tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73757941611545291762024-02-19T12:07:11.651-05:00Frum doulaThoughts about my life as a birth doula, rabbi's wife and mother of a special needs childRuchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.comBlogger429125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-83547244394220232182014-07-01T14:38:00.000-04:002014-07-01T14:38:01.573-04:00מאנה להנחם- Looking for comfortIt is over. The three boys Gilad, Naftali and Eyal have been found, albeit not alive. And although we all feared this outcome, it still hit hard.<br />
And I am having this love-hate relationship with social media right now. On the one hand, I am checking it incessantly, looking for more updates, watching the funeral and mostly looking for comfort, something to hold on to. On the other hand I am disgusted by the media circus- the incessant updates, the cameras in the grieving parents faces, everyone weighing in and feeling the need to blog and pontificate how they feel and what should be done. Maybe I am no better. After all, here I am blogging too.<br />
But I do not claim to know anything, to have words of comfort. I am just here, trying to make sense of my heavy heart. Resentful of the intrusive media coverage but also thankful for it because it enabled me to watch the funeral from thousands of miles away.<br />
And sad. And yet, as if I cannot stop myself, I find myself going back. To Facebook, Times of Israel and other sites too, hoping I will read something that will help me, be a balm.<br />
And I realize I am trying to escape myself, my pain. Trying to do something, anything, just to distract myself and get away from it, not to feel it. We are so uncomfortable with feelings and discomfort, so we turn outwards to distract ourselves. In yoga and practices of mindfulness, there is a concept of leaning into the discomfort, just being with the pain. For ten seconds one day and maybe a little longer the next. So I am going to try and do that. Turn off the constant updates and social media and just be with the pain, with the realization that we have sustained a heavy loss. That we are a nation united yet so alone on the world stage. That we are hated and people wish us dead. That there are no easy political answers, strategies or solutions.<br />
And also to know that the only way to counter darkness and hate is with light. Amid the pain and darkness we all feel, we need to try to find a way to spread light again. That is the only way forward.<br />
ומחה ה דמעה מעל כל פניםRuchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-65414520934140231882014-06-24T21:32:00.000-04:002014-06-24T21:32:09.145-04:00No I in TeamSomehow all my professors in nursing school feel the need to assign us group work. Maybe it's because nurses need to learn to work together or maybe it's just to torture us more, but I really dislike it. Here is why- I am pretty responsible person and I know I can rely on myself to get the job done. I cannot always say the same for members of my groups, especially if they are assigned and we can't chose our partners.<br />
Plus I like to do work on my own time, rather than worrying about other people's schedules.<br />
Usually it has always worked out okay in the end, sometimes with some probing on my part, sometimes more organically. One time I got in an online argument with a girl from my class because she claimed I changed the final product without approval. So let us just say I am not a fan.<br />
Which is how I find myself yet again in the middle of a group project feeling slightly frustrated. This is an online class, so I do not even know some of my group members and will probably never get to meet them. From the beginning, there was a lack of enthusiasm. A classmate and I finally took initiative to get the project started, wrote an outline and assigned people roles. Then I spent the next week waiting for people to respond to my emails and messages. It appears I am finally getting some responses and this project is slowly, slowly coming together. I hope the end product is semi decent.About 35% of my grade depends on other people.<br />
Another reason I cannot wait for nursing school to be OVER! 7 weeks to goRuchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-63341144384558035122014-06-22T22:13:00.003-04:002014-06-22T22:13:39.667-04:00TiredMore than studying, tedious lectures and spending 12 agonizing hours at boring hospital clinicals, my kids have a tendency to really really frustrate me and wear me out over the weekend. It's a lot of time to spend together. Our apartment is a nice size but still not big enough for four active kids. And somehow there are always toys and clothes and food everywhere. Then I clean up and a little while later the scenario repeats itself. I know I am not unique in this but it is tiring and draining. And to ask my kids a hundred times not to eat outside of the kitchen or dining room table and still find food and crumbs everywhere.<br />
And to have my two year old cling to me and refuse to go to sleep unless I sit next to him or he has his head in my lap or his feet on my arms or is in some way still connected to me. To have him insist on accompanying me to the laundry room every single time even when another adult is home. To have him grab my cell phone when I am in the middle of writing a semi-important email because he needs to see "pictures" or say hi to an imaginary person on the line.<br />
It tires me out. It makes me a tad irrational and cranky and short tempered. And definitely not speaking in my calm, smoothing super mommy voice.<br />
But it's okay. Raising kids is hard. And tiring. And never ending. And a blessing I complain about and take for granted way too often. So I accept myself where I am at in this cranky state and say my favorite line: "Tomorrow is a new day!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew on the bus today....not sure the other passengers enjoyed our loud company</td></tr>
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<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-16897681140357306002014-06-12T22:48:00.000-04:002014-06-12T22:48:39.041-04:00Flying soloMy husband likes to travel- a lot. He loves going to conferences and grabs at any opportunity to see a new venue. The complicating factor in that is that we have four kids so joining him isn't always a feasible option.<br />
Which is how I find myself yet again home alone with the kids while my husband is off in Los Angeles, ostensibly to speak at a conference but really just to get away and get some sun :) <br />
I'm not particularly fond of L.A, mostly likely due to a fiasco three years ago that left him stranded there for 5 days while I went through an awful snow storm with the kids on my own.<br />
Nevertheless, he is gone for 72 hours and I am gearing up for a Shabbos alone with the kids. Don't really have that much on the agenda other than keeping everyone safe and myself sane, especially on the very very long Shabbos afternoon. Wish me luck!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-84172777473745256982014-06-11T17:13:00.000-04:002014-06-11T17:13:57.788-04:00How we have beenKind of hard to summarize a year and a half in a blog post. So much have happened. The kids have gotten so big.<br />
They amaze me every day with the things they do and know and their incredible thoughts. They also frustrate the heck out of me because they are still loud, crazy, energetic and always seem to find new ways to test my patience.<br />
