Because my mouth is filthy

The other day walking home from gan, Eden stopped and said that she had to spit. And then she spit. I was a little concerened that maybe she wasn't feeling well so I asked, "Why do you need to spit?"
And she said, "Because my mouth is filthy".

And she's only 3.....

Read an article recently about people who write about their children online. I completely agree that you have to be careful, in regards to little kids and adult children also. Sometimes I read things that people write about their kids, and think about how I'd be cringing if I actually knew their kids. Like what if I was the parent of one of their friends? Or gosh a future significant other. I mean can you imagine realizing that the person you are dating is someone that you read about a couple years ago online in an article by their parent?
Another article I recently read (and I won't link to it because I see no interest in spreading this sort of junk) described the troubles the author was having with their 10 year old son accessing porn on the internet, and how they've had to remove his computer privelages. Or how their daughter, when provided a laptop by her high school, started to get involved in chat rooms, sending explicit messages to strange men, etc.
So I don't really want to know this about this person. I don't know the author personally, but its not like they used a pseudenom. If I lived in her neighborhood, or went to her synagouge, or my kids went to school with her kids, I might really know who she is and who her kids are. And I don't really want to know that the sweet 10 year old little boy next door who helps me bring up my groceries is checking out the latest free porn so much that his computer regularly crashes for all the viruses he brings in with it. Or that my babysitter is sending erotic messages to some guy she never met while my 3 year old sleeps.
I think that if your child is doing things that you don't approve of, its more having to do with your raising of said child than that child's access to those things. Maybe something related to the way you spread the news all over the country via the weekend journal in a national newspaper. Something raises a red flag there.

This post kind of ballooned, turned into a bit of a rant. Thanks for listening.

No time no time no time

Sitting here on a Sunday night I realize that its already 830 PM. There is still laundry to fold (waiting since Friday), dishes to do, toys to pick up, phone calls to make, and of course work to do.

None of which I mind doing on their own. All of which I mind doing after 8:30 PM. Certainly all of which I mind doing after 8:30 PM, all together.

Some things will have to go. Probably the toys that are on the porch will stay on the porch. Those on the floor will stay on the floor. Laundry is an if. Dishes are a must. Work is a really should do, and phone calls are a must.

By the way, Ben will certainly do his share or more, although he feels the same way I do about getting in some time to relax at night.

All of which boils down to, Eden going to sleep is a must too. Im really fed up with Eden taking until 9 or so to fall asleep. I'm tired of being called back "because, because, because - my tummy hurts!" or "because, because, because, I want to say good night to the lights outside!" or even the ever so manipulative "because, because, because, I need to PEE!" That one gets me moving fast, and my 3 year old knows it well. Usually, she does not actually need to pee, although its still worth getting her out of bed, just in case.

Or the ever, "because, because, because, Mommy I took my clothes off!" And there she is, butt naked, and gets to jump up, run around and look for her pjs and underwear which are anywhere in her room. What fun! Usually I crack up at this because why does she take her clothes off? And she is just really adorable. But the joke is getting a little old.

Because, because, because I am just really tired.

Quick peek at what's to come

Tonight we got a short glimpse of the woman waiting inside our three year old to show her face. Every once in a while she peeks out and we see how mature, confident, caring, and understanding Eden can be.
Tonight, it was not the wife, mother, leader, mentor, teacher, or whatever other wonderful woman she may grow up to be. Tonight it was the woman who walks into the store to pick up some bread and can't help but buy a lipstick on sale. The woman who, caught between the red and the green, buys both the red and the green, as well as the yellow, since the store is having a buy two get one half off sale.
Admittedly, its my fault. But where else is Eden supposed to get her girliness if not from me?
See, we went into the pharmacy to buy something else - something we really needed...and we passed kids hats. I know that Eden needs one because she's been wearing my scarves all summer to protect her head. So she tried one one and she liked it, but I decided it was too expensive. But she liked it, so I was about to say okay. Then she said that she didn't like it after all and it didn't fit well. So she picked out a bandana, and then another one, and another one, until we really had to pull her off of an orange paisley one with promises of banana cake. Have to admit, they were really nice and I might have bought one for myself - as well as for her! - had Ben not been there to spoil the party and keep watch on the credit card.....
On a the same vein, the new mall in Modiin is opening down the street from us in two days! And they are having an grand opening at 7:30. And even though that is exactly Eden's "bedtime" (she hasn't actually been falling asleep until around 8:45 recently), I'm perfectly happy to teach her that a new mall is a just cause for a late night out. You bet we are going to the grand opening - I can't wait, and I can't wait to teach Eden all about how exciting it is either. I am crossing the line however at going to see the first movie shown in the mall's movie theater, but only because I don't really think that Eden can sit through a whole movie in a theater. If she could I'd probably already have tickets.

Some moms....

Come Purim time, and Eden's costume is usually hanging in the closet already, my mom having bought it on sale after Halloween in the states. There is no way that I am going to try to make a costume for her - a store bought one for 10 dollars is just fine, thank you.

There are always those friends of mine who spend weeks before Purim shopping for materials, speaking with their three and four and five and six year olds about what they want to dress up as, and then the week before Purim spending hours sewing, cutting, gluing, and glittering.

Thats when I and some other friends of mine stand around the water cooler and say, "SOME moms make their kids costumes. OTHER moms just go to the closest store and buy the most acceptable one they can find for the least money. And some OTHER moms send their kids over to their neighbors house, who has a mom whose been making costumes for 10 years straight now, so that they can go pick one out to borrow for free."

Come Shavuot time, and Eden has a party at gan. Every year, we are asked to bring the same things - send the kids dressed in festive white, with a bag of dried fruit, and a dairy snack that they like, and a flower wreath for their hair.
So:
Dairy snacks - check. We always have yogurt around.
Dried fruit - check. Same goes for raisins. This year dried apricots too.
Festive white - that same shirt that got stained 3 holidays ago at gan - its her special gan "festive white". No way I'm staining another one.
Flower wreath - this is a singular Israeli thing that kids do. No American kid would be caught dead wearing a flower wreath on their hair like some Celtic druid or very very old Greek god (from before they had golden leaves). Eden never particularly likes them, and every year I forget to buy one. They are in the grocery store all the time, and I always figure that I'll just get one Thursday night when I go shopping.

And every year I forget that by the time it comes to the night before, there are no more flower wreaths to be had. Every child in the country under 6 is wearing one this morning.

So every year, the night before the Shavuot party, I make a flower wreath out of a piece of ribbon with construction paper flowers stapled or taped to it. It will work for a couple hours, stay on her head, it does look pretty, and takes 15 minutes to make. The hardest part is drawing the flowers.

But because of the Purim costume thing, I thought it was so funny when Eden got to gan this morning, and another mother commented, "Wow. SOME mothers make their kids wreaths. OTHER mothers go out and buy them from the store."