Going Fourth

When I was a kid, like almost everyone else in our country, I used to go somewhere to see the fireworks.

Ironically, for us, the issue is actually not the Monster, because he loves fireworks.  The issue is R, who can’t stay up that late routinely if we’re going to want him to be useful the next day. Continue reading

Not Quite Kosher

We’re halfway through Passover, and… well, it’s going interestingly.

We knew, coming into the holiday, that it was going to be a challenge with trying to get the kids to increasingly observe the traditions of the holiday.  R, of course, doesn’t know any better, being two.  The Monster, though, is getting to the point that we can try to teach him about the holiday, and try to find foods that work with his picky eating habits. Continue reading

Inadequate Training

So, in light of yesterday’s posting… I think I was fairly clear in what my opinion was.  Certainly, it’s “nice” to get to go out for Halloween and give the Monster the experience, but… where he is now, it’s mostly for making us feel normal, rather than for him to enjoy Halloween.

I got home yesterday from gymnastics to find the wife having prepared the boys’ costumes to go out.  After a few terse words (mostly about how I disagreed entirely with her thought to take them out), we had dinner and went out to a nearby development to go trick-or-treating. Continue reading

Who Is It For?

Tonight’s Halloween.  While my neighborhood isn’t really the hub of all activity for such things – Orthodox Jews don’t really “do” Halloween – there’s neighborhoods close enough by that will have trick-or-treating galore.

My only thought is whether or not I really feel a need to take the kids trick-or-treating. Continue reading

Joyful Noise

We don’t get a lot of opportunities to go to synagogue where it’s not going to matter if the Monster makes a lot of noise.  Simchat Torah is one of those occasions.

I mean, let’s face it.  The holiday’s all about dancing around with the scrolls, folks making noise and waving flags and singing and dancing… Continue reading

Flowers

Every so often, the Monster surprises us.

Yesterday was Gymnastics – we’re working on trying to get him into more of a narrative mode, so we do a lot of talking to him about his schedule, to see if he can’t start picking up on what day it is, et cetera.  Of course, it was also St. Valentine’s Day, so his school had that stuff going on… Continue reading