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Y is turning 9 in a few weeks. That is pretty crazy to me. He is doing amazing in so many ways. He has grown so tall and has really come into himself. He communicates very well and is all boy- he loves all sports, especially football and basketball. His new love is wrestling, which we are trying to put a stop to, since it never ends well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFMpZ5yceeXlwiI_ms1zoWoDfDAFhbmACWWX5Ol6usUJZfu70-7KezUv13mUbw-iikpIR1NLPnDqs5SW8ENZbR8bn0i1i_jBVp_H1_J64G4rF9EldkUWd9WnrMIezv77wpaH4LnZTm0Y7/s1600/eli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFMpZ5yceeXlwiI_ms1zoWoDfDAFhbmACWWX5Ol6usUJZfu70-7KezUv13mUbw-iikpIR1NLPnDqs5SW8ENZbR8bn0i1i_jBVp_H1_J64G4rF9EldkUWd9WnrMIezv77wpaH4LnZTm0Y7/s1600/eli.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>A is 7.5 and is still the princess and ruler of the house. The boys look up to her and go along with her crazy schemes and games. She has become an avid reader, which I am going to have to claim as coming from my gene pool, since I spent most of my childhood lying on my bed reading. She loves American Girl books, Katie Kazoo, Ivy & Bean and anything else she can get her hands on. She loves gymnastics and is pretty amazing with the things she can do- cartwheels, handstands, you name it. Although she is a girly girl, she is also very bouncy with a constant need to move, which can drive me a little crazy. She is very mature and insightful, often understanding things without us having to explain it to her. She inherited my stubborn streak, which can make life "interesting" but mostly it's been fun watching her grow up and her personality develop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIMGjybRh-zxo8SydowoJCqzyYbx5PgaXF9qm_dUwOC6pedWYrvdrJlILxoTq0NPHGjaFbYR-JIjrbFUQv4I8XJ0pmSACnqRm6kDuVbnMW3ULAU8MACXRDCzUrKzk3Au6zb_mvpoysxiL/s1600/streetf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIMGjybRh-zxo8SydowoJCqzyYbx5PgaXF9qm_dUwOC6pedWYrvdrJlILxoTq0NPHGjaFbYR-JIjrbFUQv4I8XJ0pmSACnqRm6kDuVbnMW3ULAU8MACXRDCzUrKzk3Au6zb_mvpoysxiL/s1600/streetf.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></a>M is 5 and us our absentminded professor. He is very smart and is always deep in thought about something. He is very good at math and has taught himself addition and subtraction. He is also teaching himself to read and is reading sight words and short books such as the Gerald and Piggy- series. He is very social and is Mr. Popular in his new pre-school. I usually get frustrated at him, when I am trying to go somewhere and he is still standing around without his pants on or got distracted somewhere between putting his first and second shoe on. Or when I am trying to talk to him and he is too involved in coloring/reading or building lego to even hear me...Mostly we have fun together, he has a lot of playmates between Y and AY although he seems to clash with A sometimes. He is also very sensitive and he often talks about his feelings being hurt. I try to validate his feelings without coddling him too much, a delicate balance.<br />
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And then there is AY. Not even sure where to begin. He is 2.5 and now a walking, talking firecracker.<br />
All my kids are energetic but this one takes the cake. Always on the move, always touching/breaking/spilling something, he definitely keeps me on his toes. He has that mischievous twinkle in his eyes and says the funniest things. Right now, his obsessions are: Torah, spiderman and firetrucks. He talks about torahs non-stop which is quite hilarious. He also runs to the window every time he hears a siren. He is an awful sleeper and often ends up in my bed overnight and I let him because he is the fourth and I'm tired and I just want to sleep. <br />
He has an infectiously positive personality and it's hard to stay angry at him, even when he does the craziest thing. He is also very friendly and is buddies with all the doormen and utility men in our building. His hair is getting longer and curlier each day and we still have six months to the haircut.<br />
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And there you have it, our crazy, motley crew!</div>
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Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-61868601326773303132014-06-10T22:34:00.000-04:002014-06-10T23:28:09.183-04:00FeelingsWow, internets it really has been a while!<br />
I'm back, perhaps. I stopped blogging right around the time school started getting busier and did not really come up for breath till now.<br />
As I write this I am in my last semester of nursing school. I started an accelerated nursing program at the End of August 2013 and am finishing up August 2014! It's been quite a ride. Starting with the fact that we moved apartments in the first week of school followed by Rosh Hashana a week later, I hit the ground running and did not really get a chance to stop for very long.<br />
They were not kidding when they said this program is accelerated. The time commitment both in class, the hospital at clincals and studying at home was immense. I juggled more things than I thought possible and dropped quite a few balls in the process. Guess what, I am not superwoman. oh well, always learning or at least trying to.<br />
Nursing school was different than I thought it would be. Nursing is different than I thought it is. Did you know that we work with these useless things called nursing diagnosis? Google it if you're bored.<br />
I finished my spring semester at the end of May and had a two week break. Now I am taking summer classes and the pace has slowed down tremendously. My friends and I are a bit confused, not used to having all this free time and always wondering if perhaps we should be doing something/studying or reading or....?<br />
What is funny is that now I have some time instead of feeling relieved, I am feeling a bit unmoored. All this stuff I have been ignoring or too busy to deal with is suddenly resurfacing now that I have some time to actually think about things other than nursing school and what I am making for dinner tomorrow night.<br />
And at the end of the day, you take yourself wherever you go, feelings don't go away and you can only run away from yourself by keeping busy for so long. So I am trying to just take it as it comes these next few days and accept that it's okay to feel sad and angry and crappy sometimes even if you don't really know why.<br />
This too shall pass.<br />
In the meantime I am watching little A.Y sleep in my bed (not so little anymore but that's for a different post) and listening to this song on repeat. Tomorrow is a new day<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XB77xNl7Kyc" width="560"></iframe>Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-21310593350460725962012-12-30T22:49:00.000-05:002012-12-30T22:54:09.889-05:004 years old!I think blogging is like exercising. When you are in the routine, you do it regularly. Once you slip, it's hard to get back into it. I'll use that to explain my long absence from this blog. No real excuse other than life, family visits, finals and other fun things. Moving right along...<br />
M turned 4 today! His English birthday is still two weeks away but we decided to celebrate the Hebrew date. He helped me make his birthday cake and we decorated it with frosting, chocolate chips and sprinkles. We had cake and pizza (in that order) and he wore a cute little crown we made him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">birthday boy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ay enjoying the cake a bit too much</td></tr>
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Our little man has really grown up this year. I have finally gotten used to his short hair cut, although I still miss his curls. He is getting used to wearing a kippa and tzitzit every day.<br />
M loves coloring. He could sit there for hours and uses up reams and reams of paper. He has a great imagination and colors people, robots and other things. He can also write his name. Lucky for him it is short. He loves the color red and superheroes such as spiderman and superman. He also loves music and can often be found singing to himself.<br />
Another thing he likes is books. We try to go to the library weekly for new books and he loves to sit and read together. He also likes puzzles and games such as memory, chutes and ladders or Go Fish. We are still a little wobbly on all the rules but he is learning.<br />
M has a great personality- very easygoing and loving. He is friends with everyone in his class and his teachers tell us how everyone vies to play with him. We love the preschool he is in and he loves going there. He is disappointed when there is vacation and often asks when he can go back.<br />
