My kids had their winter break last month. We spent the week with out of town family -museums, bowling, sledding, cousins, grandparents and an extravagant amount of ice cream made it a wonderful week. But I have to say, the highlight of the trip was the introduction of my family to Angry Birds.
 | |
| Shopping Cart Is Empty | |
 |
All Blogs
Our goal on the blog has always been to foster dialogue, discussion and debate among our readers. As parents often our priorities are the same: we want thoughtful kids, kind kids, healthy kids. Our blog reflects the lives that we lead -- sometimes overwhelming, sometimes messy, always interesting. Devorah Katz and her team of guest bloggers write about parenting, Judaism, and how to balance it all. We'd love to hear what you think.
Disgruntled Fowl by Kally Kislowicz
Distracted Driving by Kally Kislowicz
There is often talk in my town about passing a law banning the use of cellphones in cars. I am both a proponent of this law and an unrepentant hypocrite for talking while driving without the use of a hands-free device.
But I happen to think that this is an example of soft legislation that will do little to make the roads safer. If government officials are serious about protecting drivers and passengers, they should make it illegal to operate a vehicle which contains children.
Turn On, Tune In, Update Status By: Akiva Fleischmann
I walked by the student lounge in my school the other day and saw something that prompted me to go in and say something. There were approximately 9 kids in the room, and only two were sitting together. The rest were busy on their iPods, laptops, phones, etc., all sitting individually. I said something about it to the students, half-jokingly, and they replied that it was study hall.
Artwork By: Kally Kislowicz
Like many a proud preschool mama, I receive backpacks full of exquisite art projects on a weekly basis. The mediums range from finger paint on construction paper to colored shaving cream on tin foil; and the subject matter spans ‘my family’ to ‘the dead raccoon I saw on Highway 80’.
Remembering Ayelet by Devorah Katz
This is a blog I never wanted to write about a little girl I never even knew. Ayelet Galena passed away yesterday at age two. She had been ill for quite some time with a rare bone marrow illness. I know that because, like thousands and thousands of people, I followed her ups and downs on facebook and on her blog.
Adventures in Retail By: Kally Kislowicz
I recently came across a long forgotten gift card for a children’s store and I decided to use it to buy some things for my kids. Although I have been a mother for 8 years, buying children’s clothes is a new endeavor for me. My Bubbe was the shopper in the family. Apparently that is a recessive trait, or a gene that skips two generations, as my mother, my sister and I are not blessed with her patience and skill.
Toddler vs. Teenager By: Akiva Fleischmann
As the weeks go by with Reia, I started thinking about how things are now and how ridiculously different they will be when Reia is a teenager.
Little children, little problems By: Kally Kislowicz
Imagine that you’re feeling particularly worn down by consecutive nights of child-interrupted sleep and mornings of strapping unwilling children into car-seats. An older, more experienced parent notices that you are not your adorable, chipper self, and inquires as to your well-being. You explain in between yawns that you are being terrorized by your toddler and abused by your infant. But instead of a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, you are greeted with a smug and superior 'Oh, little children little problems, big children big problems. That’s nothing compared to what I am going through….'
Thanks By: Akiva Fleischmann
So I’m sitting here in a motel in Barkeyville, PA, in the middle of nowhere on Route 80. Talia, Reia and I were on our way to NJ to visit my parents and siblings over my school break. Trouble is, we hit a snowstorm. Though we just bought snow tires last night, the snow got to be a bit too much and we decided to pull over.
Different is the New Normal By: Devorah Katz
The minute my 5-year-old put his hearing aids in, my outlook changed. Any sadness or apprehension I felt for him or for me was tossed out the window (I’d like to use a football reference here because I feel like they throw things really really far, but I’m Canadian). I did cry, but it was pure joy. I cried because my kid walked around the audiologist’s office tapping on the walls, the floor and the chairs because suddenly he could hear tapping. And it didn’t end there. He’s tried out snapping his fingers, rubbing his feet on the carpet and whistling. All because he can hear stuff now. Lots of stuff.
