bringing_peace

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:23:32 GMT

We had some snow here a few weeks ago. I pointed out to the kids how beautifully formerly naked trees are dressed now.

While looking at snow-covered trees, AM announced: "Trees marry every winter. Their grooms are ever-green trees."

(Anything that wears a white dress, even if it's a tree, and even if the dress is snow, must be a bride! Girls. :) )

Cross: http://community.livejournal.com/govoryat_deti/2206152.html

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:25:41 GMT

first, AM was sick,
then NS was sick,
then S pretended to be sick b/c he was jealous of his sisters having fun at home.
And now I'm sick.

Meanwhile, another fish died - with the same symptoms - looking this and emaciated.
And the hamster doesn't stop in his quest to run away - he chewed another hole in yet another box and was discovered on the floor.

Meanwhile, I finished the kitchen and even painted the front door. We all really like the end result, but the fact that our Shabbos guests don't notice anything is mildly insulting.

Hope to finish the hallway and window during the New Year vacation (I get off on Friday).

wow!

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:26:18 GMT

Very, very well said!

It's about the time somebody said this.
Spread the word!

http://www.wtoc.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4285612&h1=Editorial+-+11/09/09&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=186467&LaunchPageAdTag=News

Numbers.

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:22:50 GMT

When you're a math teacher, numbers are around you all the time. You got to know them well, have a good relationship with them and remember that there are some people in this world who wish numbers were never invented at all. Keep in mind, that some of them are in your class right now.

When you're on a diet, you develop a whole new relationship with numbers. They become your enemies and your friends, your hope and your despair.

On this note I'd like to share the good and the bad.
My goal for the end of November was 130 lbs. As Shabbos was right there at the end of the month, I was greeted by 136 on the scale on Motzei Shabbos. On one hand, it is an improvement from the ~~good~~ bad old 138.5 that greeted me after Shabbos for weeks. On the other hand, it is 6 lbs over my goal, set for the next day.

I even considered getting really offended at my scale.

Now - the good. I went to sleep really late last night and was really, really tired when I woke up today. So after kids went off to schools, I just went back to bed - without even a breakfast. I woke up around 1 pm and guess what!!!!!
I love my scale - 129!!!!! I know it won't be easy to get to see it again. But at least I did it. I broke the 130 barrier.

And I must admit - it's really, really nice to see something below 130. I haven't seen it for 6 years. Dh said her must celebrate!

Малосольные огурчики без рассола

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:41 GMT

Рецепт нашел Папа на просторах И-нета. Мы его очень любим и делаем практически на каждый Шабат/ праздник. Гости о них спрашивают и просят рецепт. Вот и решила поделиться.

• 1 кг огурцов (*маленьких*)
• 1 столовая ложка соли без горки
• 3-4 зубчика чеснока (по желанию)
• укроп
• 2 полиэтиленовых пакета

Огурчики помыть, срезать кончики. Укроп мелко покрошить. Чеснок мелко порубить.
В полиэтиленовый пакет сложить огурчики, укроп, соль, чеснок
Пакет завязать. Для герметичности лучше положить еще в один пакет.
Все хорошо потрясти.
Положить пакет в холодильник, периодически доставать и трясти.
Через 6-8 часов огурчики готовы. Достаем из холодильника пакет, развязываем и вдыхаем божественный аромат.

* + красный перец = острые огурцы на любителя
* можно оставить мариноваться и вне холодильника
* чем дольше они стоят, тем дольше маринуются - и часто из одного и того-же "пакета" мы едим абсолютно разные огурцы.

Cross: http://community.livejournal.com/shabbes_koidesh/234201.html

Growing up.......

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:59:12 GMT

Yesterday I went through the toy closet. Even though I put away the baby-baby toys a while ago, there were still lots of toys that kids grew out of. Most were thrown out, some will be given away.... It is bittersweet to see the old favorites turn into ignored, useless, scratched, broken, unwanted items.

