Date Night!

Sharing Germs

So, my husband and I were having a fight discussion intense debate heated conversation the other day. I was in the driver's seat, getting ready to leave, and he was standing outside my window.

Sam was eager for us to leave.

We were intent on our conversation.

Finally, he shouted "we're going to be late!" (which is what, of course, I always say) and we realized it was time to end the discussion.

As he walked away, the same thought occurred to both of us.
We've both just finished reading NurtureShock, a really remarkable book about children and what we think we know and don't really know. A general common wisdom is to not fight in front of the kids - but then kids don't see the "make up" or the resolution of the um, conversation. (Go. Read. This. Book.)

So he came back to the car to kiss me good bye.
It was a nice long kiss.

Mr. Impatient in the back seat yelled again "let's go!"

And then he took a new tack:
"You're going to get sick!"

It's not a bad point.

Rituals for Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that the holiday of Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Just one more week!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful American holiday. It's simple - say thank you for the blessings in life and share a meal with those you love.

But often, the meal takes over, stress of family and needing a "picture perfect" celebration cause a little fraying at the edges. Creating an atmosphere of gratitude can be tricky when you're just trying to keep your 3-year-old from pulling the tablecloth off the table, don't you think?

I have created 3 different Thanksgiving services, based loosely on the idea of the Passover seder. After all, one good holiday centered around the table deserves another, doesn't it?

Feel free to read all three and pick and choose from within them! Your family might be somewhere between the longer edition and the quick version.

The first, a Thanksgiving Seder, is the longest of the three - suitable for strong attention spans.
Thanksgiving Seder

The second, a Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Young Children, is a quick version, meant to be fun and light for the preschool and elementary school set.
Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Small Children

And finally, an ecumenical version. What do I mean by that? It talks about God but it's not particularistic, i.e. not really very Jewish. (I know that some of you loyal readers aren't Jewish or share your table with people of many faiths and still might enjoy this concept!)

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for Families

All three include ideas for usage and suggestions for incorporating your own cultural and ethnic heritage. I hope you like it and I hope you let me know if you use it.

May your celebration be full and enriching!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Magnifying Glass....Cake!?

So what kind of cake would you make for a Secret Agent party? We discussed making binoculars out of chocolate donuts. That sounded delicious but complicated.

Instead, I settled on a magnifying glass cake.

It took 2 boxes of cake mix. Seriously, cake mix is really good stuff.
I used one box of chocolate and one box of sprinkle cake.
I made 2 rounds, 1 square, and 12 cupcakes. The cupcakes were just for kicks so as not to waste the rest of the cake mix. They went to the staff in my office!)

I recently read this piece by Gale Gand in the Chicago Tribune. Turns out, even pastry chefs sometimes get birthday cake stage fright! Anyway, I'm not in any way a trained pastry chef, all I know about frosting cakes comes from trial and error. But she mentioned that it was important to chill the cakes - which I've never done before. It did seem to help but I didn't beat the chocolate frosting enough (or something) and it was stiff and hard to work with. I thought it was just me, until I realized that the vanilla frosting was delightfully spreadable. Oh well....live and learn. It sure tasted yummy!

Came out kinda cool, didn't it? And it was delicious. One of the yummiest cakes I've ever made.

Secret Agent/Spy Party

For David' 8th birthday, he requested a spy party. I did a little research and came up with this secret agent/spy party.

Each secret agent was greeted by the Spymaster (AKA the Abba), and put their fingerprint and signature on an ID card created by the Ima. They got a notebook and pencil and lined up for some Secret Agent calisthenics and other spy warmup tricks.

We played a form of "pin the tail on the donkey" - each Secret Agent had to sign his or her name while blindfolded. Think David is cheating?

Secret Agents need to have good memories. They spent one full minute in absolute quiet (a miracle in itself) observing 30 small objects and then had a few minutes to write down what they could remember. They had a great time and took it really seriously!

The Spymaster read one story from Encyclopedia Brown, my favorite boy detective. You'd think this was a boring party trick but in fact, they were very into it!

We ended with a Disguise relay race. Every spy needs to be able to wear a good disguise. These spies had to put on a shirt, hat, and glasses and then pose for the camera - here's my 8-year-old Secret Agent...striking a pose!

Oh, and a really cool cake.

Stay tuned tomorrow to see the cool cake.

Planning parties is so much fun!

Eight is GREAT!

When David was born, it was at that moment that I became a mother.

It's a little bit hard to believe that 8 years ago, I wasn't someone's ima! But now....wow.

He started out like this (6 days old):
(this was originally a film print...oy, I feel old!)

...to this....first birthday: (also film....)

...to this 2 year old....

...to this 3 year old....

...to a 4 year old with super powers...

...to a five year old...

...to a six year old karate-doing, kindergarten-going, book-reading kid...

...to a 7 year old, actual person who has likes, dislikes, and interests...

...to this character of an 8 year old, who is full of opinions, a comedian-in-training, and the life of the party...

I can't believe that I'm the mother of an 8 year old!
He's a real person, he watches movies and tells stories, he reads books cover-to-cover and he plays video games. He always wants to do whatever's next, whatever he might finally be old enough for, but he also likes to watch Dora the Explorer with his little sister. He's in that not-a-baby but not-a-preteen, still a little kid but with the vocabulary of a middle-schooler. He slides on the floor whenever possible and never walks when he can run. He hasn't yet asked for his own cell phone but I can't believe the request is that far off (not that I'll grant it, mind you)....he's definitely growing up!

