Haveil Havalim #353

I am so excited to be hosting this week's Haveil Havalim, the Jewish blog carnival! 


Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a weekly collection of Jewish and Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week.
Next week, HH is being hosted by Ya'aqov at Esser Agaroth submit your entries here. Please join us at the Haveil Havalim facebook group.


Opinions expressed in the posts linked below are those of the respective bloggers and not necessarily endorsed by me.


I have showed considerable restraint in adding my two cents to the The Jewish Press article on the "Shidduch Crisis" that caused such a firestorm last week. The Press has printed responses by readers, as well as responses by Jewish notables like Gila Manolson and Shmuley Boteach.  More pertinent to our purposes at HH, the following thought provoking responses were blogged on Morethodoxy by Rabbi Zev Farber in Frum Bridalplasty? and on Ingathered in Where is God in the Shidduch Crisis?


Passover is coming! There were a variety of posts on  preparation, cooking, and anticipation of the Chag.


Mrs. S. of Our Shiputzim shares the Shattered Dreams of kids on Pesach vacation. While Hadassah at In the Pink reminds us of Pesach in the Good Old Days.

Me-ander's Miracle, Rosh Chodesh Nisan Kosher Cooking Carnival has some great links with cleaning tips and recipes. Marc at Culinart Kosher is doing an entire Series on the Pesach Menu. He is presenting different recipes for the symbolic foods of the Seder Plate. Check out his deconstructed Charoset recipes.

An emotional time for many, both Kiss a Mezuzah's Freedom Doesn't Mean Everything is Perfect and my own Trip'n Up's Pesach Preparedness reflect on finding joy in the holiday while the shadows of sorrow.

Finally, Shiloh Musings offers us some words of Torah for our Seders in her Message of Passover. 


As always, there were a plethora of posts on Israel, its politics, policies, and beauty. 


Shiloh Musings stresses the importance of a name in Tel Shiloh, AKA Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh.  Religion and State in Israel  (Section 1) and  (Section 2) provides an in-depth review of media coverage this week. The Torah Revolution warns Italian Government Seems To Be Bracing For War In Israel.

In the political sphere, Esser Agaroth asks Migron Residents, Are You Still Whining?, Yoel Meltzer pleas that it is Time for New Thinking, and Shiloh Musings examines Kadima, Great Name, But Empty of Values and Vision.  The issue of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement are tackled in AQtext's BDS Hits Home and The Real Jerusalem Streets' take on the real March Madness.

Life in Jerusalem is never boring. The Real Jerusalem Streets' What Did You Hear? and Esser Agaroth's More Western Diaspora Politically-Correct Codependent Insanity discuss the responses to the "riot" in the Malha Mall.  Avital at This and That asks Who is Citypass and Why are We Stuck with Them for 30 Years?  Jewish in Israel tells the story of Pastor John Hagee's use of Aish HaTorah's Rooftop and Aish's response in Hagee Preaches the Gospel from the Aish HaTorah Rooftop.

There is so much beauty here in Israel that I wish that's all the world would see. Thanks to Batya at Me-ander for sharing some laughs in Medical Clowning and to Marina at A Letter from Israel for bright, pretty Wild Mustard Flowers of Israel. 

In the family department, Ima2Seven reminds us that a parent's job is never done in  Abba, Are we there yet? 

Finally, regarding the online Jewish community, Hadassah Levy (@Hadassah_Levy and contentandcommunities.com) is profiling Jews Who Tweet on Jewneric.com. This week she featured @hsabomilner of In the Pink. 

Thank you all for stopping by to read this round-up!  I loved putting it together and hope you will all come by more often for a regular dose of Trip'n Up.

Chag Kasher v' SAMEACH!!

Trip'n Mommy

Mommy Time Out

I'm am writing this on my iPhone from a secure, top-secret location.

I am in a Mommy Time Out.

The past few days have been filled with massive Purim preparations. Everything that I chose for our Mishloach Manot was supposed to be incredibly simple, but of course ended up ridiculously complicated.

We are planning a Persian themed Seuda which means AM and I are preparing foods that we have never made before.

Throw in coordinating costumes for 3 picky 8 year olds, my birthday (which just made me cranky), and the arrival of Saba and Savta and you get one over stressed, overwrought, and overtaxed Trip'n Mommy.