M says the funniest thing such as "If I watch too many videos I will be a potato couch" and he also asks very smart questions. Of course he is mischievous and always thinking of creative ways to wreak havoc, but that is all part of the fun of having a boy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc75IU5tn7joIx5yZ4N5dZfzKsjS9Qy0ylHD7jBA7WCix8w3meNC8Q32gP38uUEpwATgSJRZEdw_mluOJc3pOag7SfXse09Gov6gWqaz2PIe7YEh7oREoIBeL_qaOOYwH9eVBWlfh-L0cM/s1600/IMG_20120925_145026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc75IU5tn7joIx5yZ4N5dZfzKsjS9Qy0ylHD7jBA7WCix8w3meNC8Q32gP38uUEpwATgSJRZEdw_mluOJc3pOag7SfXse09Gov6gWqaz2PIe7YEh7oREoIBeL_qaOOYwH9eVBWlfh-L0cM/s320/IMG_20120925_145026.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wearing my headscarf and heels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ632cEdrsCJfYUPfsfuLv6sZrLqZ0DoiJYpU7Tr7kytIQMFdiZlmBcYJDFybErQu7_TuOqZCkPVf_KD0QgbhUkQjcXPnyPmYKtF7fVH6DTV311O_PmGeuERYVfXKlVJgp9Fy4-NsrRzP/s1600/IMG_20120912_155330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ632cEdrsCJfYUPfsfuLv6sZrLqZ0DoiJYpU7Tr7kytIQMFdiZlmBcYJDFybErQu7_TuOqZCkPVf_KD0QgbhUkQjcXPnyPmYKtF7fVH6DTV311O_PmGeuERYVfXKlVJgp9Fy4-NsrRzP/s320/IMG_20120912_155330.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the newspaper box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When he is tired, he can get a little whiny and tantrumy but so do most people. He is still a little jealous of Baby AY but I do try to give M attention when the others are not home. We go to the library together and we usually bake together- another activity he loves. We usually make muffins or cookies and M is a great helper..when he is not spilling flour all over the place or putting his cookie hand prints on the wall.<br />
I can't wait to see how much more he will grow and learn this year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk2dmleMvqr5gL-gjDQ8DAR99kjJVrP52Z4NdMu79-t7JqudddYmvffo5J1V3RJ0n6iHVYs8yGrhx39tIlavNm3noMJzcEG__32CGqIve4294qcan4f-_fLaDRjsvmVuVVFpBWV7kEd4f/s1600/IMG_20121119_171529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk2dmleMvqr5gL-gjDQ8DAR99kjJVrP52Z4NdMu79-t7JqudddYmvffo5J1V3RJ0n6iHVYs8yGrhx39tIlavNm3noMJzcEG__32CGqIve4294qcan4f-_fLaDRjsvmVuVVFpBWV7kEd4f/s320/IMG_20121119_171529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">being silly w the siblings</td></tr>
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PS: For the few of you who like this stuff- a link to <a href="http://frumdoula.blogspot.com/2010/01/ms-birth-story.html">M's birthstory</a><br />
<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-7558219712232942902012-12-12T22:27:00.000-05:002012-12-12T22:27:06.349-05:00A Tale of 2 PartiesI have to be honest. I love my routine and schedules. I find it is the only way to stay afloat these days. So after the kids get home from school around 4 we do homework and they watch a bit of video, at 5 we do dinner, and at 5 30 we do baths. At 6 we are in PJs reading books and playing "calm" games (the calm thing does not always happen but we try...) 6 45 we brush our teeth, fill the water bottles and at 7 pm we say good night, although recently the kids have been staying up till closer to 8. But they need to be in their room, ideally in their beds.<br />
So this works pretty well. And then of course once a week it's Shabbos and that messes everything up again. But we work around it. And then every month or two there is a Jewish holiday that throws a wrench into my perfectly structured evenings.<br />
Right now we are in the middle of Channukah which means a week of mayhem and late nights and way too much sugar. I try to be flexible, but ask my husband, it is really not my biggest strength. We also wanted the kids to have fun, though, so I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone.<br />
<br />
Monday night we decided to take the kids to <a href="http://www.chanukahonicenyc.com/">Channukah on Ice</a>, even though the event did not even start till 6 pm, which is usually PJ time. Basically, Chabad takes over the whole ice skating rink in Central Park and there is kosher food, Jewish music, candle lighting and a performance by the Maccabeats.<br />
We knew this was an ambitious plan so we asked our awesome babysitter to come with us for back-up. Of course we caused a stir on the subway there because there were 4 kids and 3 adults and lots of noise. We were kind of hard to miss. We got there okay and proceeded to put the 3 big kids in ice skates. This was their first time, so they were tripping all over their feet before they even got on the ice. But I have to say it worked out really well. The weather was beautiful, the views of Central Park amazing. A went off with her friend and actually got the hang of skating. The babysitter and I each took one of the boys and took them on a few rounds. My husband held the baby, because the skates did not seem to fit his feet well. I loved being on the ice- I have fond memories of going ice skating every Sunday as a child and it was fun being back in skates. We skated a bit, had dinner and then stayed for the Maccabeats performance- M was dancing and Y was loving every minute too. Things were going so well, I was surprised when my husband said it was past 8 pm and time to leave...I was having fun and would have gladly stayed for more skating.<br />
But the baby and M were getting really tired, so we called it a night. The kids were super excited and the event was a definite success, especially given the fact that I did not come home stressed and overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
The next night, however, was a different story. We were scheduled to go to a chocolate making party at a local candy store. First, Y refused to go, so he stayed home with a sitter. When we got to the store, M was not interested in making chocolate and instead was walking around touching all the candy...Baby AY was excited about all the sugar and I had to hold him and make sure he did not get to it. Then Y changed his mind and showed up with his sitter, who was not doing a great job of supervising him. He also started wandering around the store, grabbing things. I now had 3 out of 4 kids not participating and wandering around a store full of candy and chocolate, and my stress level was getting higher and higher.<br />
I was counting the minutes till the pizza dinner, hoping that would offer a good distraction, when all of a sudden, Y grabbed on to the jelly bean dispenser and yanked, sending a cascade of literally hundreds of jelly beans flying all over the store...I was really embarrassed and decided I had reached my threshold.<br />
I grabbed 2 slices of pizza to go and shepherded the 3 boys out of the store and back home where they ate, took baths and got back into my regular routine, while we waited for A to come home with my husband.<br />
<br />
The moral of the story- you never know which event will go smoothly and which will require a lot of supervision and nerves. It's not always the one you think it will be. We are all partied out at this point and will spend the next few nights at home playing dreidel and eating chocolate gelt. I am happy we were able to do some fun things with the kids. I do feel that we are creating positive memories for them when we make the extra effort to take them somewhere special. That is something that is important to me and that makes all the stress and logistics involved in planning outings ALMOST worth it. But I am looking forward to getting back to my boring routine.<br />
Happy Channukah to all!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-87785132543634798122012-12-05T22:57:00.001-05:002012-12-05T22:57:13.757-05:00The Facebook FamilyGlennon on <a href="http://momastery.com/blog/2012/12/03/half-alive/">momastery</a> posted an interesting article about how we appear to others versus what the reality is.<br />
In the age of social media all most of us see is the glowing pictures of us and our significant others and children smiling, having fun, going on trips- the picture perfect family.<br />
