I’m a recovering “everything happens for a reason” girl.  I used to believe that wholeheartedly, I was also a big fan of thinking that I could control what actually happened, that if I wanted something and truly focused all of my energy on it, it would happen.  I’ve been on a bit of a spiritual …

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I know – it flies in the face of conventional parenting wisdom.  You always are supposed to trust your instincts as a parent, when that little voice tells you that the fever is something serious, get it checked.  When your child answers “nothing” in an innocent tone of voice when you holler in to see …

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Yeah, it’s time for another stop-complaining-about-your-life-and-be-grateful-for-what-you-have-and-quit-focusing-on-whats-bugging-you post.  It’s been a rough few weeks, and I’m frazzled and frustrated and impatient all the time.  So, more of a reminder for myself than anything else – here’s a list of what I love most about my life. 1.  My husband.  We’ve been together almost eleven years, and …

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That’s what Julie said to me last night.  Her plan involved me sitting in the lobby at her preschool, and then she wouldn’t cry.  She asked me over and over again, each time insisting that this was a great idea.  And because I love her, and because really, all I was going to do was …

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I miscarried my first pregnancy.  I lost twins, one at ten weeks, and one at eleven weeks.  And even though it was over a decade ago, sometimes the grief still has the power to slam into me and break my heart like it was yesterday. I had a rough morning today – nothing out of …

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Things have been an absolute whirlwind around here lately.  We’ve had the High Holidays (with Yom Kippur coming up on Friday night/Saturday) over the weekend, the first full week of school starting, Julianna starting preschool, my aunt has been staying with us, and oh yeah, I volunteered to head Sisterhood at the synagogue, as well …

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(reprinted from Central MA Jewish Voice www.jewishcentralvoice.com) It’s the holiday that I can celebrate without any conflicts, without any challenges or questions.  On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I’m just as Jewish as everyone else.  As a convert with very close ties to my family, Passover and Hanukkah aren’t as simple.  I have to work …

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My stomach is in knots, and I’m teetering on the edge of tears when I think about it.  Julie starts preschool tomorrow.  I know it’s illogical.  I know that this will be really, really good for my girl, and I know that I need to make sure that I don’t show any of my reservations …

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The first day of school is hard for me.  Jessie’s very first day of kindergarten, she was fine.  Happy to line up and dance off to class with her new teacher, but poor Sammy Boy sobbed because he could not believe that they were taking his big sister away.  Jessie’s always done well on the …

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I went school shopping today.  Actually, I went school shopping twice, once with just Jessie and once with Jessie and my MIL.  I bought drink containers and thermos, lunch boxes and backpacks.  Notebooks upon notebooks upon notebooks (they were only seventeen cents – at that price, really, you should buy several dozen).  Jessie and I …

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