What a difference 8 years makes....

That last one is my Best Shot Monday, even though technically my dad took it.
I ordered the shot (nicely, of course).

Haveil Havalim #243: the NaBloPoMo Edition

(It could have been the hashtag edition, as in, the hashtags from the conventions like #urjbiennial and #ga09 but I decided to let that go...)

I took a little heat for not giving the last edition that I hosted a number. It was totally inadvertent! I was in a big hurry and forgot to check the number. I won't make that mistake again!

What's going on here today?
Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term 'Haveil Havalim,' which means "Vanity of Vanities," is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other 'excesses' and realized that it was nothing but 'hevel,' or in English, 'vanity.'

Please please please publicize HH on your own blog and share the news about it!

Funny Things...good to start with a laugh

Frum N' Flipping thinks it's Too Close for Comfort.

Conversations in Klal laughs at The Words We Use when talking about frum dating.

Batya says it's So Much Better Than I Had Remembered.

Benji Lovitt has new Israel tourist t-shirts to replace the old ones: It's Benji Lovitt's Funny Israeli T-Shirts! Take That, Dorky Ben-Yehuda Stores! 

Israel and the Jewish World

Tzedek-Tzedek wants to know: When Does Reporting Become Ratting? 

rutimizrachi offers fiction: End Of Days Scenario (from her son)

Joel Katz presents Religion and State in Israel - November 9, 2009 (Section 1) and Religion and State in Israel - November 9, 2009 (Section 2).

Our Shiputzim: A Work In Progress shares some Secrets from the world of hadrachah.

Some posts from Israelity: Israel gets its newest celebrity visitor, High school musical – the hike, and Oud v’Rikoud.

Shmuel Sokol considers Think Tank “U.S. Aids Terror Group At War With Israel”

Shiloh Musings muses on What Prevents Aliyah? (pretty spot on, I think) and How Should We Label Those Arabs?

How to Be Israeli shares You are more Lebanese than you think... This post is the comments that a Jewish student studying in Beirut left on her blog -- Israeli and Lebanese cultures have a lot in common. She also offers up Aliyah after the honeymoon..., comparing aliyah to marriage.

Tamir Birk has this thoughtful article: The Golan Heights, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Barack Obama: Looking Forward or Looking Back? 

The Israel Situation presents Netanyahu Goes to Washington 

Good News from Israel considers Israel Going Green.

Seraphic Secret has a lesson in How to Kill a Terrorist.

Artzeinu welcomes another aliyah: Baltimore Jewish Times Cover Story: The Adler's Plan to Make Aliyah (hooray!) . 

Tzedek-Tzedek tells us Why You Didn't Know Maj.Hasan is a Palestinian Terrorist.

Yisrael Medad was very busy this week: Misleading BBC Caption, That New 'Let's Kill a Goy' Book and Rahm, I Know What You Really Said.

Judaism and Torah

The Rebbetzin's Husband is remembering: Of Rabbis and Poppies and Remembrance Day.

A Chassidishe farbrengen is Proudly promoting exclusively Jewish ownership of the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Schvach Yid wonders: Who cares if Mahmoud is Jewish?

N and aml wants to know: What did Avraham buy? 

Yechezkel shares some encoded words with Mitzvos Hatluyos BaAretz.

Miriam taught her triplets about Avraham Avenu and Sarah Imenu (and by the way, she's starting a new cooking carnival this Tuesday...)

Miscellaneous

Eliyahu Fink watched The Good Wife: Unorthodox, From a Rabbi / Law Student Perspective - great summary of why this episode needed a little patching up.

The Rebbetzin's Husband gave us Must-See TV for synagogue rabbis, presidents, and anyone creating a community institution - go watch this!

Home Shuling steps into the Baby Einstein Refund - a great talmudic debate?

Isramom offers us Do you believe in miracles? - it's a wonderful Veteran's Day story.

Elms in the Yard was a film extra! Quiet on the Set! 

Chaviva presents Chavi Goes to the Beth Din: The First Meeting She says: "I share my experiences from going to the beth din for the first time. This was my first meeting with them, prior to mikvah and everything therein. Now I'm waiting on pins and needles to hear back from them." Good luck, Chavi!

me-ander shares The Latest in Home Renovations, which isn't about home renovations really, but about honoring parents.

Beneath the Wings offers Motivation.

Harry-er than them all wonders what to do about Dr. Joe & Right Wing Nut.

The Home-Shuler put up a Jewish Mama Meme and some people responded like me, Miriam, Edible Torah, Ima Shalom, RonyPony, Sarah...anyone else?

The Creative Jewish Mom made these cool recycled coasters.

I went to the URJ Biennial and got famous.

Rabbi Rick is out of the office and doing some great work.

Robin posted this gorgeous picture.

And the title - in case you're not following anyone who is participating in NaBloPoMo, November is National Blog Posting Month, a challenge to post daily throughout the month. I'm doing it, FrumeSarah is too. Marci is doing it and I know that Miriam is too. MomInIsrael and IlanaDavita were doing it too! Leora, are you doing it? I can't remember. Did I miss anyone? My apologies - let me know and I'll add you in. The hardest part of NaBloPoMo for me is that there are so many posts to read as well as writing one each day!

That's all for this week's Haveil Havalim! Please link up so lots of people can share the Haveil Havalim fun...

Who's next?