Val-isms

Speed reading in another language

Who knew that reading Hebrew would somehow become a timed sport?  Oh, you weren't aware of this?

Well, as part of her Tuesday & Thursday afternoon Religious school curriculum, Sophie spends an hour of learning how to read and write the various prayers, recognize the 'root' letters and also learn the meanings of the words she's reciting.

In addition to practicing writing her Hebrew, she has to recite the prayers a certain amount of time.  And she's done quite well, right from jump. (I think she's had a great advantage to her classmates, as she's been listening to the prayers at services over the past 4 years, so the words seem somehow familiar to her!)

This week, as she's reciting her 'lines' to me, she says, "Time me!".  So I do.  And she now has a personal best time of 17 seconds to read the 5 lines!  It kind of reminds me of my brother David reciting the blessings in his manic speed reading manner!

Bottom line -- she's reading Hebrew and helping Linda with her Hebrew studies! 

Mini Adventure #2

No, not mini, as in small.  Mini as in Mini Cooper.

If you don't remember the last adventure with the Mini, you can can read about it by clicking HERE.

I'm beginning to think that either we weren't meant to have a Mini or this one is just a 'bad seed'.

This time, however, Linda & Sophie had the adventure on the way to Religious School. 

Fortunately, it was within 2 miles of the garage it was gonna get towed to (of course it was, as I upgraded my A*A as I got BURNED the last time this piece of crap car broke down, having been FAR from the garage.. sigh) and I was able to drop everything at work and head out to rescue them!

I even managed to get Sophie to Temple only 20 minutes late (of course, when the car stopped, she figured she had the perfect excuse to miss it!) and then by some miracle, we called A*A at 5 and they said they'd be there within an hour and 15 minutes, and promptly showed up within 15 minutes!  YAY!

So we were then able to follow the car to the garage and then head back in time to pick Sophie up at 6.

But, though we're home and we have the luxury of having my parents' car to use, I can't tell you how annoyed I am at myself for buying a used car.  Silly me thought that since it was basically made by BMW, that it would be a well made car that would last.  I guess I was mistaken.

Just may have to sell this puppy, cuz it's issues are starting to add up.  Oh and did I mention that the same thing happened to Linda, that happened to me.  The gear stick just went limp.  Now they're guessing that the cables may have snapped.  Wonder how much THIS is gonna cost us.

In sickness & dating

I have now had this cold for 2 weeks.  I don't always feel like crap, thankfully, but when I do, it's not pretty.  For Linda!

I have not missed any days of work.  I'm not sure that's something my co-workers are too thrilled with, but there is work to be done, and quite frankly, when I'm working, I can almost forget that I'm sick.  On the weekends, I've tried to take it easy, but again, things to do and when I am not moving, I tend to feel worse.

It's my sinuses.  And I'm in a catch-22 with this issue.  If my nose is stuffed up, then I have a hard time breathing.  But if I take a decongestant, then my nose runs and I absolutely HATE blowing my nose.  (Note:  just letting it run isn't a good alternative nor is it attractive to your loved ones!)

I'm not a 'run to the doctor' person either, yet i've noticed many people on F*ceb*ook noting that one day they're sick and the next day they're on antibiotics.  hmmm.  I'm just not a drug taker, I guess.  I keep thinking that it'll go away... eventually.

And it had better be gone before Friday, as we're hosting the cousin sleepover Friday night!  It's not good to face  an 8, 9 & 10 year old with any sign of weakness!  I have to be 'on'!  I'm the fun Aunt!

Oh and have I mentioned that my daughter, at the age of 9, let me remind you, has her first crush?  Oh yes.  I have to hear about this boy daily.  For the past 2 weeks or so.  For those of you who ever watched Beverly Hills 90210 as I did, he's Dylan.  He's the new kid in school, who is low-key, mysterious, but hard to not notice.  As apparently, many girls have crushes on him.  He's tall, dark and cute - if you're in the 4th grade!  He's from California.  OOOOOOOOOOH!

Rumor has it that he has had 5 girlfriends and kissed 4 of them in his brief life!  Last week, he was 'dating' one of Sophie's friends (I kept asking what that meant and couldn't get an answer from her!!) and this was causing her great angst.  She would moan to me all the way home from school how jealous she was of this girl and how she can't stop thinking about him.  She 'just can't."  She likes to watch him do anything - even just go to his locker.  And she thinks that he might like her, cuz he passed by her when she was on the swing and he said, "Hi, Sophie."  (um... ok!)

oh.my.god.  I seriously am in trouble, aren't i?  It's not good.

She asks me things like, "When can I start dating?"  I answer ,"When you're 30."  She says, "C'mon, really.  When can i date?"  and I say, "Please just be 9.  You can't go anywhere to date when you're 9.  So there is no point to this dating question, is there?"

I fear that middle school crap is seeping into the elementary school.  WHY?  What is the rush with this generation?  I think that they see too much.  And I personally would love to blame Miley Cyrus (and Hannah Montana!) for this.  That girl really hits nerves in me...  But I digress.