Board Games By: Kally Kislowicz
Out of nowhere my boys have entered a most wonderful phase where they can play together for significant amounts of time without fighting or gravely injuring each other. Don’t be overly impressed, ‘significant’ can mean 3 minutes, which is sometimes all I need to read an email, change my clothes, or hide in the closet and eat chocolate like a crazy person who will be damned if she has to share.
Names, Part One: the grandparents By Gary Levine
Some several years ago when I was born, a few years before the middle of the last century in fact, they gave me a name; and in those early years, I assumed that the name they gave me was the name by which I would always be known. My parents called me by that name -- and my teachers and my friends and my parents' friends and the men in shul on Shabbat. I had a name and that was who I was.
It's the Shoes - They're Tragic By Akiva Fleischmann
I think it was Forrest Gump’s mom who said that you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. I was thinking about this because an interesting thing happened which, for people who know me, fits right in with who I am as a person.
My 3,194 New Friends. By: Devorah Katz
This isn’t a push to get you to join Facebook (though if you haven’t yet really what are you waiting for). This is a story about everything that is lovely about ChallahCrumbs. In fact, this might be my love letter to our readers.
Resolutions By: Kally Kislowicz
I am the type to make New Year’s Resolutions. I once heard that it is a good idea to make a resolution during the Jewish New Year in September, and then use the secular New Year in January as a check in point to monitor your progress. But this becomes a study in depression as I am also not the type to keep a New Year’s resolution. I have never lost 10 pounds without having a newborn to show for it, I have never grown 5 inches, and I have never developed more patience for whining children despite my repeated attempts at exposure therapy.
It Finally Sunk In By: Akiva Fleischmann
When I got married a little over 3½ years ago, I remember there was a time in the beginning of our marriage where I just could not believe it. Not in a bad way, by any means, but just that it was all just so surreal. It took a while for it to sink in that the woman I had been courting long-distance for 2+ years was now next to me when I get up every morning. Sure, I knew that I was married, and I knew that the woman that I had wanted to marry for so long was now my wife, but there was still this aspect to it like I was watching a movie of it happening to me and not experiencing it myself.
5 am By: Kally Kislowicz
My daughter has taken to waking up at 5 AM. 5 is a great hour for people that like to seize the day. I am more of an anti-seizure gal. I prefer to greet the day once it has had time to brush its teeth, have its coffee, and check its email.
That's Somebody's Daughter! By Akiva Fleischmann
So there seems to be some sort of change coming over me now that my daughter is here (and over a week old). You know how when you’re watching or reading something and a woman is doing or saying something objectionable, and then someone who is with you (usually someone older) says, “Ugh…just think, that’s someone’s daughter.” Or they say, “Wow, she has parents. What do they think of this??” It could even go, “Doesn’t she have kids that are going to Google her someday? How could she do this???”
Home Alone for the first time, and I don't lactate!
By: Akiva Fleischmann
So I am writing this first-ever inaugural blog while I’m waiting for the iMovie video that I’m making to finish exporting. It is the second of three films that I will hopefully finish by week’s end. Besides that, I have tests to make, papers to grade, worksheets to create, and I’m gonna try to make a basketball game later tonight. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – I have a 4-day-old daughter.
Gift Giver's Lament By: Kally Kislowicz
There is so much to love about Chanukah. The continuous celebratory atmosphere, the way the candles look reflected back at us through our big living room window, the expression of joy and power on my kids’ faces as they get their first taste of pyromania. I love that it is 8 nights long, and while I recognize that there are historical and esoteric reasons for the length of the holiday, I take it as tacit acknowledgement from on High that sometimes it takes 8 nights to get it right- the candles, the singing, the dreidle, the latkes, the spirituality, minus the fighting over whose Chanukiyah is taller or whose dreidle could fit farther up whose nose.
