More Than Four Sides

Category: Parenting

  • 2012 launched…

    My last post was the first day of Hanukkah, and the subsequent 7 days were full of fun, and fried foods, and the boys got ever more wound up as the week progressed, so that the end of last week was one of catching up on sleep, and a few temper tantrums.  I think we…

  • Raising book-lovers, part two

    So, after my most recent post, S has not played around with sacrificing his bedtime book, but tonight was J’s turn.  They were in the bathtub together, as usual, and had been in long enough, but J was unwilling to get out, despite the increasing chilliness of the water.  So, after a couple of tries…

  • Raising book-lovers

    The boys went to the library today, and brought home a dozen books between them. We will certainly be reading them all, but not tonight. I’m not sure what got into S, but he was really acting out, and finally I gave him an ultimatum that I never thought I’d hear myself utter – “That’s…

  • I want S’s dirt!!!

    We are so deep in the throws of 3yo angst – it’s actually funny! You just have to laugh, or you’d cry… When I got home tonight, I found Dad was at the end of his rope, and clearly 3yo J had been screaming in the car on their way home. So we tried to…

  • After 3 minutes of full-blast wailing

    It was a tough day. The first Monday after changing the clocks back to standard time, walking the dog in the dark, little brother requested that we make cupcakes, which delayed dinner a bit, reading school library book about lighting, before finally… we got to the much-anticipated next chapter of book 2, in the Harry…

  • We’re all tired…

    I got home tonight exhausted. And boys were clearly at their wits end as well. As soon as I got home, we had to rush off to pick up our share of CSA vegetables, and then get back home to take the dog for a walk. I made the mistake of asking 3yo J if…

  • Away from boys

    I’m at SFO, waiting for my flight to return home after a weekend in the Bay Area, revisiting old haunts, and reconnecting with former classmates at my high school’s 30(!) reunion. This trip has been fraught with flight delays and reshedules – to the point that I thought “This is a sign that I shouldn’t…

  • Viral visitors

    Last week, 3-yr-old J was miserable for 48hrs with a sore throat, cough, and ear pain. We had two sleepless nights with him, and then he was better. Now, about a full week later, both I and 5-yr-old S have sore throats and ear pain, and I have fatigue and muscle aches. Sigh…the joys of…

  • Back to school night #1

    I’m at Tikvat Israel for the Broadman-Kaplan Early Childhood Center tonight for J’s back-to-school night. It was easier last year, when both kids were at the same school! So, next week, we’ll have this again for S’s school.  I’m so impressed with the energy and commitment of the teachers here, and the fabulous director –…

  • First week of school

    This week, S started kindergarten, which meant that J was at preschool WITHOUT his big brother. And, for me, the worst part was that I had to attend a course that had me out of the house each day before the boys had even finished their breakfasts, and I ended up missing this momentous week.…