I am a little guilty of this too. I mean when you post pictures like this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQnLwXJZhyS0fX0RSHB2Mhbb7NQCYin-jmBaxJrTMl1fOVM7ow6FlYugxKvfiX5Oux0NPg6T1IRA8YSfER8z_xBak8KrzCHcvMFxx953MVXG_JzynZi2mTqgezFUrNgIiN20SMDzwo5q1/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQnLwXJZhyS0fX0RSHB2Mhbb7NQCYin-jmBaxJrTMl1fOVM7ow6FlYugxKvfiX5Oux0NPg6T1IRA8YSfER8z_xBak8KrzCHcvMFxx953MVXG_JzynZi2mTqgezFUrNgIiN20SMDzwo5q1/s320/050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
and this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKbf1z1oHcU_8hboTgG-YaX3ACsjK8g4EAGRX2Vwq-qVXwKj_mpUtFOLNAOlIWsiPECTQu0pBb4oxm88V-ZHjN8mqGFORAei7f2sEXE3KkLBtQ4pY3nFHe7qonUw8ib7AiYF8NNNiLtRk/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKbf1z1oHcU_8hboTgG-YaX3ACsjK8g4EAGRX2Vwq-qVXwKj_mpUtFOLNAOlIWsiPECTQu0pBb4oxm88V-ZHjN8mqGFORAei7f2sEXE3KkLBtQ4pY3nFHe7qonUw8ib7AiYF8NNNiLtRk/s320/056.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
<br />
how can you not think that all is well in my household? Everyone is dressed nicely and smiling and looking picture perfect.<br />
Sometimes people compliment me about being calm. "You're so calm" they say. "How do you do it?" I smile and say thank you and fight the urge to tell them that I am in fact not always so calm, and that my children know this very well. For example, just last week M was fighting with A and said to her in a serious tone: "Do I have to raise my voice?" Um...who could he have possibly learned that from? My good friend says we are in fact calm. Because we deal with a lot of drama and craziness all day and then eventually we crack. Room for improvement obviously, but we are actually doing quite well.<br />
(For more on appreciating ourselves, check out this post- <a href="http://putdowntheurinalcake.com/2012/11/what-if-im-thankful-for-me/">Thankful for me</a>)<br />
And so people see those happy pictures and they feel badly because that is now what their reality looks like. Glennon believes in honesty and telling everyone what is truly going on, so others will feel less alone.<br />
I hear that to a certain extent but I do believe that family life is private and your disagreements and imperfections do not have to be laid out for all to see. There is somehow a balance that needs to be struck. <br />
So I don't only post the glossy pics. I post pics of my kid passing out on the floor after a major tantrum<br />
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<br />
of what my apartment looks like at the end of a long day<br />
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<br />
and other funny, crazy moments.<br />
<br />
Because that is life- sometimes it's calm and good and positive vibes all around. Other times it is screaming children, pandemonium and a mom who just wants to get dressed for 5 minutes in peace. What's your take?<br />
<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-53425284307510618462012-11-29T22:37:00.002-05:002012-11-29T22:37:36.800-05:00No rest for the wearyThis post has been ruminating in my mind for the last two weeks but I have not had a chance to put it into words. I am too busy running this household of six, which is what this is about- raising a family is a lot of work.<br />
I know this is not exactly news but sometimes I just feel this reality more than others. The laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, dishes and the constant constant clean up. I clean up after my kids all day long and then when they go to bed at night I spend another hour or two cleaning up some more- putting away books, toys and clean laundry, washing dishes, sweeping floors, wiping down counters. And this past week I added on doing lots of vomit and poop-laundry as a stomach bug hit Baby AY and some of the other kids.<br />
The crazy thing is the more cleaning I do, the more I see needs to be done. I am really just covering the basics, I have my running list of projects to get to "when I have time": clean random stuff off the bookcases, wipe off the walls and all those hard to get to corners, organize closets, clean the fridge, wipe down cabinets, etc. The list goes on and on. The funny thing is I actually have cleaning help but once a week really cannot hold us over for a whole week. Usually not more than a few hours actually, once the kids come home and wreak their havoc.<br />
A home requires constant maintenance. I was discussing this aspect with a friend recently. About the difficult of having spiritual aspirations when most of our life is so physical and really requires us to be hands on all the time. And the impermanence and repetitiveness of all the things we do. I remember once learning that it is all about "who you become in the process". Currently, the only thing I am becoming in the process is cranky and tired. This is something I will need to work out as I go along on this journey. For now I will just keep on cleaning- and possibly relaxing at the end of it all with a nice glass of bubbly wine.Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-13107584108275364962012-11-22T23:05:00.000-05:002012-11-22T23:05:18.892-05:00Things I am thankful forAlthough I am not really a fan of Thanksgiving, it is always nice to take stock and appreciate all the great things I have in my life. So in no particular order, some serious, some more in jest, here is my list of things I am thankful for this year:<br />
<br />
-My little AY. Turning a year and bringing so much joy into our life. He is at an age where he is busy exploring and is keeping me on my toes, but it is fun to watch him discover things, play with his siblings, and to hear his infectious giggle. Of course I am thankful for my other children, who say the funniest things and always find new creative ways to give me minor heart attacks<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid041gMvT66M6v8udtkqnoVcLV3wAgAom10U6tqZWM7I7GKCDJ-c5prwEmUcMVF2PK-0xDTWi-H2W790uvGB450k7OJX6Jp12s3WdohKB4usvfX4hyphenhyphen_iTUIfVCsyU1cLSopLtyHKqyrGKa/s1600/birthday+ay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid041gMvT66M6v8udtkqnoVcLV3wAgAom10U6tqZWM7I7GKCDJ-c5prwEmUcMVF2PK-0xDTWi-H2W790uvGB450k7OJX6Jp12s3WdohKB4usvfX4hyphenhyphen_iTUIfVCsyU1cLSopLtyHKqyrGKa/s320/birthday+ay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
- that my kids love spending time with my in-laws. We took a train out to their home today and they were so excited for our little trip. I love that think they view taking a subway and then a train as an adventure (I know, we don't get out much) and that they were looking forward to this little outing for so long, planning it and talking about it at school. They even spent the morning making special cards to bring my in-laws as a present<br />
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- That my big guy is making progress.<br />
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<br />
I love this kid. Some days he frustrates me so much I want to scream (this is not really unique to special needs, the other kids have that amazing quality too) but the truth is he is really growing a lot. His speech is expanding every day and he amazes us with the things he tells us. We are ever so slowly seeing progress in the last few hurdles of toilet training. He is obsessed with football (and the iPad), loves his baby brother and playing with his cars. If he stopped waking me at 5 15 that would be awesome, but he truly is a great kid and I am thankful for him.<br />
<br />
-My Ergo baby carrier that lets me have my hands free when I need them. We decided to leave the stroller home today on our trip, which was a good decision because the train was packed and it also saved time. Enter the ergo. When I need to run down to get the kids from the bus, I often use it too. In the afternoons when AY gets cranky and does not want to get put down and I have to make dinner/give baths. etc, I use the (you guessed it) Ergo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBJlNPREoxq1_-daaLlKrtLTBIF8Ic5BRfBwR3ukn2nX7MVjIYOVHk5_kkjLB9yeAuWm7uBjuHL1WoHlFN7J8GWq7sNxKZC_j1yx3ymq5exAw71gP631UetytSqvndN63Fxy4fMdp_2zE/s1600/IMG_20121106_171937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBJlNPREoxq1_-daaLlKrtLTBIF8Ic5BRfBwR3ukn2nX7MVjIYOVHk5_kkjLB9yeAuWm7uBjuHL1WoHlFN7J8GWq7sNxKZC_j1yx3ymq5exAw71gP631UetytSqvndN63Fxy4fMdp_2zE/s320/IMG_20121106_171937.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding on my back</td></tr>