I am Mama, hear me roar... By: Kally Kislowicz
My husband went on a quick business trip last week. I hate it when he goes away. I miss having another rational human being in the house. Sometimes my favorite thing about him is that he is older than 8. But the upside to his being gone is the sense of power I develop at being able to run my household entirely on my own. I can get everyone up, dressed, fed, out, cleaned, carpooled, entertained, comforted, etc. all by myself. And even though single parenting makes for hectic times, I always feel supremely capable and accomplished by the end of the day.
Incentive By: Kally Kislowicz
Sometimes I give my daughter a cracker for getting in the car. It’s an activity that she does not particularly enjoy which we have to do several times a day, and I find that if I sweeten the deal with a saltine she is a much more pleasant passenger. Say what you will about bribing children, munching is preferable background noise to shrieking.
Happiness Maximum by: Kally Kislowicz
There is a Happiness Maximum in my family. This means that at any given moment the available happiness is divided, often unequally, amongst the six of us. The parameters of the equation make it all but impossible for each of us to be feeling entirely happy at the same time. This explains the Bad Mood Principle which accounts for the fact that no matter how much fun we are having, one person will always be flirting with, if not entirely subsumed by, a bad mood.
Flying Solo By: Devorah Katz
I recently (and by recently I mean right at this very minute) traveled all by myself. I said goodbye to my 5 children (2 cried, 1 was stoic, 2 are just waiting for the guilt presents on my return) and to my wonderful, inexplicably patient husband and got on an airplane. In fact, I am still on the airplane as I write.
Checklist By: Kally Kislowicz
My baby is almost one and a half. She is my only daughter, and I feel an allegiance to her in this house full of boys. I am torn between wanting her to stay small and wishing she would hurry up and get big so we can start having some real fun (no disrespect, ring-around-the-rosie). I have elaborate daydreams of afternoons spent leisurely window shopping together with cups of hot chocolate, and girls’ nights out where we see movies in which there is no blood or dead bodies. These fantasies make it imperative that she grow up to be someone who I really like to be with; someone who is talented, freethinking, kind, enthusiastic, and intelligent. So as we go about our day I often check her progress against this weighty list.
World Prematurity Day By: Devorah Katz
Today is World Prematurity Day. For me, it is a day of being thankful and grateful for what I have – for great doctors, a great husband, great friends and most importantly for a great great kid.
Dry Cleaning By: Kally Kislowicz
My skirt came back from the dry cleaner with a tag on it. It read ‘This garment is stained. Attempts to remove the stains have been unsuccessful, and further stain removal attempts could cause lasting damage to the garment’.
Growing Good Kids By Kally Kislowicz
There are flyers posted all over my community announcing an adult education lecture entitled Growing Good Kids: A Jewish Approach. This interests me from the get-go. I would like to grow good kids. I tried to grow good tomatoes last spring and it did not go as planned. It’s a good thing that my children can verbally express their need for hydration.
T-I-M-E By Kally Kislowicz
At the pediatrician’s office the other day I saw the following sign:
Children spell love… T-I-M-E. – Dr. Anthony P. Witham.At first glance, this is a lovely, meaningful quote that makes us want to snuggle up with our children for hours on end. But when the snugglefest is over we have to ask ourselves a serious question. Why can’t our children spell?
Be all you used to be? by Daphne Price
Even though we’re on the other side of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, many of us are still in High Holiday mode. I for one am still wishing others a Shana Tova, and I’m still making personal resolutions to do better in the coming year. Resolving comes from realization and a sense of self-awareness, right? To be clear, I’ve NEVER stuck to a single New Year’s (January 1) resolution, so here’s my attempt for this year.
Pre-holiday preparations
Kally Kislowicz
It is not the three days of yomtov that hassle me, but rather the days preceding them. Trying to cook while yelling at children is hard work, and not enough awards are given out to people who do it as efficiently and effectively as I do. (I have trademarked my best move - the one handed pulling something out of the oven while holding the baby and creatively devising threats as to what will happen to the next paper airplane that flies through my kitchen. It is a thing of beauty.)
