Magical Rocks

There are rocks everywhere.  And I don’t just mean all over my house, I mean everywhere.  And did you know that they are magical?  Well, not all rocks are magical, and I am still learning how to determine just how magical a rock is, if at all.  It has something to do with the texture (it should be smooth,) the color (it has to be a cool color,) and the general excitement or lack thereof when spotting it.  

My three year old son is my teacher in these matters.  He is a true expert in magical rocks.  He has an impressive collection of rocks on his dresser, and scattered throughout the house.  There is one in particular that has magical powers only activated in a steamy room, so he keeps it on the bathroom sink.  I dare not move any of the strategically placed rocks, because I am no expert, and I wouldn’t risk ruining any rocks.

One thing that I did notice with my non-expert eye is that the most magical of all rocks are the ones that go on my son’s dresser.  (I am not sure what specific powers the rocks have, and when I asked, I got a loud sigh in response, followed by, “They’re just magical, they have magic powers, it’s magic.  Okay mommy?”)

It took me a while figure this out, but the ones that make it to his dresser are all metamorphic rocks.  Rocks that are two toned, or a combination of two completely different rocks fused together, are the most special and get displayed on his dresser.  I decided that I would turn this into an educational moment, and I pointed out to him that all the rocks on his dresser are not in their original state and have been changed over time.  I explained the three different ways rocks can form, and that he seemed to like the metamorphic rocks the best.  He told me (in a very exasperated why-doesn’t-mommy-understand-rocks voice) that if you have two colors on one rock, it’s REAL magical.  That’s why they have two colors, not because of the impact of pressure and time.  It’s because of their magic.  Well, I guess I am being educated as well.

There is one particular grocery store parking lot where my son loves to find rocks.  We always come home with at least one pocket full of magical rocks when we shop there.   I went there today, without my son, and what I thought would be a really quick grocery run ended up being a real self-discovery  moment for me.  I realized that I cracked the cold to magical rock identification!  As soon as I stepped out of the car, I noticed the most magical, two toned rock lying just a few feet from my car.  I put it in my pocket since my son’s pocket was at home with him, and I shopped even faster than usual, eager to get home and show my son my find and let him share in my excitement.  He was really proud of me.  He stood up really tall, his cheeks turned a bit pink, and he said in a breathless voice, “Wow, Mommy, that rock is really magical!”  I’m thinking of keeping this one on MY dresser.

Pesach Cleaning and Things I'd Rather Do

Pesach (Passover) comes every year, without fail, and this year is  no exception.  And along with Pesach comes a month's worth of spring cleaning in preparation for the holiday.  So now, with a little more than two weeks to go, I realized time is running out, and it is time to more actively procrastinate. 

It started with the thought of which room to clean first.  Then the thought of perhaps looking through the boxes of Pesach dishes and utensils to determine what needs fixing, cleaning, or buying brand new.  Then came the thought that maybe it would be smart to order handmade matzah now.  These thoughts of different tasks to be completed seemed incredibly overwhelming, but I realized that I have to start with something.  So rather than doing nothing, I decided to get back into writing, starting with this blog post.  Because the first step to being productive is to procrastinate more efficiently.

Sure, the toys need to be cleaned and organized, but I'd rather first make that Costco trip I've been putting off for a while now.  I know that I have to deep clean both kids rooms, but I'd rather first catch up on my writing.  The kitchen should be started by now, especially if I plan on going through every single cabinet by Pesach, but I'd rather first practice reading with my daughter.  It would be a great idea to organize all the Pesach recipes that i have scattered though different cookbooks, but first I'd rather spend a bit of extra time with my son in math.

I have realized that over the years, I accomplish a lot in the weeks leading up to Pesach.  And by a lot I mean besides for anything that has to do with cleaning.  Because doing something to prevent me from doing a dreaded task is all the motivation I need to get things done.  Now if only I could find a task I dread more than Pesach cleaning, and I could put that off by first taking care of the cleaning...

