November, 2010

11.28.10
3
Toys. Is there really a reason to ever buy real ones? I mean… from the Raaawrr (like a bear) game, to the “I Can’t Find Jonah… Here I am Mommy!” game (aka. I-haven’t-quite-grasped-the-hide-and-go-seek-concept yet-game), to the Wrap-him-up-like-a-burrito-and-pretend-I-ordered-a-quesadilla-instead game, sometimes I wonder if buying a child an elaborate toy is even necessary…. I mean, when a 3 year old has as much fun cramming as many stuffed animals into his pajamas as he can, for the mere opportunity to see himself with a lumpy tush, is investing in the hottest, and probably toxic toy, worth it? Well, fortunately for YOU, you can have the best of both worlds and not spend a dime…. ...Read More
In addition to the “Minty Mallows” that sucked me in at Trader Joes, when I saw a Gingerbread Man kit for $3.99, I couldn’t resist. I instantly had visions of Jonah and I sitting together, decorating this darling cookie while drinking hot cocoa in our winter PJs… establishing a holiday tradition which one day would include me even baking a gingerbread house (mansion really) and inviting all the children to come and decorate it using “snow caps” that I had hand crafted… in my craft studio… next to the cozy fire place…. and our heavenly smelling Christmas tree. Sure we’re Jewish and I stopped getting Martha Stewart magazines years ago… ...Read More
I don’t often check my stats to see what kind of traffic I get. Even though I’ve been blogging since 2007, I generally assume that no one except my mom and maybe a teenager lost on the Internet in Uruguay reads my blog. Okay, fine, that may sound a little pathetic, but in all honesty, the dial is very seldom pushed by a new referring URL or traffic source. However, the other day I noticed a spike— from two places… one took research. One did not. The one that took research eventually led me to a lovely little forum where everyone’s avatar/ photo is of Joe Flannigan. (You remember him from ...Read More
11.11.10
3
I can remember being about 8 years-old and carefully coloring in between the lines on a plastic sheet… minutes later I would place this delicately crafted piece of plastic on a baking sheet, shove it in the oven and wonder: How, oh, how will this plastic Barbie shrink to the size of Tom Thumb??? SHRINKY DINKS. Do you remember them? They were incredible. Magical. And frighteningly unsafe and probably, TOXIC. They HAD to be toxic. Right??? With a 3 year old, I definitely try to do my best to provide foods (minus the occasional “Old” McDonald meal we indulge on every blue moon) that aren’t blatantly out to destroy organs. But to be honest, ...Read More
I may have created a monster, and his name is William…. I don’t quite remember how it happened, but it was something like this…. One day, Jonah was having your average meltdown about something – an I need another string cheese, higher bubbles in the bath NOW, I want my own car (as in- his own Nissan Motor car) moments… Completely exasperated, the only way I could talk him down off the hysteria ledge was quickly distracting him with a story about a little boy named William who also didn’t get the piece of string cheese, higher bubbles in the bath, etc etc…. Weeks later, he is now begging me for William ...Read More