Archive for religion

Happy Thanksgiving Canadians!!

October 13, 2008 · Filed under The girl, a day in the life, family, food, pregnancy 2008, religion

Or, because we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, Happy Day Off Canadians!!

I am not sure why, but Jews don’t seem to celebrate Thanksgiving. Not in Canada, anyways. The American Jews I know tend to do Thanksgiving dinners and such, but not the Canadian ones. I am cool with that…I don’t even like Turkey very much, and pumpkin makes me vomit!!

I do, however, have a lot to be thankful for this year.  I am thankful that:

-I am 7 months pregnant, and my baby seems to be healthy and growing well, and my pregnancy itself has been pretty uncomplicated.

-I have a beautiful, smart, healthy, happy daughter.

-My marriage is happy and on solid ground.

-We have financial stability.

-I have a challenging and fulfilling job that I love.

-I live in Canada and get a year off from that job (see above) after I have this baby.

-I live in Canada and we have national health care. Being on some bulletin boards and reading about the financial and insurance nightmares some families face when having babies (and other stuff requiring medical care) makes me very very thankful that I am here.

-I have good friends and family. Again, som eof the horror stories about families and friends I have read on bulletin boards recently make me feel very lucky!

So, we wont be having Turkey dinner tonight, but we are going apple picking with Gaviesgal and her family (oooh, oooh, oooh…I am thankful that Gaviesgal’s daughter and the baby will be about 6 months apart…our older kids are 3 years apart, and even though we do have a lot of fun togeheter, it can be hard to find things both kids will enjoy, and the kids don’t really interact much with such an age difference. It will be awesome to have kids close in age, and also awesome to be on maternity leave together!!), and another family we are friends with. I do love these farm/apple-picking outtings! I am not a really outdoorsey person, but the joy it gives the girl, and the fresh jams and pies we always get at the farm stores, make it all worth it!  Here are some pics from the last one, a few weeks ago at Andrew’s Scenic Acres:

DSC01588.jpg

DSC01587.jpg

DSC01586.jpg

DSC01581.jpg

So, whatever you are doing for Thankgiving, enjoy a day out of the office!! As for my American readers…your time is coming!!

Comments (3) »

Christmas Envy?

December 29, 2007 · Filed under The girl, a day in the life, about the blogger, doing the happy dance, family, parenting, religion

Not on your life! Reading all the bulletin board and blog posts about the millions of gifts kids got (and parents bought), not to mention the overwhelming amount of decorations, trees, discarded wrappings and toys packaging parents now have to somehow store or discard makes me very, very happy that there is no Christmas in our house.

Chanukah, however, was a fun event and our girl did get a few gifts she loved. Here are her 2 favorites, so if any of my readers are looking for gift ideas for 4-5 year old girls…well…I highly recommend these:

Princess game house-This will require parental involvement if siblings are not around, but games are a lot more fun that playing with dolls!This toy has some that adults and kids can enjoy like checkers, bingo and tic-tac-toe. As a bonus, the box is a lovely wooden addition to any princess’s room, and keeps everything neat and tidy.

Disney Princess Game House

Alex Sticker Factory-Awesome toy. The girl played with it by herself for hours once she learned how to use it. A bit difficult to put together and learn to use, but easy once it is done. Creates a lot of paper clippings. Worth it though, for the baby-sitting factor. The man and I have had several romantic dinners out while the sticker factory kept our little girl out of trouble and saved us from having to pay for a baby-sitter (kidding, obviously…but it is a very occupying toy and she truly would not have noticed if we had gone out!). Be sure to buy several refills if you get it.

Sticker Factory Kit

Comments (5) »

Fancy Pantsy Fasting

September 22, 2007 · Filed under a day in the life, about the blogger, food, friendship, religion

It is Yom Kippur today. I have been fasting since 6:30pm yesterday. I am tired and grumpy and headachy and most of all, HUNGRY.

Even though I am not very religious, fasting on Yom Kippur is one rule I always keep (when I can, health-wise…I did not fast while pregnant or Breast-feeding, which is the true reason I BF my little darling until she was 28 months!!!). I am not sure if it makes a difference to G-d or not, but it feels right to me…to abstain from food and drink for one day and focus my mind on things I have done wrong in the past year, and things I can do better in the next year.

Here are some of the things I am sorry for from the past year:

1. Not being kind and patient enough with my daughter.

2. Often being grumpy and distracted with my parents.

3. Spending far too much time seeing my husband’s short-comings, and far too little time seeing his strengths, which are far greater.

4. Holding grudges against friends. Grudges they don’t even know about, since I tend to avoid confrontation, yet that have remained in my heart. Now is the time to drop them and start anew.

There, that was cleansing.

One thing that I both love and hate about Yom Kippur is that it is the one time a year we always entertain, inviting friends and family over to break the fast;

I love that because I enjoy entertaining, because it is nice to have friends and family over, and because it is one of the few times a year my house looks good. Maybe I can maintain it this year?

I hate it though because it is difficult to spend the day cooking and cleaning while I am tried and hungry from fasting. That said, it makes my satisfaction and pride all the greater when it comes time to eat.

Tonight I am serving:

*Bagels with a variety of spreads

*Lasagna

*Salmon with a soy/brown sugar glaze (thanx C !)

*A green salad

*A tomato salad from my MIL

*That yummy Nilla Wafer Banana thingy

*A chocolate Bubka

*Brownies from my MIL

*Fruit from my mother

and since it is Saturday night..I picked up a bottle of  Starbucks Cream Liqueur  for myself those that wish to indulge.

I hope all my Jewish friends and family had a easy fast.

UPDATE: THE LASAGNA ENDED UP ON THE DINING ROOM FLOOR, TO BE HASTILY REPLACED BY ROTINI WITH ROSEE AND MUSHROOM SAUCE. THE HOSTESS CAN BE FOUND, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING,  IN THE CORNER CRYING OVER HER LASAGNA.

Comments (2) »