So when I last left off our saga here, I had just gotten word from the baby powers that be (state foster care system) that we'd probably be getting a new addition here at casa Naomi. And then I heard nothing. I called back our facilitator about three times on Monday morning until I finally got a hold of her - she said she'd call the child's case worker and see what's doing. Then nothing. I politely waited a few hours and then called her back to see what's going on. She hasn't heard back from the case worker but will call if she hears from him. Then nothing.

I wasn't disapointed at all, as I never got my hopes up to... more

Well, we might be getting another kid soon. We might not. She might be available for adoption. She might not. At the beginning we were told she was a boy, so I'm also not entirely convinced she's a girl. Theoretically, she may have already been placed in another home, as this is an out of district case that our facilitator is dealing with, and the child's caseworker isn't returning the facilitator's phone calls.

Welcome to dealing with the foster care system. All things considered, Anna's adoption through "the system" went pretty well, but it seems that things in the department just get more and more complicated and less and less organized.

So what do I tell people? Should... more

Things I ponder this weekend, as I count down the days until Rosh HaShanah and insist upon not looking at my to do lists ...

- Why is it that when I am trying to clean up my house and rid my little space here of clutter, all I seem to be able to find are these twenty percent off coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond, and yet when I find that I actually need to buy something from said store, not a single coupon is to be found?

- Why is it that children do not have the concept of hurrying when it is time to hurry, but are all set and ready to go on other occasions when you are not yet ready to go?

- Why is it... more

Yesterday I was in Manhattan and on my way to lunch at a fabulous restaurant, I passed a traffic cop at Broadway and Thirty Fourth Street. Now, I've always thought that of all the jobs a police officer could have, directing traffic was probably the worst. It's not exciting, and if it's bad weather, you're still stuck outside. I had decided that the directing traffic job was given to rookies or those that had somehow 'deserved it' as no one else would want it.

Well, this young police officer was directing traffic like it was the passion of his life! He was having fun with it - saying pleasantries to the people passing by, yelling 'happy... more

Today, Anna was behaving perfectly. I mean an amazing angel. Really. You don't believe me do you? I don't believe it much either, but it's true. Usually she is pretty well behaved, but sprinkled with your typical three year old moments - screaming, tantrums and whining. But today she was on her best behavior. And as a reward, I asked her what she wanted special for dinner as a treat. She thought for a minute or two and said that she wanted green eggs and ham. Please. I quickly said that we could come up with green eggs, but ham isn't kosher and I couldn't think of a decent substitute that I had in the house. But Anna was quite happy with the... more

So, I got an email this morning that I didn't really appreciate. It was a friendly email from Giora Shimoni with kosher food at about.com kindly reminding me that Rosh HaShanah is two weeks away. Two weeks! Aaah! (There are, however, some cool recipes to check out on that site for Rosh HaShahana and all year round)

Jews are big into holidays. Traditionally, holidays are a big deal affair - lots of food, family and friends, and spending time standing up and sitting down at services in the synagogue. Children learn songs, and we celebrate... more

Yay! My husband graciously lent me his computer keyboard and now I can type again! I feel like typing CAPITALS AT LAST for some reason like I've been liberated. (For the measley two percent of you who caught that reference, congratulations. For the other 98% of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, march over to your library and take out The Lives and Times of Archy and Mehitabel, by Don Marquis. Selections are also available for your reading pleasure online...but I digress)

As I'm in a much... more

So,.I.complain.a.lot.that.Anna.knew.what.a.computer.mouse. looked.like.long.before.she.could.recognize.that.small. rodent.creature.that.cats.chase.after.

Anna.loves.to.type.on.the.computer...she.likes.it.when. I.make.the.letters.really.big.in.a.word.document.and. she.entertains.herself.by.typing.her.name.a.hundred.times.

On.the.one.hand,early.computer.literacy.is.a.good.thing, but.on.the.other.as.you.may.have.guessed, it.does.come.with.some.hazards,as.Anna.spilled.something. or.other.and.now.I.clearly.have.no.use.of.my.space.bar.

This.clearly.goes.to.show.several.things.that.I.have.learned.today

One:We.do.not.appreciate.the.little.things.in.life.until.they.are.gone

Two:We.are.overdependant.on.technology.as.I.am.going.quite.crazy.... more

My whole week revolves around getting to Friday. Once it's Friday, Anna announces first thing in the morning that it's Friday-erev-Shabbos (Shabbat). Shabbat starts at sundown and I know that if I've managed to make it as far as Friday morning, I can certainly manage most of another day. Once Shabbat comes at sundown and I light my Sabbath candles, I breath a different kind of sigh - it's knowing that whatever I managed to get done that week got done, and whatever I forgot or didn't get to (generally most of what's left on my list) will wait until Saturday night at the earliest.... more

Here's my list of things I'm doing today....

- Looking at garden catalogs online - Deciding on how many varieties of garlic I really need to be growing this year - Deciding on how much to spend on bulbs for the garden this year - and how to rationalize spending said amount - Letting my kid watch too much television - Considering how much time I should devote to folding the massive tower of clean laundry occupying the only couch in the living room - Looking at Ikea furniture online and trying to decide realistically when construction on the attic will be finished - Catching up on emails - Playing outside with Anna on a tricycle... more