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I do have a moby wrap and a sling that I use sometimes but this is really the easiest and most functional. Thank goodness for babycarriers.<br />
<br />
-My husband. He is supporting me on my venture to obtain a nursing degree which means a lot to me. I know it is not easy for him that I am less available and busier, to have to pitch in more with childcare when my babysitters are not reliable (don't get me started...) and of course to pay for all of it :) But we are doing this thing together, slowly and steadily. It's nice to be a team- in this and all other areas.<br />
<br />
-That my dad came to visit for the week bearing gifts- most importantly Belgian Kleinfeld chocolate. Now <b>that</b> is something to be really thankful for....<br />
<br />
What are you thankful for?Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-40884727496226038192012-11-15T23:29:00.002-05:002012-11-15T23:29:49.023-05:00Happy Birthday AYToday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev is my little AY's first birthday.<br />
Hard to believe that in one year he went from this<br />
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to this<br />
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He is such a happy kid, a pleasure to be with, as long as he is well slept and fed. He loves playing with his brothers and sister and interacting with people in general..his giggle and infectious laugh are an often heard sound in our apartment these days.<br />
For those who are interested in such things and I know most of you are not, his birth story can be found in <a href="http://frumdoula.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-doula-leda-came-for-postpartum-visit.html">this post</a><br />
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I hesitated to write this post with all the craziness going on in Israel...it seemed too happy and carefree. Rest assured Israel is in our thoughts and prayers. We mourn the tragic loss of life and feel for our nation who is once again under fire. May the month of Kislev bring lots of light and miracles into the world.<br />
<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-58015230134170881072012-11-14T22:01:00.001-05:002012-11-14T22:01:10.807-05:00Redefining busy When I was newly married and in school, trying to make dinner and master household chores while studying and taking tests I felt busy. When I had an infant with special needs and was balancing therapy sessions and household, I thought my hands were full (by the way, I hate that expression but that's for another post). When I had two kids 15 months apart and moved halfway across the world to become the Rabbi's wife, I had a lot going on. Just when things were getting into a routine, along came baby number , beginning the period of time called "3 kids under 4 in diapers" which was pretty intense <div>
Then little AY was born. Then I went back to school, taking just one course. This semester I am taking two courses with labs. In September, I hope to start nursing school full-time. Can you say "busy"? </div>
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There are still only 24 hours in a day. I still attempt to get about 7 hours of sleep a night. Yet somehow it all (or most of it) gets done. This is not about bragging about how amazing I am...quite the opposite. This is about the realization about how much we can actually accomplish. Just when we think our days are full, something else gets added to our schedule or responsibilities and we manage to squeeze it in. Then we do it again.</div>
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Of course there is always a limit. Eventually something has to give. There needs to be downtime- to eat, relax, recharge, whatever. But it is still pretty cool how much we actually CAN do, even when we think we can't. So give yourself a pat on the back- we are all supermoms :)</div>
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On the topic of taking some time for yourself, <a href="http://mamabirth.blogspot.com/2012/11/mom-needs-alone-time.html">read this</a></div>
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To read more about what an amish birth center can tell us about lowering the C-section rate, <a href="http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/3259-amish-birthing-reduce-c-section.html">check this out</a>. </div>
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And this is the final word on being busy and what moms really do all day:</div>
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Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-49880304858878567802012-11-07T22:20:00.000-05:002012-11-07T22:20:08.863-05:00I love birth :)I had an interview tonight with a doula client for the first time in a while...I had pretty much taken a break from doula-ing with having a baby and being back in school, but this opportunity presented itself so I decided to go for it.<br />
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What I discovered is that I (still) love childbirth- talking about birth, labor, coping mechanisms, educating women...it is truly my passion. It also reaffirms my decision to continue working in this field whether as a doula or in a different role as a nurse.<br />
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In other news, I am back to attending yoga weekly. I am loving it, feeling stronger each time and almost almost getting up into a headstand. I know yoga is all about the process, but the competitive/impatient side of me just wants to be able to say I can stand on my head....not sure for what purpose, but it would be kind of cool.<br />
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Also, it's snowing and freezing out. It has been quite a crazy two weeks weather wise- Happy November!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-45828826415023787642012-11-03T21:27:00.001-04:002012-11-03T21:27:39.756-04:00 some crazy/cute stuff going onWhere to begin?<br />
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This morning A. said she is going to vote for Romney because he is a friend of Israel and he will lower the price of taxis...we almost died laughing. And we do not talk politics with our kids so she picked this up at school.<br />
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AY discovered his shadow this afternoon. It was the cutest thing. he was kneeling by the wall and kept waving his hands and looking and trying to "catch" his shadow by moving or standing up. He was entertaining himself for a while this way and I was being entertained by watching him. It's amazing how kids discover the world. Sometimes I just want to eat him...<br />
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On Friday morning I discovered that someone had peed on the bathroom floor....far away from the toilet...intentionally. Said child was very lucky that they were not home when I discovered the sizable puddle. I will not reveal the identity of the offender, but will just say that it is not who you think it is. Seriously, what are my children thinking?<br />
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M. had a major tantrum/melt-down on Thursday. The cause of his distress was yogurt, specifically the fact that I would not let him eat straight out of a 32 oz. tub and requested that he eat from a bowl instead. When he finished screaming and yelling, he fell asleep on the cold kitchen floor, which led me to believe that the cause of his tantrum was really severe exhaustion and not the yogurt. It looked something like this<br />
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Yesterday, when cleaning behind the radiator cover in our living room, which I had not done in a long time I discovered about 25 matchbox cars and 20 little wooden blocks that Y had deposited there. He was so excited to have them back and started playing with them right away. I warned him that if he hides them there again, he will not get them back, rather I will throw them out or give them away. 24 hours later, guess where most of the cars and blocks are again. Question is, am I going to follow through on my statement?<br />