I just don't understand how the little girl who can still fit in my lap and sits in it often, can possibly have a crush on a boy already.  sigh.

Perhaps I'll just take some pills for my cold, go to bed and not think about it.

PPM and Equality

PPM... proud parent moments.

Yes, I had some of those.  Friday night at Simchat Torah services.  As I watched Sophie march into the sanctuary with the rest of the Jr Choir up onto the bima and sing each song/prayer with a huge smile on her face.  SO nice. 

Then all the festivities of the service - carrying the Torahs around, seeing people I haven't seen in awhile and catching up and or being able to say Happy New Year.  What a great community we are a part of.  So blessed and thankful.

Sophie is catching my cold, so we made no plans for the weekend, except to rent movies and hang around the house.  Nice for all of us.  Linda has somehow managed to avoid catching this long-lasting cold. (Yes, mine is still thriving nicely, thanks!)

Then, we were lying in bed on Friday night and Sophie sang a few of the songs that were sung during the service and I can't remember being more peaceful falling asleep than after listening to her a capella rendition of "Oseh Shalom".  Yep.  It was a magical moment.

We did run out on Saturday to pick up a Stamp collecting album as Sophie has expressed interest in starting to do this and fortunately Linda has experience in this.  We intend to attend a Stamp show in November.  I guess I'll be learning about this hobby, as well.

On Sunday, Linda & I attended a lecture at the local gay community center on Sunday.  Here's how it was billed:

Joy Ladin, a published author and literature professor at Yeshiva University, made International headlines in 2007 when after 5 years of teaching and tenure, she announced to her employer that she was undergoing gender transition to become a woman.  She was consequently barred from the university , and placed on  "indefinite research leave."  With the help of Lambda Legal, she successfully challenged the administration's decision and was able to return to her teaching position as the first trans-gender faculty member at Yeshiva University.  

It was an emotional story, as you can imagine any story where someone spends the their entire life trying to 'fit in' to what her outward appearance role should be.  The 16 people in attendance were visibly moved by her story and impressed with her dignity and attitude.  I was really glad we attended.  She was an inspiration to be true to yourself.

I am newly aware of the Trans-gender community, as with most things, until it touches your life, one doesn't usually spend much time thinking about things.  The more I learn, the more I realize that the GLBT community needs to really embrace the Trans-gender community and I'm glad to see that our local group does and does it very well.

It was very apropos that this talk happened on such a very historic weekend that also included such events as the HRC National dinner in Washington, DC where President Barack Obama spoke on Saturday night which was televised on C-Span.  What an incredible speaker he is and what an honor to have his support.  He was criticized for not saying 'when' he would be doing the things he said he would do, but the fact remains that he said he would do them.  All things take time and it's more than we EVER got from the last administration.  

It was also National Coming Out Day on Sunday Oct 11th there was also a HUGE march in Washington for Equality.  What a crowd it was and hopefully things will change and equality will happen.   I believe it will, as I've seen so much change over the past 30+ years since I've come out.

Being dismissed

Linda brings Sophie to religious school on Tuesday afternoons, in her ever expanding role as step-parent and on the ride over yesterday, was informed that Sophie didn't want to call me to talk (to say hi and see how her day was, etc) as she was "not in the mood to talk".  When they reached the Temple, Linda was instructed to walk her to her classroom as they were a little early (and heaven forbid she be in the classroom with JUST her teacher!).  So they were chatting and upon another student's arrival, Sophie does a side-of-the-mouth whisper to Linda, "GO!".

Linda left swiftly.  Properly stung with a dismissal from a 9 year old!

I smiled as she told me about it after Sophie went to bed.  Cute.

This morning, my beautiful daughter sang the "Bar'chu" (the call to prayer in the synagogue) over and over, as we drove thru torrential rain on her way to school.  This prayer is the song she's recently learned in Jr Choir and also learning how to read in Hebrew at Religious school.  Sophie loves her Hebrew teacher.  (She was also Linda & my Hebrew teacher and since become a friend of ours, and we love her, too!)  Despite the rain, I was warm in the glow of knowing the my hard earned money was being spent wisely on something that I was already seeing the benefits from.  It was good to be me.

We entered the school chatting about nothing and everything and as we walked thru the APR (all purpose room) to get to the before school program room, she laughs cuz I'm dancing sillily to some song playing on the radio by the maintenance people.

Just before we get to the door to the room, she puts her arm out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.  I look down to see her puckered lips pointing up to me and it takes me a couple of seconds to realize that she is not so subtly letting me know that though she still wants to kiss me goodbye, it will take place in the privacy of the hallway and there is no need for me to actually walk in with her.

OK, then.  Dismissed, I retrace my steps.  I no longer hear the music in the APR nor do I feel like dancing.

But by the time I reach the car, it's all good again, cuz at least I still got a kiss.  And she is learning Hebrew.  And she likes singing in the Jr Choir... "focus on the positives, Mom", I tell myself.

And treasure the moments that she still shows you and acts like your little girl.

