Taking a break

Hey everyone. I’m taking a break and I just wanted you to know….this has been fun!

Where have you been? In the hospital with HUS

I still don't know why I took this picture. We were just waiting to see the doctor here. Before picture.

You ask a good question, and there is a good answer. My baby, Achinoam, got really really sick. She somehow got this disease called HUS. No one knows where it came from, but it originated from (sorry to be graphic) a gastro-diarrhea-stomach infection. Her diapers also had blood, which led the doctor to think she had shigella. We gave her the necessary antibiotics and thought we were on a good path to recovery, but by Shabbat morning, she wasn’t getting better. She was crying a lot and totally lethargic. I had spoken to my dad (a doctor) before shabbat and he had said to watch out for dehydration. I realized that she hadn’t had any wet diapers since the previous night and I decided to take her to the hospital right away.

After picture: Our first shabbat out of the hospital

Reads: Went to Meir Hospital at 10:20

Abba’s Best Challah Recipe

I haven’t had so much blogging time this week with the upcoming Bar Exam and shigella (uck) running rampant with some little people around here, but I wanted to get this recipe up (like I promised off the weekly menu). Also for Aunt Adena, who’s been bugging emailing me for it for some time (I’m a bit of a procrastinator with emailing recipes- not my strong suit). Anyway, it’s the best challah ever. I’ve tried a lot and this one is the winner! (for now…) Try it even if you’re not a baker. You’ll love that you did this yourself and it comes out so good, you’ll be getting compliments galore!

Dear Miss A…

I’m just sitting here wondering if I can stop time and keep you at this age forever? I love that I can hold you and squeeze you and you don’t run away. I can make you laugh by just looking at you. Even though you are one of 3, you are yourself. You love being part of the gang, but you are also independent. You love looking at people, shmoozing, and making eyes at them. You’d rather be 3-years-old than 1 year- I can tell because when your siblings go to school each day, you try to jump out of your seat too. But if I kept you at this age, I would never know what you want to say when you babble and scream. I would never know if you actually like wearing tutus or if you wear them because Miss T puts them on you. I can’t wait to see what you turn out like- whether you’ll be a doctor, zookeeper, or an artist. I know for sure that you are indescribably sweet, and exceedingly smart. I am savoring watching you grow. You are one of a kind, my beautiful girl, and I love you.

Love,

Ima

Menu Plan for week of 24.10.10

Sunday- Cabbage soup, noodles with cottage cheese, cut up veggies

Monday- Veggie soup, whole wheat grilled cheese, cut up veggies

Tuesday- Leftover veggie soup, grilled salmon, homemade mashed potatoes, salad with cherry tomatoes and pine-nuts.

Wednesday- Sweet potato/carrot soup, scrambled eggs with white cheese, cut up veggies.

Thursday- Leftover sweet potato soup, crispy crumb chicken wings, salad with chickpeas and corn.

Friday- Shabbat Kodesh- Yummy challah and some more ideas to come. Haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

This is much healthier than last week’s Burgers Bar….

Getting a job when you have no prospects: Part 1

I was running an errand and encountered a nice red flower.

I decided recently on a career change. I need something less intense (right now) than doing intense psychotherapy with girls with eating disorders. I know a lot of people have said to me, “Wow. That is such an interesting field”, or “Your job has such meaning.” And I do admit that it was fulfilling, but also gut-wrenching. It’s just hard to be an Imma and worry about your clients and your children at the same time. The lines get very blurry and since we just moved, I am taking a natural break. I need some space to think about it. For now, I decided I would like to do something intellectually stimulating but less emotionally draining.

And then came the idea of social media marketing.

5 ways to get out faster in the morning

Hi Everyone- I’ve been trying to figure out my content here recently and I realized I’m just going to write about what I know. That may seem obvious, like the post below, but it’s not so obvious when you start out blogging. Even though this is all for fun, if you like what you read, please let me know! Heregoes:

This might seem like a really obvious topic, but honestly, I wish someone went through this with me three years ago. These five adjustments can make things a whole lot easier and the stress you save for yourself, priceless.

Parenting through the Parsha: Lech Lecha and our Master Plan

Abraham's Journey from Ur to Canaan 1850

I have to give a shout out to my insightful husband Rafi, for the spark that contributed to this post. We were discussing my son’s former pre-school teacher and her talent for organizing and teaching a mixed-age class of 3-5 year-olds. She was so successful that my 3 year-old son came home talking about Vincent Van Gough and Marc Chagall.

Tuesday’s thought: The blessing of rain

In Israel, we have a severe lack of rain. We pray beginning the last day of Sukkot for rain, asking G-d to help us with our crops and sustain us. As opposed to other countries where rain falls all the time and it’s viewed as a nuisance, here in Israel we consider it a blessing.

Creativity day: My painted kippot

I absolutely love to create things. When I have time (or make time), I paint kippot, I paint with watercolor, make hairclips, do this and that. But I really love making kippot because a little someone in my house goes crazy over them.