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That's about all folks. Wishing us all a boring, calm week!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-74935752837983362702012-10-31T22:04:00.001-04:002012-10-31T22:04:17.407-04:00Aftermath<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out we live in a pretty safe neighborhood, when it comes to hurricanes. Sandy came and went and we barely felt her. There was a lot of wind and some downed trees, but other than that, our part of town escaped pretty much unscathed. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the metro area. Large parts of NJ are without power, as is Manhattan below 34th Street. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I almost feel badly to be going about business as usual, when others are really suffering. A and M are back in school already, but Y will be home for the rest of the week. Bus service was reinstated today, subway service is coming back partially tomorrow. It's pretty amazing how quick NYC bounces back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While all this is going on, I am still thinking about the terrible murder of those two little children at the hand of their nanny. There is really nothing to say about it...it is terrifying for anyone who ever leaves their kids to think about. I don't have a nanny, but I do have several babysitters who watch my children when I go to school, go to meetings, appointments or even to yoga class. You can only know a person so well and there has to be a certain trust in someone else to care for your children. I kept thinking about the fact that the mother just left the house for an hour or two, to take her daughter to a swim class. The little girl was still seen in the elevator at 5...and was dead by 5 30. How does one even begin to fathom??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time of year is also when I remember my friend Jenny, z"L. Jenny was a roommate of mine in seminary in Israel and died very suddenly due to a brain hemorrhage two years ago, leaving behind a husband and three young children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her family has started a facebook event in her memory, called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/381446151930934/"> Lashon Hatov</a>. This is what they write:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="vTop" style="vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenny was an extraordinary individual, with a rightly famous smile that would lift friend and stranger alike, and an immensely sweet and loving nature. November 3rd will be the second anniversary of Jenny’s sudden passing, and we are inviting you to be a part of helping fill the world with a little more love in her beautiful memory.<br /><br />The name for this project is Lashon HaTov (literally The Language of Good) and is inspired by the Jewish prohibit<div class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">
ion against slander Lashon HaRah (literally The Language of Evil.) Let’s go beyond merely desisting from negative speech and in Jenny’s memory spend one day making an extra effort to speak positively about friends and family.<br /><br />You can do Lashon HaTov anywhere, and there is no right or wrong way to be a part of this, but we suggest on November 3rd:<br /><br />1. Make a conscious effort to be aware of the power of what we say to others, and what other say to us.<br />2. Try to say or do three specific kind words or acts to your best friend/relative/stranger on the street – whoever – that will make them walk taller as a result.<br />3. Share your stories and memories of Jenny on the wall below and her shining example of Lashon HaTov.<br />4. Invite as many people as possible – let’s make this big people!<br /><br />So I am inviting you all to join and bring a smile to someone's face, speak nicely and do good in Jenny's memory. With natural disasters and human made tragedies abounding, we could definitely use a little more light in this world.</div>
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Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-18713979706917177322012-10-29T15:50:00.002-04:002012-10-29T15:50:48.035-04:00Waiting for SandySo, the internet is abuzz with news of Hurricane Sandy. We too are home, waiting to see how this unfolds.<br />
I think the media hyping everything up and reporting every 15 minutes definitely adds to a sense of unnecessary panic. This storm is something to be taken seriously but hysteria never helped anyone.<br />
I happen to be lucky and live in an area of NYC that is expected to be hit very minimally by the storm. I am grateful for that and very happy that I am not in Atlantic City or other parts of New Jersey.<br />
The MTA shut down their transit last night and school is closed today and will remain closed tomorrow. There are concerns about losing power but there is no way to know if and when that will happen. We just feel like we are in limbo here, waiting and waiting for the storm to finally come so it can be over. It has been over 24 hours of waiting with no rain and some wind, but nothing to write home about.<br />
The storm is supposed to hit tonight and then I guess we will see. For now we are just hanging around at home. The kids are mostly entertaining themselves. I had planned to be productive, cleaning up, organizing closets, etc but in the end I opted for the lazy option of reading, knitting and just hanging around. I think I may regret not having spent the day doing more "useful" days, but I am just viewing it as a "mental health day" where there are no obligations- other than keeping my kids entertained and well fed.<br />
In other news, this little man just turned 11 months and is as delicious as always.<br />
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He is really a big boy, crawling all around the apartment, getting into stuff and playing with toys. He definitely likes to explore- the toilet and my kitchen cabinets are his favorite places.<br />
He is pretty steady cruising around while holding on, sometimes just with one hand. He also loves the playground, going down slides and just being able to climb all over. When he is well fed and slept, he is delightful, always smiling and laughing and in a great mood. When he is tired or hungry, he gets cranky and clingy, but then, so do some adults I know.<br />
AY is also a voracious eater- he has been having regular dinner with us these past few nights. One night it was pasta and meat sauce, another night chicken, couscous and carrots. He will eat it all. My friends tell me it is a blessing to have a baby who eats and I totally agree..even if it means I am now cooking dinner for 2 adults and 4 hungry kids :)<br />
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Also wanted to share my favorite new blog. She is so funny and spot on. It's called <a href="http://putdowntheurinalcake.com/">Five kids is a lot of kids</a>- fyi, four is a lot of kids too :) Check it out, but just warning there is some talk about bodily functions...something that happens when you have a lot of kids.<br />
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Stay safe and dry!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-31764973310041675272012-10-23T21:07:00.001-04:002012-10-23T21:07:05.695-04:00Caffeine UpdateI have been meaning to update how my little caffeine-free experiment is going. It has been ten days now and I really do feel better without it. No more headaches. I am still tired, which is to be expected with four little ones, including a baby who still wakes up in the middle of the night and a seven year old who starts his day at the crack of dawn. But it is manageable fatigue, not the crazy, wake up every-two-hour exhaustion of having a newborn.<br />
I have also taken some time these last two weeks for some self-care, including going back to yoga and going for my birthday massage three months late...<br />