So an hour before Megillah reading, I am hiding and trying to find the Simchat Purim that is hiding somewhere in me too.

Hester Panim theme?

Here's hoping that when I emerge, my good mood will reveal itself!

Wishing everyone a Purim Sameach!

(Uh oh, I hear little voices. I think security has been breeched... )

Words to the wise

Some brilliant advice on How to Talk to a Triplet Mom from Multiple Bliss. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Take This Job and Shove It?

Every day this working mother makes an inner Cheshbon  (calculation).  

Every day I think about my children getting home and my not being there. I thank G-d that they have no "real" homework and that they are not really going to suffer academically because I am not there until bedtime.  

I think about the missed baths, cuddles, stories, snacks, projects, opportunities. 

I wonder if the rush in the morning is worth it. Would I care about the girls fighting with me not to wear a particular shirt, skirt, pair of tights if it didn't mean another few minutes that I would be late for work. 

But then there is the flip side:

Tuition

Camp

Mortgage

Food

Health Insurance

Also, I do love where I work and the people I work with.  I admit I love the prestige of my job and the complements I get when people hear where I work. 

But lately, I don't love WHAT I do.  And some of the sacrifices AT work don't seem worth it. I am being backed into a corner and being asked to look at a future there that has a lot less appeal. 

There are also the little factors of my health, well-being, and happiness to consider. 

Lately, the scale of Cheshbon has been much more wobbly, much more tilted in favor of leaving this job.

But what about...

(I guess Camp would not be an issue.)

Tuition

Mortgage

Food

Health Insurance

THE ECONOMY??

It makes it harder to get up and go every morning. 

I am faced with what is perhaps the biggest dilemma of my life so far.

Preschool (Mommy) Homework

So this is a pet peeve of mine, but probably because I am a working mother and don't have hours in the afternoon to brainstorm WITH MY KID, get the items together, and be ready on time.

From an educational standpoint I can make a ton of arguments in favor of most of these activities. As a former teacher, I know how hard it is to get your act together and send this stuff home with more than a few days notice. However, in my life, it is just ONE MORE thing this Trip'n Mommy has to do.

Here are some highlights of Mommy Homework:

1. Show and Tell - In Kindergarten it is themed by letter of the week. So we have it EVERY WEEK! At least the girls have the same letter because they are in the same class. C's class in doing Aleph Bais in order and ABC's out of order, so I never know what letter will be the next week. This how I handle S&T. IF I have time, I discuss the letter of the week and brainstorm with them about different items that start with the letter. If I don't have time, I brainstorm with H, Savta, co-workers, anyone who'll listen. After the kids are in bed, I search the house for different and varied items that start with the letter of the week, including at least one book. Then in the morning, the kids get to pick an item from the pile. (Then I leave the pile for the babysitter to put away...)

2. Shabbos Ima, Abba, Saba - Mommy has to go and by either a Parve, nut-free snack for the whole class or a Challah or two as per the Morah's instructions. (water, egg free, no seeds, large, medium, unsliced, etc.) Never mind the stress of trying to come up with a snack that is Parve, nut free, cool for the kids, and not so sugary, expensive, or inappropriate that the other mothers will hate you. (Special shout-out to the mom who sent in a Fruit by the Foot for each kid! That's like 4 boxes!)

This particular assignment is usually given on Wednesday, due on Friday. Since I usually don't see these notices until after 8pm on Wednesday (or even worse Thursday morning!) that means I only get one night to prepare. In an effort to squeeze a little more time, I am constantly asking the kids if they have a note from Morah. Honestly, I may be more Shabbos Party obsessed than the Trips.

3. Recycling, toilet paper rolls, grocery flyers, OJ containers and other project items - At start of the year, the girls' morah sent a note with items that she uses throughout the year and a request for us to send them in regularly. Great! I try to do this. It is her unanticipated requests and the requests from C's Morah that throw me.

First of all, these requests come in the Classroom OR Preschool newsletters on Friday. For the uninitiated, these are wonderful little weekly PR pieces where the Morahs and Preschool Directors share what has been happening in the Parsha, the class, the school, other classes, the world at large, etc.

Yes people, I have 4 newsletters to scour for information and Mommy assignments!!

THEN I have to remember to prepare the items for Monday. THEN I have to remember how many I need and which kids need them!!

