so relative.
I thought with all my kids in school this year (the first time my home has ever been so empty during the day) I would have all theis free time to do stuff. What I should have been thinking is when am I going to have time to do all this stuff with my kids.
When indeed.
My amazing husband (he truly is) wakes up with our brood around 7AM. He gets them ready because he works odd hours and mostly only sees them in the morning.I get to pretend I am still sleeping for the next 30 – 60 minutes. Pretend is the key word here. It works, I swear. They get dressed and get something to eat and are off to school around 8AM. Usually by about 7:30 I am checking FML from my phone, and maybe my gmail too. Then I roll over and do some work (like checking my fifty million other email accounts in a search for work to do). This is easy because my laptop is set up on a barstool next to the bed. Yep, I don’t even get vertical to check my mail. I know you’re jealous. Truth be told, I am usually vertical and moving by the time they get out the door.
The we get to run errands. To the food store. To the post. To the bank. To the gym. To the salon (it’s totally an errand). To wherever something needs dropping off or buying. This usually takes all morning, so it’s noon by the time we’re back home. Wow. Where did my free time go? 14,400 seconds gone to errands. Now SuperMan my husband is off to work. I’ll see him again around 9 or 10.
I have an hour to myself. A whole hour! 3600 seconds! Every one is precious.
Do I sweep? Do I mop? Do laundry? Dishes? Or am I truly decadent and claim each and every of those 3600 seconds for my own and blog or websurf or draw or go take photos of the grass in the backyard growing? Decisions decisions. I’ve wasted hundreds of seconds just deciding what to do before. I try to avoid that now.
Crap! It’s 2 already? Off to the carpool line, where I sit for 30 minutes (1800 seconds!) so I am at the front of the line and I can get the boys by 2:40 at the latest and be at the girl’s school by 2:45 and then home by 3. I’ve just lost an hour to ten minutes worth of actual kid picking up time. At least I can read or pay bills or write fluff pieces like this while I’m waiting in the car.
So now it’s 3. Homework time. Not exactly fun time with the kids if you know what I mean. We’ve already done the “How was your day?” “Fine.” Q&A session in the car. Now it’s time to whine over homework and reading. Once a week we toss dance class in (3:30 – 4:30), twice a week we toss therapy in (4 – 6) and twice a meek MMA (5 – 6). I never see my kids anymore. We never have real time to craft. From what I understand, it just gets worse. I believe it. Next year we’ll have two dance classes to squeeze in there, plus therapy and whatever else they decide to do.
I’ve declared Sunday “TURN IT OFF” day. We find things to do that do not need electricity. Or at least try to. Sometimes we wind up in the car headed somewhere, but hey, we’re not at home watching TV, gaming, or whatever.
All this leads me back to “when do I get to play with my kids?” I miss them. At least when they were home we had tons of time to hang out. Now, not so much. I decided to share some quick crafts to squeeze into busy days. They might be a bit “young” for some of your kids, but really, I think they appeal to all ages in one way or another. Let’s pretend dinner will make itself and that bathes are already done and we have all of those 86,400 seconds left to enjoy each others company. Nothing is more important than showing a child, by the actions you take, that they are more important than anything else.
Make an Origami Sailboat | Make an Autumn Tree | Pick up almost any Halloween CraftBook from the library. I am fond of “Matthew Mead Halloween Tricks and Treats” and “A Frightful Cookbook – Ghoulish Goodies” by Sharon Bowers and almost any seasonal craftbook really. We do not have re-print permissions, so I don’t want to lift their ideas directly. Some general ideas include:
- making cupcakes with spider webs on top (I like Nigela Lawson’s Fairy Cake recipe for cupcakes)
- making paper jack o’lanterns and hanging them in the house
- making lady fingers
- making Halloween masks
- Oh the list goes on and on. I wouldn’t be so focused on Halloween but… tis the season and it’s my favourite! I expect my kitchen will get a work out in the coming weeks, and my kids will too. Cooking is also a great way to teach difficult concepts such as fractions and converting measurements as well as easy things like simple counting. It also gives kids a sense of accomplishment and there is something yummy left at the end!