First cold of the season, apple picking & being supportive

My cold began Friday and escalated to full blown stuffy nose, coughing by Saturday.  Not pretty for me or anyone around me!

I didn't let it get in the way of any of our plans, though.  That doesn't mean that I didn't whine and drive the people around me crazy, but we managed to get out and about.

The meeting with our Cantor on Saturday morning was a lot of fun and very informative.  We have minimal knowledge on Jewish weddings as Linda has never been to one and I've only been to 2 (my sister & one of my brothers), and obviously, with the gay slant, there will be some modifications done to prayers and traditions.  Fun stuff!

We left there still having music to pick out, but knowing that we'd ask a friend of ours to be the pianist, who happily accepted our request and who's partner immediately asked to be a bridesmaid!  (Oh, it's gonna be a great reception simply because we'll have a few gay men there!)  I had to tell him that only family members will be in the procession!

The Shabbat experiment with Sophie went extremely well.  It's amazing how much talking to one another can occur when TV and computers are removed from the environment.  We played board games by candlelight, talked for an hour or so about our weeks and then read for awhile (by light!) before going to sleep.

After meeting with the Cantor, I got my haircut, and then headed out to a local farm for some apple picking.  It was kind of drizzly rain at times, but it was still fun and the apples were good to snack on as we picked!  It was a fun time that included a tractor-pulled wagon ride up into the orchard!

When we got home, we melted some chocolate and dipped a few apples in for Sophie to take over to her other home to share with her friend who she was having a play-date on Sunday.

Our dinner at our friends' home, with the wine flowing, my cold began to intensify with my head feeling even more clogged and needing to blow my nose more often.  Fortunately, 2 of the guests were recent graduates from a local school where they became Homeopathic doctors and happened to have their Acupuncture needles with them.

So right at the dining room table, I became a pin cushion!  5 needles were painlessly put in strategically (1 on each hand between my thumb and index finger, 1 on each side of my nose and 1 on my forehead) and within minutes, I was feeling like I could breathe.  Amazing.  Then Linda's shoulder was treated with a few needles and another friend's hot flashes were treated with a few needles, as well!  The 3 of us were on the couches, by now, relaxing with our 'treatment needles' doing their job!  (So now you know what lesbians do on a Saturday night!!!)

Anyway, plans to go out dancing that evening were canceled due to the time that we were heading home (11:00pm), which was just as well.  We passed on attending class Sunday morning, as it was still kind of raining out and I was feeling poorly.

But by late morning, the sun was shining and we headed out to clock a 9 mile course for Linda to run in Westport.  She did amazing, finishing it in about 10 minutes shy of 2 hours!  Her reward was a trip to the bookstore and then a DQ ice cream cone!  I had a Blizzard for purely medicinal purposes, as my throat was very sore!  Here's my impressive runner:

We headed home for hot showers (ahhh steam is so great for a stuffy nose!) and then watched the WNBA finals game between Phoenix & Indiana... We want Phoenix to win, but they ended up losing by 1!

We watched Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters and couldn't quite make it for Dexter.  Something to watch tonight!

Tonight we're doing "Sushi in the Sukkah" at the Temple... interesting, no?!

Here's a cute pick of the boys (the first time we've seen them using 2 of the beds in this scratching thing we got them:  (usually they fight to be the one to get the top bed)

Tommy is on top and that's Petey on the bottom!  Sorry for the 'flash-bulb' eyes on them both!

Fasting challenges, crushes and trying to go back to the basics

Yom Kippur passed with a few bumps:

• Sophie fasted (despite my pleading for to eat at lunchtime), and felt ill during the 1:30 children's service where she was singing in the Jr Choir. Poor thing. We ended up heading home for a quick pit-stop to split a bagel about 3pm to help with our heads & stomachs. Then we stayed home to prepare for the few people coming over for break-fast.
• Linda made it the whole day. She's a trooper.

Having Monday off,always makes the week so much nicer.

Sophie has her first major crush on a boy.  Heaven help me.  She's only 9!  He, of course, likes someone else.  sigh.

Last night, thanks to my parents heading back to Israel earlier than expected, we were able to use their tickets to the Westport Country Playhouse and saw a play called "The Breath of Life", starring Stockard Channing & Jane Alexander.  The play was ok (kind of depressing) but being about 10 rows from the front and starint at Stockard was a lovely way to spend a few hours! :)  Thanks, Mom & Dad!

Tonight, we will celebrate Sukkot with a nice service and dinner afterwards at the Temple. And then, Linda, Sophie &I will try doing a semi traditional Shabbat.  No TV & electronics (including pc's).  Phones are ok.  Driving is ok.  Should be interesting.  We hope to do some apple picking Saturday afternoon if it's not raining.

Saturday night, we're going to a friends home for dinner.  We may end up at the local gay bar at the end of the evening if we have any energy!

Sunday morning starts off the Rabbi's Judaism classes at Temple, which we'll attend.  Then a little qickball.

Linda has a 9 mile run on Sunday afternoon, so I'll be driving ahead of her providing water/snacks.  It's tough to be the wind beneath her wings, right?!!!

Shabbat Shalom.