The Old Bless and Switch Routine
By Kally Kislowicz
There is a special blessing for parents to give their children on the eve of Yom Kippur. It is a beautiful bracha, one in which we ask that our children be granted all the things we could ever hope for them. My husband and I were lucky enough to get to say it four times this past Friday. It is a longer version of the traditional Friday night blessing. A much longer version, actually.
There was a lot to be done in the waning pre-Yom Kippur minutes. The table was being cleared, leather shoes were being removed, teeth were being brushed, candles were being arranged, timers set, etc. And amidst all of this we decided it was a good time to give a multi- paragraph blessing to each kid.On Children and Spirituality.
By Kally Kislowicz
It is well known that the High Holidays are often referred to as the Days of Awe. A less common, though equally fitting name for this solemn time is ‘the Days of Playing Candyland and Spreading Cream Cheese on Crackers (Because Shul is Very Long)’. And that more or less sums up the heights of spirituality that I reached over Rosh Hashana.
Butterflies and blessings
By Daphne Price
I recently went through the pictures on my digital camera, reviewing the snapshots of the summer: Birthday parties, fun at the pool, days at Sesame Place, summer barbecues and an afternoon at the local butterfly exhibit. On that particular day, my girls dressed in bright colors hoping that a butterfly would land on an outstretched arm or an open palm. In their little girl ways, they tried to coax these fragile butterflies to fly closer, and to make contact, but the butterflies just fluttered by.
Soccer Mom
by Kally Kislowicz
I have become a soccer mom. On Sundays I pull up in my minivan carrying my lawn chair, mini-cooler full of snacks, and upbeat attitude. I am thoroughly enjoying my weather permitting stint as a cliché.
This year in review.
by Devorah Katz
Rosh HaShana asks us to reflect back on our year. Most days I need to remind myself to brush my teeth so introspection falls somewhere below pairing up the 173 (note the odd number) socks sitting in their very own laundry basket in my laundry room. But as a good Jew, one with a strong sense of Jewish guilt, I decided to give a moment or two to look back on the year and reflect. Here’s what I’ve broken our year down to…
Soap
by Kally Kislowicz
Having children who can shower on their own is a most fabulous parenting milestone. But much like I imagine it will be when I one day hand over the car keys, handing over the sponge and liquid soap was not without its glitches.
Everything your Child Needs to Know
by Kally Kislowicz
I took my son to the library last week. He was absentmindedly putting every book he picked up in our basket and I was very focused on secretly vetoing and replacing 85% of his choices. We made a great team. Suddenly my non-reading, preschool aged child stopped and held up a book saying ‘Look at this one, doesn’t it look great?’ I looked over to see him holding a very colorful book entitled Everything Your Child Needs to Know About Sex.
3 Men and a Little Lady
by Kally Kislowicz
After being blessed with 3 boys (and by blessed I mean besieged), we finally welcomed a baby girl into our family a little more than a year ago. After boy #3 was born, I made my peace with being a boy family. Save the times when I walked wistfully by the baby girls’ section in Target, I was quite content with the number of Y chromosomes in our home.
Math for Moms
by Kally Kislowicz
I am happy to report that this summer worked out really well. I had some kids in day camp and some at home with me, and there were times when I actually believed that each child was getting exactly what he/she needed.
By The Sevens
A Grandmother's Story
Eat. Pray. Love.
Keeping Our Children Safe in a Scary World
Since the horrific murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky in Brooklyn last week, a lot of parents can't stop wondering whether our children are safe and what we can do to keep them from being harmed.
Playlist
Father's Day Can Also Be More Than a Hallmark Holiday
by Daphne Price
It's not always about the tie. Putting meaning in celebrating Father's Day.
Happy Birthday, Baby.
Gender free children
A family in Toronto is raising their child genderless. Not a boy. Not a girl. Just a baby.
Travel Tips for Moses
How I can help Moses in the desert.