School and life are more manageable now that I have my Mondays and Tuesdays back, although there is always something going on- a toilet-training seminar for kids with special needs, an open house for a nursing program I want to apply to, doctor's appointments for the kids, etc<br />
So my plan is to<br />
a) be organized<br />
b) get sleep<br />
c) stay off caffeine and eat well<br />
d) take some time-outs every once in a while.<br />
Who is joining me with my new routine?Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-56076803433319841592012-10-14T10:41:00.001-04:002012-10-29T15:51:00.129-04:00The Coffee HabitI have been a coffee drinker for as long as I can remember...I can probably trace it back to high school, when I started with ice coffee with lots of sugar and worked my way up from there. Over the years I have vacillated the amounts and types of coffee I was drinking- instant, filtered, lattes,... but my coffee habit remained pretty steady. I managed to switch to decaf for some of my pregnancies, yet my coffee mug was pretty much always around.<br />
It was more than the caffeine, to me coffee is synonymous with relaxation. It means- sit down and take a minute for yourself. When I buy a coffee in stores, it is about "treating" myself- someone else is making it for me and all I need to do is enjoy. And fight off my kids who want a sip, but that is a different story.<br />
With sleep deprivation and my busy life though, coffee became more about the caffeine and less about the "relaxation"<br />
This past month has been especially challenging and stressful for me. During this time, I relied on my coffee to get me through.What I was noticing though, was that the coffee was not really working anymore. In fact, it seemed to be hurting me. I was trying to just get through the day, crossing things off my ever expanding to-do list, but instead of feeling energized, I had headaches. Pretty bad headaches. I could usually get rid of my headaches with some advil but did not want to start relying on coffee <b>and </b>advil to get through the day.<br />
I thought I was just especially tired or needed more coffee, but I realized that this would just start an ever worsening cycle of more and more caffeine.<br />
So I decided that my body is sending me a message to stop abusing it...if I want to keep going, do well in school, and keep our home running, I need to take care of myself. This means getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, and taking time to unwind and relax. I am officially cutting out caffeine for the next few weeks to see how I feel without it. I am not going all out on this- giving up caffeine does not include chocolate, the occasional cup of diet coke or other things with caffeine, but it is a start.Because I cannot give up my habit of sipping coffee, I will be switching to decaf to have the "experience" without the caffeine.<br />
So far I am on day 2- I am curious to see if I can keep this up and will notice any noticeable improvement in the way I am feeling. I will keep you postedRuchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-17586621282080230022012-10-11T22:36:00.001-04:002012-10-11T22:36:22.070-04:00I did it!In the past few weeks I have deal with:<br />
6 days of yomtov<br />
3 shabbatot<br />
1 major fast<br />
4 large meals with company and countless others for the family<br />
5 weeks of school<br />
3 exams<br />
1 lab report and 2 short assignments<br />
mountains of laundry<br />
children home from school due to non-stop holidays<br />
a baby who still does not like to nap or sleep<br />
a minor foot injury<br />
1 birthday party for my husband<br />
1 nursing school application<br />
...and lived to tell the tale!<br />
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I feel accomplished, proud and very very tired. It seemed like every moment I had was allocated towards one project or another, whether it was cooking, studying for an exam or other family business that needed attending to. The last hurdle is this weekend, when we are having a guest speaker at our shul which means yet another big meal to cook/serve and clean up.<br />
I kept telling my friend that I just had to get through till this past Wednesday- and I did. I am hoping that things will lighten up once we start our regular schedule, where every other day is not a holiday or Shabbos. Although I am not so sure because as soon as yomtov was over, I scheduled about 5 doctor's appointments for the children and myself. But I am not going to worry about that just yet.<br />
For now, I will just try to catch up on some sleep...Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-35864083561235736732012-09-24T23:20:00.004-04:002012-09-24T23:20:45.790-04:0010 monthsHard to believe but AY will be turning 10 months on Wednesday.<br />
He is a big boy! In the last two weeks, he has finally gone from creeping on his belly to crawling on all fours consistently. He pulls himself up to stand and is pretty steady on his feet, although not quite letting go.<br />
His favorite new place to play is the bathroom. Primarily splashing in the toilet but also emptying out the garbage, eating dirty tissues and emptying the cabinet beneath the sink. He is definitely exploring a lot. I do not have to do much baby proofing since most of the stuff in our apartment is locked up anyway, but I do need to remember to close the bathroom door. And convince the kids that it is not funny to let him have access to the bathroom.<br />
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AY is happiest when he wakes up in the morning and from his mid-day nap. He smiles and laughs a lot and is babbling quite a bit too. He talks with a certain cadence that makes it sound like he is having a real conversation.<br />
He seems to have adjusted to my being at school twice a week although he does get super excited when I walk through the door. He loves food, particularly bananas and yogurt, like his big brother Y. He gets very excited when he sees food and wants whatever we are having. He has four teeth now and is getting pretty adept at chewing food. We were at an event in the shul on Sunday and one of the other Moms there was amazed that he was having a piece of bagel with cream cheese.<br />
The kids love him but it is not all perfect. A. gets upset because now that AY is mobile, he is touching some of her stuff, which is a big no-no. M seems to be jealous of all the attention he gets and tries to hit him at every opportunity. It's a work in progress, this too shall pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MJ4qKNfc50XuTZo6TDtPpTON7r7fw_-Yy1Awgv9hBKqfaOMR9uQ4jvGbrM6tlR1MtxGb46YUCjDvXMJbVBYAlZyHKis-utL8Zaaa2tjJpEFzTZGh4OF2pC8111I0FlL67EZjV7CFWUFS/s1600/IMG_20120909_105558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MJ4qKNfc50XuTZo6TDtPpTON7r7fw_-Yy1Awgv9hBKqfaOMR9uQ4jvGbrM6tlR1MtxGb46YUCjDvXMJbVBYAlZyHKis-utL8Zaaa2tjJpEFzTZGh4OF2pC8111I0FlL67EZjV7CFWUFS/s320/IMG_20120909_105558.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a little too much "love"</td></tr>
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I wish I had some wise words to share with you for Yom Kippur, but I have not had much time for introspection. Since school and the holidays have started, it has been pretty much go-go-go all the time. What it comes down to in the end though, is a sincere desire to grow and change. The most important part is taking all that passion and turning it into some action, no matter how small. Progress, not perfection, Wishing us all a little bit of progress in the coming year.Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-70179628913800723342012-09-15T23:49:00.001-04:002012-09-15T23:49:06.450-04:00busyI am still here...just really busy with kids back to school, taking the GRE (did well- yay!), starting school myself (good but hard and still need to work out childcare), Rosh Hashana and a million other little details.<br />
Hope to get back into a more regular blogging routine when all the craziness calms down.<br />
Wishing everyone a Shana Tova- may we all have a year of revealed good!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-51187939746243940802012-09-07T11:27:00.001-04:002012-09-07T11:28:02.811-04:00First Day of SchoolAfter a long and fun summer, the first day of school has finally arrived! Y started 2nd grade and A is a first<br />