4. Family Pictures - Seriously, in the digital age?! I have to sort through files to find the right one, get the damn photo printer to work, and print a copy. This week the girls needed ONE picture with EVERY member of the family in it. Yeah, right. The only one I had was a portrait from 2 summers ago. So then I had to perform copyright infringement, scan and digitize the image, fight with the photo printer and get 2 decent copies.

5. Aleph Beis Machberes - C's class is making a really lovely notebook throughout the year. At the start of the year they made a stick puppet for each member of the kid's family (with a separate picture of each, see #4) that live in the machberes. It is filled with activities, songs, stories, etc for the puppets to do. Most Fridays, C brings home his machberes and puppets for us to see what he's done, review, and play with the puppets.

It is Mommy's job to make sure that A, B, and Trouble do no harm to the precious notebook or and of the 5 puppets, and ensure that all 6 items are returned to school Monday morning.

6. Costumes - Okay, so these are fewer and further between and you usually get a little more notice. This week, C came home on Monday with a note that for Friday's siyyum Sefer Bereshit. He needed not only to bring in a Parve, nut-free snack for the whole class but also needed to dress up in a costume as a character or item from all of Bereshit.

Luckily, I was on the phone with the brilliant and more experienced AM, who said "put a robe and sandals on him and he could be anyone!" Since C shares a name with one of the Shevatim, and has a blue bathrobe with his name in Hebrew, this gave us a platform to really jump off. We added a laundry bag for a sack, and hyped it up for C. It worked. He really looked cute getting on the bus today.

Now I must stop, because I must tend to another crucial Mommy assignment - providing nourishment for the family through shopping and cooking!!

Sometimes you just need a reminder

I had a particularly rough day at work today. Actually, it has been a rough week. I have been sick and under stress.

Tonight I came home distraught, disturbed, and faced with rethinking my life and my priorities.

I did not get a chance to see the kids before they went to bed, so when I came up for the night I went to give them kisses in their sleep.

They were all together in C's car bed. B and C laying next to each other with their "friends" tucked in next to them. A was laying across the top of the bed, with her head touching C's and B's head in her belly. They looked so sweet, so loving.

Boy, nothing like a nest full of ducklings to get all those ducks in a row.

The Report

Okay, so the Parent Teacher Conference wasn't ALL that surprising. Here is the summary:

1. My girls really look alike and sometimes the Morahs call them by the wrong name.

Our reaction: NO, they don't! We also call them by the wrong name all the time. At least she never calls them by the dog's name (we do!)

2. They are VERY close and loving, and the Morah has to make an effort to make sure they go to different work centers and sit separate at Ma'agal (circle time.)

Our reaction: Awww. We didn't realize they love each other so much. It makes us feel so good as parents. Thank G-d she separates them!

3. When one is absent, the other really shines. She recommends splitting them up next year.

Our reaction: Damn! It makes it MUCH harder on us, but if it is best for the girls....

4. A is very verbal.

Our reaction: Really?!

5. B is very, umm, determined, opinionated (insert any nice word for stubborn and bossy)

Our reaction: You don't say?! Actually, we see her as a bit Type A... But how is it affecting her socially?

Morah's answer: B is doing fine socially. She is not so bossy that the other girls don't want to play with her. She is also open to mediation when then Morahs step in.

Our reaction: Baruch Hashem!

6. A is more easy going, has a generous nature (will give things up if someone else wants it)

Our reaction: We see this at home (have for some time) and are trying to teach her siblings not to take advantage.

7. B needs practice writing her name, and give positive encouragement and don't let her become frustrated.

Our reaction: Oh, is she easily frustrated?! No problem, we will work on this.

8. The Morah sees no issues for them academically.

Our reaction: Baruch Hashem!!

We also heard how well-adjusted and sweet they are from the Preschool Director.

The entire experience was humbling, encouraging, and generally painless.

We really do thank Hashem everyday for the multitudes of blessings that he has bestowed on our family. We pray for his goodness and blessing to continue and our children continue to grow and flourish and follow in His ways and the ways of Torah.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Tomorrow is going to be a historic day in the Trip'n house. H and I will be attending our very first official Parent Teacher Conference.

We have two appointments, scheduled consecutively, to discuss A and B with their lovely Morahs.

I am a pretty in-tuned, realistic mother. I think I know my kids with all their pluses and their faults. I am pretty sure I know what is going to be said.

So why am I so nervous??