Conflicted about Barbies? Meet Bebe Gloton.
Forget stressing about Barbies, the latest toy on the market allows your child to nurse her doll!
Exploiting Parents' Fears.
Devorah Katz wonders just how competent we are as parents.
A Mother Blogs on Israel.
How does an American parent keep Israel alive for her kids? Natalie Blitt blogs for us on Yom HaAtzmaut.
Mother's Day
Make it more than a Hallmark Holiday
Daphne Price is looking to celebrate with mothers everywhere.
Reflections of Remembrance Day
One mother's reflections on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Our guest blogger, Yael Ribner, writes about finding fragments of memory.
The victory run.
The final thing that needs to be done to officially end the holiday: eating pizza.
Afikomen presents
Certain to encounter a mutiny among her children, I wonder if we can shake up the world of Afikomen presents.
Living by list alone…
Daphne Price is in search of the perfect list.
Waiting for the right baby.
After 33 years of trying, a mother finally gives birth to twins. They may be just a little disappointed that their newborn babies are girls. Really?
Coming of Age
We are looking at how woman celebrate coming of age
The Great Costume Debate
Costumes should be about where your child finds joy and wonderment.
Tiger Mom
Are Jewish mothers tiger mothers?
Mom vs. the 4 year old. Who wins?
For some reason that evening, in the eyes of my 4.5-year-old daughter, I could do nothing right.
Why Volunteer: Do as I Say AND as I Do
Our guest blogger, Shuey Fogel, talks about leading by example.
Pick Your Battles
Our guest blogger, Netanya Hoffman, discusses Elmo, Tinkerbell and picking your battles.
Normal is the new awesome
Pleased to report that normal is the new awesome.
Day of Love
It's a Day Full of Love. Devorah Katz gives you her wish list.
Anxiety
Parenting Anxiety #137: The Siddur Party.
Mommy's time
Our guest blogger, Netanya Hoffman, talks about the importance of finding some time and space.
Bullying
Our guest blogger, Daphne Price, talks about bullying in her latest post.
Why I love Tu B'Shvat.
Tu B'Shvat gently reminds us the importance of unplugging and stepping back.
Talking about Death
Our guest blogger, Daphne Price, is tackling how we talk about death.
The Family Bed
One very tired mother examines the Family Bed.
Holiday Spirit
Our guest blogger, Daphne Price, wonders how Christmas shapes her family's holiday spirit.
Too crazy?
How much crazy is too much crazy? A ten-year old's foray into the world of scary.
The witching hour
Tackling the pre-dinner hour with a little help from kind strangers on our facebook fanpage.
Walking through the holidays with grace.
I was taught women relax while the candles are burning each Chanukah night. And while I sort of pretend to maybe relax, I completely and totally fail.
Spirit of Giving
With Chanukah fast approaching, I wonder how much giving is too much?
Hour 25
Dreaming about adding one more hour to my day.
Creating Ritual
While baby boys have a simple entry into the world of Judaism, celebrating baby girls is far from easy.
Moments of Clarity
Four boys on antibiotics is enough to make any mother search for sanity.
The Generosity of Memory
How much should your child be telling you?
I often joke that my nine year-old son would make a wonderful Christian. He has the confessional part down pat. For as long as I can remember, as soon as he gets home, he dumps his bag and the confessional begins. I, of course, play the part of his priest. I am told who he fought with, how many times he left class, what perceived slights he endured, what he doled out to others...
Falling somewhere between an ideal and real mom
Welcome to ChallahCrumb's Newest Feature! One mother's attempt to parent with grace, dignity and humor with dishes in the sink, laundry to fold and chauffeuring to be done.
Home I Purim!! I Grandparents I Torah I Recipes I Crafts I Books I Blog I Giveaways I
Resources | Videos | Bookstore | Contributors | Contact Us
A celebration of Jewish living. Creative ideas to inspire your family and enrich your homes.
Copyright © 2012 ChallahCrumbs. All Rights Reserved. Created by WDI