grader. I brought them to school the first morning to meet their teacher and help them feel more comfortable.<br />
A's school had a special assembly for the first graders, where they got name tags and got to meet their teachers.<br />
They then said good bye and went upstairs to be divided into classes. A was happy to be with many of her friends from last year.<br />
Here she is in her new uniform<br />
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Y was a little hesitant about going to school, even though we had prepared him for it for a few weeks already. Once he saw his teachers and friends, though, he was much more at ease.<br />
I also met the newest member of his class- the cutest little boy who just happens to have Down Syndrome. He is only 5 and so little, I can't even remember when Y was so little.<br />
M went to school for a grand total of 15 minutes to meet his teachers. He starts on Tuesday, although they are still doing phase-in so he will be going for only an hour.<br />
I start school on Wednesday- I am a little nervous because I will be in school more hours this semester, but hopefully it will all work out.<br />
This morning was the first morning of school buses. We got up extra early because I was not sure when exactly the buses were coming. In the end, Y's bus came at 7 30 and A's bus came at 7 40.<br />
It is going to be hard to coordinate because Y's bus stops in front of our building and A's bus stops across the street. But hopefully once the buses are more regular, we will figure out where to go first.<br />
Y's bus driver is really nice. she gave me her cell phone number and told me that she will keep me posted with updates.<br />
Looking forward to getting more into a schedule...although Rosh Hashana will be interrupting it again :)Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-90210540431469349422012-09-03T22:37:00.002-04:002012-09-03T22:37:43.609-04:00Last Summer OutingToday was the last day to do something fun as a family, so we decided to check out <a href="http://victoriangardensnyc.com/">Victorian Garden</a>s in Central Park. We had gone there a long time ago, when Y was about 4 years old and A was three and it had not been a success. It was very loud and Y freaked out and refused to even enter the park. They were also too young to enjoy most the rides.<br />
Fast forward a few years and we are giving it another shot. We still were not sure how everyone would do with the loud noise and fast rides but this time it was a total success! We bought the unlimited ride option for the kids, which was a good thing because they went on every single ride- all the fast, up and down, swings, cars, roller coasters. My husband and I were saying how we would never get on these rides ourselves, but the kids all had a great time. AY mostly just watched from his stroller and napped a bit.<br />
We came home tired but very happy. We would definitely go there again although the cost was a bit steep- but we have come to expect that, as Manttan just won the designation as <a href="http://matzav.com/manhattan-by-far-the-most-expensive-place-to-live-in-the-us">the most expensive place to live in the US.</a><br />
Here are some of the rides we went on<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-gGWg90HcDryaNkIyy1BC5UnNW8mvgrh2gEjXIaC1632vfkXkyRbWGdTRCqgvVrge2NYJUluOlVz5JkbwYmZrF_QKMLfD8c4TAbATPemZck_d0gQzB7FuJWdTbVOQcS3-2X33FhHORTr/s1600/IMG_20120903_135259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-gGWg90HcDryaNkIyy1BC5UnNW8mvgrh2gEjXIaC1632vfkXkyRbWGdTRCqgvVrge2NYJUluOlVz5JkbwYmZrF_QKMLfD8c4TAbATPemZck_d0gQzB7FuJWdTbVOQcS3-2X33FhHORTr/s320/IMG_20120903_135259.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the fast swings- Y was screaming but came off saying "more"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xSqEIBtsrYtLbPg1nlZmGVMVT7YBvXNsa0l1byh8bkj27KUyQDVxmtxUgW3MmuFfxa_vob7yfDsVxX2ZX76Bv3IxzbAxVm8QBz5fc8Iz_hNeuI0HkYWbSrxAnYrJtolILl_A2-l7nOyE/s1600/IMG_20120903_144853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xSqEIBtsrYtLbPg1nlZmGVMVT7YBvXNsa0l1byh8bkj27KUyQDVxmtxUgW3MmuFfxa_vob7yfDsVxX2ZX76Bv3IxzbAxVm8QBz5fc8Iz_hNeuI0HkYWbSrxAnYrJtolILl_A2-l7nOyE/s320/IMG_20120903_144853.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the tame train</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjvYB6XOyhjQ2zrehb4jtVftkzxuv1JPVsCzfLCzWH41hY1jDUv1xAVhcZVej9PBGj7xtv25GvUDFbs1jxmyOa2az9GREz0iPll9x3jkOS5mg-HA5qYIpt5UecSHs2PIy_dA2LzwBoE5M/s1600/IMG_20120903_152112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjvYB6XOyhjQ2zrehb4jtVftkzxuv1JPVsCzfLCzWH41hY1jDUv1xAVhcZVej9PBGj7xtv25GvUDFbs1jxmyOa2az9GREz0iPll9x3jkOS5mg-HA5qYIpt5UecSHs2PIy_dA2LzwBoE5M/s320/IMG_20120903_152112.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">swing- also pretty tame</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jumping frogs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVuBerlqq-L_l99h0qqRkE7iwfgIy1TlE5w4-dtm6O4jYRHUEtwiDVPJiV4Ph233ZAxK0qobMcE8ChNWIDxs10blpYha4owKsFypVvEwXyMXR-4lDsjQBboL_Y3r0i8aIcv-3XmbTeL2Q/s1600/vg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVuBerlqq-L_l99h0qqRkE7iwfgIy1TlE5w4-dtm6O4jYRHUEtwiDVPJiV4Ph233ZAxK0qobMcE8ChNWIDxs10blpYha4owKsFypVvEwXyMXR-4lDsjQBboL_Y3r0i8aIcv-3XmbTeL2Q/s320/vg1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the "scariest" ride- M was not allowed on it and was pretty upset about it . we were relieved :)</td></tr>
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Let's not forget that today is "labor" say, so I am also sharing something related to birth- check out this great quote from Ina May Gaskin<br />
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Happy Labor Day to all!</div>
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<br />Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375794161154529176.post-26445020190522419882012-08-30T22:42:00.000-04:002012-08-30T22:42:19.637-04:00Our Busy DayToday was a good day, one in which I got a lot done. I feel accomplished.<br />
Our busy day started with a ride crosstown to First Avenue to drop Y off at his Friendship Circle camp. Anyone who lives in this part of town will tell you that going to First Avenue, is like going to Siberia....Y has been going all week. Aside from the logistics of getting him there and back, he has been having fun although I think he worries that he is missing out on the fun things we are doing at home. He is not altogether wrong as I am trying to spend some quality time with M and A. while he is out.<br />
After he was dropped off, we took another cab downtown to my college to change a class for my upcoming semester. I had attempted to do it over the phone but they insisted that I need to come in. So I brought my crew and thankfully, it only took 10 minutes, in which M and A kept themselves busy watching videos on the iPad.<br />
The next step of our journey was to Brooklyn- A. really wanted to go to a playspace there and I had promised her we would go at some point over vacation.<br />
The train was right next to my college, so we hopped on and arrived at <a href="http://kidsnaction.com/">Kids N Action</a> about 45 minutes later. The kids had a blast- AY had fun too. He slept on the ride there so he was in a great mood when we arrived. We stayed about 2.5 hours and then took 3 subways home. The kids were good sports about it and it only took a little over an hour.<br />
Once we got home, I started cooking for shabbos. And then after putting the kids to bed, I also cleaned the apartment because my cleaning lady/housekeeper of six years has decided to disappear on me and stop answering my phone calls.<br />
Now I am relaxing a bit even though I should be studying for the GRE which I am taking less than two weeks from now.<br />
At this point I am pretty much counting down the days till school starts. We are ready- we have our clothing, our shoes, haircuts, backpacks, school supplies, etc. Now all we need to do is actually drop them off....still have another week to go!Ruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541748159343849889noreply@blogger.com1