So much goes into getting ready for Rosh Hashanah each year: Meal preparation; new clothes; traveling to families. But it's also a time to stop and reflect and give back. Here in Chicago, there are many opportunities to volunteer in honor of the High Holidays. You can find out more details by clicking here to check out my latest post on Kveller's local page. Wishing everyone (an early) happy and healthy New Year! … [Read more...]
So Glad They Told Me
Hello People! It's been several months since I last posted, and if my blog really were my fifth child, as I've referred to it, I would rightfully have had social services banging on my door with neglect charges. Thankfully, there's no blog police, but I do have to answer to myself, and I've really missed this space. So today I'm back, and I'm hoping to not take such a long hiatus again. Going forward, I plan to post on a semi-regular basis without putting undue pressure on myself to constantly post. I have other writing goals for myself this coming school year, now that all of my babes are in the same building for seven and a half hours a day. I wasn't expecting the deer in headlights feeling that came with having my youngest go off to kindergarten. Last week, after dropping him off for his first full day, I felt like I wasn't quite sure how to move forward without a little one in tow. But this week provides me with the perfect excuse to put myself out there once again and reconnect … [Read more...]
“Multiples Illuminated,” edited by Megan Woolsey & Alison Lee
As the mother of four children, all of whom arrived within six years of each other, I appreciate the chaos of life in a hectic household. But even when I was in the thick of it with numerous kids in diapers and babies at different stages, I still knew that having each of my children individually was different than had one of my pregnancies been with multiples. Somehow I had an inkling that parenting twins or triplets was a whole other genre of parenthood, a special club in its own right. Now those who are lucky enough to find themselves in that club have a great new read thanks to fellow moms of multiples and editors Megan Woolsey and Alison Lee, the creative masterminds behind the delightful and informative book, “Multiples Illuminated: A Collection of Stories and Advice from Parents of Twins, Triplets and More." This anthology is a one-stop-shop for parents of multiples or those expecting them. It showcases beautiful essays from other parents of twins or triplets with stories … [Read more...]
Learning Life Skills With Knife Skills
Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. The chef’s knife hits the cutting board at a fast clip with a staccato beat. My oldest son deftly dices mango into little golden cubes. He’s 10-and-a-half years old, but on the smaller side for his age, and I’m not used to seeing his hands move so quickly. “Where did you learn to chop like that?” I can’t help but sound surprised. Not only am I in awe over his skills, but I’m also a bit shocked that I had no clue he could make magic with a knife. “Cooking shows, Mom. It’s easy.” He shrugs his shoulders, all the while continuing his rhythmic dicing. Check out this post and who's making dinner in our house these days at Mamanomnom.com … [Read more...]
A Prescription for Play
My 3-year-old son cries and screams, picks up a Lego and chucks it. I stand there frozen, staring at him, unwilling to give into his antics. He’s my youngest child, and even though he struggles with speech delays and motor planning issues, I refuse to acquiesce to this behavior. I’ve learned over the years how to wait out a meltdown. Still, the frequency of his outbursts is troubling, and I’m at the limits of my knowledge on how to handle them. “The speech and occupational therapy are helping him tremendously, plus we do exercises together at home. But look at this behavior! What am I supposed to do? I’m at my wit’s end,” I lament to my friend as she watches the scene before us. She’s a child psychologist, and I’m hoping her professional expertise will provide some much needed tips. During this particular tantrum, we find ourselves at her in-laws’ house to celebrate a holiday together. Being in a safe private place helps me to be more patient with his increasingly loud … [Read more...]
The Family that Vacations Together… Stays Together
Exactly when the tradition started remains unclear. But sometime in the late 1960’s, my extended family began gathering yearly in Miami, Florida. At the time, our numbers were small: My grandparents, my aunt and uncle and their two children, my uncle and my dad. Years passed, more weddings, more babies, and by the late 1980s, our grand total hit the 20 people mark. In those days, my grandparents’ Miami apartment served as home base for our annual trek. They were “snowbirds,” those lucky people who head to warmer climates for the winter months. Part of our crew hailed from Texas, but the rest of us were Chicagoans, so we understood our grandparents' choice to escape the cold temperatures. Still, as a close clan, it was imperative that we not let the whole six months pass without seeing one another. We grandchildren numbered 11, and while our grandparents' apartment was spacious, it was arranged for their lifestyle as … [Read more...]
“Mothering Through the Darkness: Women Open Up About the Postpartum Experience,” edited by Jessica Smock & Stephanie Sprenger
I remember being a new mother, holding my baby, tears springing from my eyes. My cousin told me I had the baby blues. The overwhelming feeling passed quickly, and I was able to return to mothering my newborn without (my) crying. (The baby cried plenty). Still, that feeling of being trapped and overcome with the enormity of motherhood lingered during those first three months of my son’s life. At my six-week post partum check-up, my doctor questioned me in a way that I could tell was a screening for postpartum depression (PPD). My answers were honest, but they didn’t qualify me as someone experiencing PPD. And yet, reading the essays in "Mothering Through the Darkness," I encountered stories that resonated with me and brought me back to those difficult days as a new mother. Looking back, I think my doctor was correct to not diagnose me with PPD. My “baby blues” were short lived. But I do wish I had a book like "Mothering Through the Darkness" at my disposal to help me better … [Read more...]
All Together Always. Just Not Right Now.
The taxis pull up to the off campus apartment to take us into Boston. We tumble outside and into the waiting vehicles, giggling and excited for our night on the town. We’ve been waiting for months to celebrate our 21st birthdays together, and I’ve been the hold up as the youngest in the group. Now we all have licenses that allow us to order drinks whenever we wish and enter any bar that we want. This being Boston where ancient Blue Laws still exist, the night will end by 2 a.m. But that’s OK. What matters is that we’re all finally together after the previous semester of being apart. The next time we go into Boston for a night out, I drive. After circling Newberry Street for what seems like an eternity, we finally find a place to park. But it’s a parallel parking space, and I don’t really know how to get into it. (Gulp). In the state of Illinois, where I took drivers’ ed, parallel parking is not required to obtain a license, so I never really bothered to learn. After several failed … [Read more...]
Up on Kveller: How My Daughter’s Birth Brought Me Back to Halloween
Toward the end of my second pregnancy, my doctor offered to make things easy on me and schedule an induction. “Wait. Make it easy? I thought inductions were a prescription for a C-section. I was able to push my son out in 40 minutes the first time. Why would I want to set myself up for failure the second time?” I asked, with my legs in the stirrups as he examined me. I’m always amazed by how easily I chit chat during these moments. To read what happened next with my Halloween birth head over to Kveller. … [Read more...]
The Princess & the Playground
“Remind me again, the name of the princess you were for your fourth birthday? You know, Sleeping Beauty? What’s her actual name?” I’m reminisicing with Miss J before bedtime one night. Her birthday is coming up, and since it coincides with Halloween, she gets to pick any costume she wants. Miss J turns nine this year, and I can’t believe it’s been five years since princess was everything her heart desired. “Aurora?” she half asks, half tells me. I’m not sure if she’s incredulous that I can’t remember the Disney character or just being matter of fact. Maybe a little bit of both? After all, tweendom is on the horizon, and the antics have already begun. “Oh, yes. Aurora. Remember when you dressed up like her for your party?” It was the first birthday party we held for her in our new suburban house. I was excited to finally have the proper space for her whole preschool class plus other friends and family. We rented little mini tables for the kids, painted pumpkins and had a … [Read more...]