Deep Fried Jelly Donuts

December came and went, but not before it left behind a few pounds to remember it by.  I haven't even had time to blog, with all the festivities going on.  It sure has been a festive month!  And I can't speak for everyone, but I CAN say that I have had at least one too many deep fried jelly filled donuts this Chanukah, and at least one too many high calorie cocktails at at least one too many holiday parties.  My scale is not talking to me.  It wants me to make up for my overindulgence with extra exercise and three meals of lettuce a day.  But I have no regrets!  It was worth every joyous calorie!  Who will break first in this standoff?  Only time will tell.....

The New Watch

In order to get a feeling of what I am about to explain, you first have to imagine something else.  So here goes: imagine your 6 year old daughter saying, "Mommy! Look!  In our backyard!  It's a real live flying unicorn!  And it's pink and sparkly!"  Now take the tone of voice she said that in, with all the excitement and wonder and loudness, and apply it to this sentence: "Mommy, it's seven o'clock!" 

My daughter got a watch.  And she is very, very excited to know what time it is all day.  And boy do I mean all day.  I was woken up this morning by the animated proclamation that "It's 7 o'clock!"  Then I nearly spilled my coffee when she startled me with the exciting news that "Mommy, it's seven twenty three!"  Apparently it takes me four minutes to finish my coffee, because as I was putting the empty cup into the sink, I was given the update, "ITS SEVEN TWENTY SEVEN!!!" (accompanied by a really big, proud smile.)

The day progressed, and schoolwork got done, and the watch got forgotten, for half hour intervals.  But in between those half hours the family was treated to exciting real-time updates of what time it is.  And each time it was something different; sometimes it was one thirty, and sometimes it was four seventeen, and there was even a time when it was "ALREADY SIX OH TWO!!!!"  It was a very exciting day, every minute of it, or at least every thirty minutes or so.  Different times of the day elicited different levels of excitement, but perhaps the most surprising time of all was at night, and I 'm not sure what time this happened because it was after my time announcer had fallen asleep, when I did the opposite of what I was waiting to do all day.  After my daughter fell asleep, I picked up the watch from beside her bed, smiled to myself a surprisingly pleased smile, and put that watch right back down for her to find the next morning.

Turkey Day

It's difficult to describe the soft, mushy feelings I feel on my siblings' birthdays.  So instead, I'm going to talk about Thanksgiving.  Because, besides for the fact that today is the birthday of two of my sisters, (yes, they are twins, and yes, we are talking about something else,) it is also Thanksgiving.  So let's talk about how I feel on Thanksgiving.

I kind of feel happy and thankful for the day off.  The normal daily routine is so busy, that a day off with everyone home is like medicine for the soul.  I cherish days off with the family, and I look back fondly to the too few days off spent with my sisters, but we're not talking about them right now...  By late morning, the peace and serenity sound like this:  "Mommy I'm hungry can you make waffles and eggs and hash-browns?  And can we bake some brownies?"  So I say yes, and we have a big family brunch.  Then I get busy with cleaning the kitchen, and sometimes the stress starts creeping back in and I forget how much I love Thanksgiving and turkey dinners.  When I notice this happening, I try to keep my perspective positive.

The afternoon passes quickly until it is time for Thanksgiving dinner.  Consumed with the mundanities of life, in this case the act of using a fork and a knife, it is easy to forget about the deeper, more important things, for instance how delicious turkey tastes.  I start feeling amazed and surprised about how much I really love turkey, and that it is so incredible that there are two of them!  (There really were two turkeys at tonight's dinner, this isn't just a reference to my sisters.)  I feel a moment of clarity in this otherwise unclarified day, and I realize how much I missed those two turkeys.  Okay, this time I am referring to my sisters, so let me end by saying, happy birthday to the two cutest little twins in the world, who aren't that little anymore (although still skinny....) and don't you guys also miss the Thanksgiving dinners we used to have before we got too busy....

