Just Some Thoughts

These past 2 weeks I’ve been hibernating. Well not really, I’ve been working on a new word press site for my store. While I loved the ease of building a site with Weebly, And I am grateful to them for helping me get started in my business, they simply lacked certain features that I needed. And so I decided to dive in and tackle wordpress. For a computer novice like me, it was not easy but there are many people out there on the other side of cyberspace who are just so nice and helpful and willing to take the time to help you out despite the fact that they don’t know you from atom that that I am eternally grateful to them. I am also grateful to all those people who have written amazing plugins for wordpress and provide them free of charge with technical support. I have written on my to do list, to donate some money to them to thank them for their hard work.

This weekend is particularly hard for me as my children are with their father and it is the holiday of Purim. Holidays with out the children are always hard (at least for me). But today I was invited to eat a meal by someone from the shule I go to. It was actually by accident. I needed to get a key from him for the shule for the bat mitzvah of my second daughter which I am making in 3 weeks. It was pouring rain and I stopped under the same awning that the man was standing under. He told me that I didn’t yet pick up the key and told me to stop by right now on the way home for shule. I walked with him and when I entered his house his wife asked if my children were home for shabbat. I said no so she said, you must stay for kiddush. On a cold rainy day it was welcome. So I stayed. this couple is just such a cute couple. they sat and talked torah told little jokes and just looked like they lived such a happy peaceful life. It is rare that I get to see such peacefulness. Maybe because I don’t know them better, and behind the scenes it is not so peaceful, but I don’t think so. I think  that is just the way they are.  I wish upon myself to find this kind of relationship and live my older life in such a way.

Never discount ideas

Anyone ever offer you an idea which seemed so ridiculous you laughed.

Well last night I learned not to discount such ideas. I’ve been sick with a cold for the past few days and last night my nose just felt like a leaky faucet. On of my daughters suggested I lie down saying that when I am standing up, by law of gravity everything runs out of my nose but when I am lying down that force won’t work. we all laughed at the thought but lo and behold when I went to bed I realized that as long as I was  lying on my stomach, my nose dripped. When I lay on my back it didn’t.

A few more interesting tips like that, that I tried are:

-I used to get muscle cramps in my feet while I was asleep. they would be so painful I would wake up and have to start massaging my foot sometimes for 20-30 minutes. I read somewhere that keeping a bar of soap (not dove) under my sheet near my feet would stop it. as a joke I tried it, and lo and behold my muscle stopped cramping. I have no idea how it worked but believe you me , I keep a bar of soap under my sheet now.

- a remedy for mosquito bites. I used to suffer for  2 weeks from every bit I got until I read about the scotch tape trick. Put scotch tape on your bite, as soon as you figure out that you were bitten. Again I’m not sure how it works but nine out of ten times it soothes the bite to the point that I barely feel it.

Go figure. for now on I’ll be willing to try almost any idea.

The Mishkan and Parshat Terumah

For years I learned about the Mishkann by reading through the Parsha, but I always felt I was missing something. When I started to home school my children I had said to myself “We are going to build a model of the Mishkan, and then I will finally understand it” Well we started but we didn’t get very far. Other things came up and my kids (let alone me) began to get frustrated to figure out the exact measurements. It was with great trepidation that I approached making a lap folder on Parshat Terumah, but I decided to leave my comfort zone and charge full speed ahead. After learning the topic for numerous evenings with my dear father on the blessed Skype (with out whose services I could not afford to talk to my father in the US for so many hours) (I even dreamed about it a few nights). I finally figured it out and build a full model (or 2 or three as my lap folder will show you). Models like this cost lots of money in regular stores but I am offering you three different models with different levels of difficulty and yumminess, all for just $5.
So if studying about the Mishkan has also kept you ij fear, fear no more. Get this lap folder and engulf yourself in the Mishkan.

Cardboard Boxes

As I already told you, I went to Ikea last week, and that means I have lots of card board boxes, but thats OK, I love them. And more importantly my kids love them. The big ones turn into houses and clubhouses or just hiding places. This time I had a big flat box. My two little ones used it to make the control board of an airplane. They even cut out a shap of a wind shield. They drew all sorts of controls underneath and glued on a few pieces of card board that stuck out so they could pretend to change gears. After spending some two hours making this plane, they then proceeded to bring two chairs, sat on them and pretended to fly for the next hour. That made for three and a half hours of productive, creative play. And whats more, after it gets all worn out, or forgotten I can throw it out and not have another “thing” sitting in my house.

I love Ikea

This week I took a trip to Ikea from Rehovot to Netanya, detouring in Bnei Brak to pick up my aunt. I had a wonderful time with my aunt, I got to buy just about all the things I wanted to buy (including a carpet, 10 wooden dining room chairs, and a s, which all fit into my car, and all that plus a few odds and ends cost less than $800. Now one of the things most people hate about Ikea is all the putting together you need to do after wards. Not me, I love that work. Especially since they make it so easy that even a 7 yr old can do it. Which is exactly what happens in my house. My 7 year old son loves building and when he can build real things that we use after wards, you should see him stick out his chest in pride. I of course stick around to make sure he’s not having any difficulties and to make sure the things are being put together in the correct way, but he feels the satisfaction of building a real piece of furniture and not just a toy. And I know that he is happily and constructively occupied in a way that is totally building his self esteem. Thank you Ikea!

Chanukah freebies

Just thought I’d let you all know that I have added PDF files for templates and instructions to make Chanukah crafts, games, delicious chocolate coated sevivon sugar cookies and a lovely, magical Chanukah tale to my yahoo group free for the taking if you join the yahoo group. (at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NaasehVeNilmad/ ) .
Join the group and they will be sent to you to your email box.

Rot Wonderful Rot

It is so nice when life gives you true examples of things that you just learned. Let me back track a little to fill you in. A few years ago we did some building on our house which included digging underground to build a “safe room” (In Israel, in order to get a building permit for over a certain a size you need to have a special room built with certain specifications which is called a “safe room where you can go in case of an enemy attack, I don’t know all the exact rules but we were required to build one). Ever since that room was built we’ve had the ground near that wall sink in just a bit after each rain (made me feel very safe!). 

Last spring I purchased a real lawn mower to keep my “lawn” looking like a lawn. So I decided instead of bringing dirt to refill the sinking ground I would fill the holes with grass cutting and to prevent it from all blowing away I covered it with a board.

A few weeks ago, my friend loaned me the Magic school bus book about rot, which my 2 little ones (aged 4 and 7) were enamored with and made me read it to them over and over.

One more thing you should know to complete the story is that it usually doesn’t rain in the spring and summer in Israel.

So last Sunday (remember its already fall and the rains have begun), I went out to mow my “Lawn” and my two little boys went to uncover the holes to add the grass cuttings when they excitedly called me over to tell me that the grass cuttings disappeared and instead there was dirt!. The moment I mentioned the word rot, they both immediately understood what had happened. And I wasn’t even trying to do an experiment with them. Life did the work for me.

And now I have some lovely fertile soil that will serve me well.
Who knows, maybe I’ll make a lap book about rot, and next time we’ll take pictures of before and after to add to the lap book.

How to Know if Your Children are Really Sick

You know, its a funny thing. While my children were doing homeschooling I never had a case of schoolitis. Sure some days my kids didn’t feel like doing any work, but that was OK. Everyone has days like that and I would just tell them, OK take a day off. They were usually fairly motivated to do their work so a day off here and there didn’t really make a difference. If anything taking the break helped them to work even better the following day. And as we know all of life is a school, so they were really learning other important life skills on those days. But now that they are back in school and the officers in charge of attendance are about We have numerous recurrences of schoolitis. At first I had difficulty discerning between true illness and schoolitis. But with time I realized that each child had specific signs of when they were really ill. My first test is always to resort to the thermometer. if there is a fever then they are considered sick. But if they don’t have a fever then what? Well for each of my children I’ve noticed various things. For my eldest who is already 15 (and I don’t really have these problems with him) but I know he is sick if he misses his early morning prayer and daf Yomi class. (Daf Yomi is a class which is taught all over the world where everybody learns the same page of Gemarah every day, it brings unity to the Jewish people). I know that my eldest daughter who is 12 is sick if she agrees to take medicine. My next daughter who is 11, I can tell that she is sick if she does n’t feel like eating soup. And my third daughter is really sick if she misses dessert willingly. And I know that my 2 little boys are sick if they get out of bed, get dressed, come down stairs and then go right back to sleep on the sofa. so the next time your child has scoolitis look for those specific signs for your child that they are willingly giving up on some thing they normally wouldn’t. On the other hand, you should always remember that every one deserves a day off now and then, even children so playing along with the schoolitis won’t hurt, or just tell your children that they don’t need to pretent to be sick, they can just ask for a day off . (or even better, a day with you).

Sick Children Don’t Mix Well With Work

Ever try to work at home when you have a bunch of sick children around? Take my advice, don’t. The 2 just don’t mix well. This past week 5 out of my 6 children have been  sick with the flu. Actually they are still sick with the flu. When they are not sleeping they can be very demanding! Thank G-d for Hot cocoa mix. All of my sick children have been living off of hot cocoa.I know every one says how good hot chicken soup is for sick people but I swear by hot cocoa. And if they are up to it try a hot cocoa float. (One cup of steaming hot cocoa, with one scoop of ice cream of your choice. I find vanilla and chocolate are best but you can use any flavor that you or your kids fancy). But the moment I sit down at the computer I have at least 3 cries of “Mommy my _____is hurting” translated as “Mommy, get off the computer and give me some tender loving care”. And then I remember all those times that my mom sat with me when I was sick whether to read me a story, or just hold my hand, and how can I refuse them those memories which they will then pass on to their kids, so off goes the computer and on goes the TLC. I know I won’t regret it when I look back.

So work has been put on a low burner (I’m still moving ahead with the Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24) lap folder, but at slower gear than usua)l. Mishpatim has a lot of content so get ready!

Back to deal with my patients.

www.biblicallapbooks.com

The Book of Genesis Bundle

I have completed lap folders on all 12 Parshiot (sections) of the book of Genesis. To celebrate I’m offering some great specials. For a limited time you can purchase all the lap folders of the book of Genesis or just the ones you are missing at a 20% discount. To make this deal even better I’m giving away an interactive color coded time line for the Book of Genesis with detailed time lines  of 4 of the main players in the Book of Genesis: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Yosef.

So what are you waiting for? head on over to www.biblical lapbooks.com and picks your up today.