"Why Do You Do It?" And Other Praises of Homeschool

I'm noticing a big change in people's perceptions of homeschooling from when I first started a few years ago.  People definitely seem to be becoming more open minded about this nontraditional form of education, based on my observations of my own casual conversation with friends, family, and strangers.  I'm really happy about this, because as a homeschooling mom with an entourage of children always surrounding me, conversations always turn to homeschooling.  And it is really exhausting to constantly be defending what is already a very exhausting job.  So you can imagine what a refreshing feeling it is when strangers, friends and family find merit in homeschooling while grilling you about it.

Just yesterday at the grocery store, a very sweet lady observed verbally how well mannered my children were.  Pleased with how courteously they spoke to her, she asked where they went to school, and was visibly impressed when I said they are homeschooled.  "How will they learn to interact with others," she asked me.  And later that same day, at the library, a mother of a very unruly 8 year old was pretending not to notice as her son began pulling books off the shelf one by one and screaming "BAM!" as they fell.  She looked wistfully at my son, almost the same age, politely asking the librarian for help in locating a specific book, and she asked what school he goes to.  I told her he is homeschooled, and her eyes popped open in curiosity.  "Most of the homeschoolers I know are really weird," she said, clearly impressed with my son.

Even once skeptical family members are coming around.  I recently spoke to a cousin of mine, who originally thought and said that the idea of homeschool was insane, but now was more open to the idea.  "Why do you do it," she asked me, "were you're kids having problems in school?"  I was so happy about this turnaround in attitude that I opened up and told her about how I believe in the more natural setting of the home, and in a closer parent-child relationship, and the individualized learning.  She listened without any judgement, and said, "I could never do it."  Another family member is opening up to the idea as well, and told me during a phone call recently, "how much longer are you going to keep doing this?"

Most of my friends have been pretty open minded about it from the start.  But I've noticed even more openness lately.  For example, a close friend recently asked me what the kids do on a typical day.  As I went through the daily routine, describing how it is different every day depending on the classes they are taking or the trips scheduled, my friend listened very intently.  Her face lit up with interest when I described how after a few busy days in a row we usually take a "lazy day" and do only about an hour of basic learning and then spend the day at home relaxing and reading and baking and playing board games and building lego.  She understood that school children lack this type of family-centered day on a constant basis, and she said, "some of my best childhood memories come from school."  I have a feeling if she had children she would homeschool them too!

A fellow high school teacher whom I used to work with was recently telling me how lucky I am to be out of school and homeschooling my children instead.  She described how, even in the private school where she works, the level of education is rapidly declining.  She lamented about how the classes are getting more rowdy and difficult to control, and she expressed how she was concerned that these students were not learning even the basics of manners and courtesy.  I think she really exemplified this feeling I have that there is more open mindedness towards homeschooling.  I told her that I agree with her perception of traditional school, and that I am very happy with homeschool.  It was really uplifting for me to have a school teacher praise homeschooling, and when she said, "eventually you will have to put them back in school, right?" I knew we've come a long way.

They Grow Up Too Fast

I wish I could go back in time.

Ten years of changing diapers is exhausting.  There are times when I thought it would never end.  But now that my youngest is toilet trained I feel like it all went by too fast.  And diapers is only the beginning.  There is also sleep, and messes, and chocolate-milk-sippy-cups.  How many nights did I longingly dream of sleeping a solid 8 hours without being woken up by a crying baby?  Yet when I woke up rested and refreshed this morning, I realized it is a bittersweet pleasure.  I realize that I didn't fully appreciate the mess of toys all over the living room floor that I would clean up after the children went to bed each night.  This morning no one woke me up to give them breakfast, and when I stumbled into the kitchen, groggy with sleep and curiosity, I found my once-babies serving themselves cereal and chocolate milk.  Are you proud of us, they asked me?  Of course I'm proud, this is what I wanted, isn't it?  Self-sufficient children who let me sleep and who fold their own laundry.  And make their own chocolate milk.  In open cups.  It is exactly what I've been waiting for, for so many years.  And yet, as I smile at them for a job well done, I'm not sure I'm happy to be here, now.

I wish I could go back in time, and to yearn again for today.