Among them was an $50 truck we bought for S when he was 3.
Unbeknown to us, he was really sensitive to bananas - they made him really constipated. It took two really painful episodes until we figured out what was going on, but the damage was done - S became so scared of passing bowels that even after he was fully trained he'd ask for a diaper and would hide to make #2. As he was getting bigger, changing him was becoming more and more unpleasant. We tried all we could - but nothing worked. Until one day when he saw THE TRUCK in an on-line toy catalog. It was big and it was a car-carrier, which could fit over 50 cars in it! For a boy obsessed with cars this was a dream-come-true. I wasn't going to spend $50 on a truck but this was my chance. So we made a deal - he makes in a potty - he gets the truck. (Still cheaper than diapers, doesn't smell and makes my son happy - win/win/win, less the price tag.)
S tore the page out of the catalog. He carried it around with him. He looked at it while sitting on a potty while nothing came out. But eventually he did it and we ordered the truck.

It arrived in a few days and immediately won S over by it's defined, realistic design, sharp lines and sophisticated look. It became the apple of his eye, the envy of all the boys who visited, the most prised of his possessions. Most of the cars he owned were placed in the new truck and S knew exactly where each one belonged. Over 50 of them.

As the time passed, the truck got covered with stickers, clear plastic panels, covering the cars, cracked, a piece attaching the truck from the trailer broke. But S still played with it and "parked" all his cars in their appropriate cases every day before going to sleep.

I do not know when he stopped playing with THE TRUCK. He was still proud of it and gladly showed it off to our guests, shared it with boys who came over.

And than came last night. Not played with anymore, not in a condition to be given away, the 50-dollar truck was put into a garbage bag. No protest came from its once very possessive owner.

I felt a piece of me go into that garbage can with it. To keep it company? To mourn it? To mourn those days when all kids' problems were resolved with kiss and hug and, sometimes, an expensive bribe?

Or was it a part of me that never wanted the kids to grow up? The part of me that is afraid to face the growing independence of the kids? The part that stays up at night, hoping and praying that their choices will not hurt them? The part that wants to shield them from all the evil in the world but knows that if there is no pain, there is no gain? The part of me that cries bitter-sweet tears at each milestone?

I don't know about my son, but I will miss that truck.....

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:53:46 GMT

Ихтиандр?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:44:38 GMT

One of our platys died. It looked really scary - it was getting thinner and thinner, as if life was sucked out of it. It was so thin at the time of death that the body didn't even float up. Poor fish.

And now the other platy is doing the strangest thing - it blows air bubbles out of its gills. It grabs some air from the surface and blows bubbles out of the gills. Now, how strange is that? But he basically named himself.

Meanwhile, the gerbils are done with a quarter of their hard plastic food bowl and are making noticeable dents in the pull-out tray on the bottom of the cage, as well as the cage itself.

And not to be left out, the hamster really surprised us by chewing a hole and escaping out of the box in which the kids keep their rodents while cleaning their cages. It was so absolutely unexpected and shocked us all. It's something the gerbils do. I guess, it's always the quite ones who make the trouble, isn't it?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:40:33 GMT

"- ты знаешь, что из-за искривления пространства-времени из четырех абсолютно одинаковых жестких стержней нельзя сделать квадрат, он будет всегда разомкнут?
- конечно! Это знает любой, кто когда-либо делал ремонт... "

bash.org.ru

As of now, I can proudly say that I completely and totally understand the concept, discussed above.

Almost a year ago we bought some paints, as our kitchen and front hall look rather horrible. Non-washable paint + talented children + food spills + life = MESS. When I finally got fed up, we bought the paints. But the inspiration to actually do it caught up with me just now.

As I'm off in one of the schools for Thanksgiving, I decided to do it.

And so, last night I moved all furniture in the dinette and... couldn't open the bucket with primer! An hour later, when dh came home and opened it for me (10pm), I got to work and had it almost finished by 1:30 am. In the morning I touched up the corners and will paint tonight.

I do hope it will look nice.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:54:30 GMT

June 6, 1958

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:47:48 GMT

aaaaaaaaa (bash!)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:24:39 GMT

xxx: чем ты занимался сегодня, любимый?
yyy: ездил справку для универа делать, потом к родителям заехал, отдал папе тот диск, про который тебе говорил, потом на работу.
xxx: а я думала, ты по мне скучал :(
yyy: прости, я все время забываю правильный ответ

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:34:24 GMT

Bash rulez!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:09:20 GMT

какой в следующем году вирус гриппа по китайскому календарю?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:30:57 GMT

Ne mogu proiti mimo:

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:03:38 GMT

Either my scale is broken or it's really happening!
I've lost 20 lbs!
Dh tells me he can see the difference, but I can't really say that I do - neither visually nor in the fit of my clothes.

My goal now is to be steady 130 lbs by the end of this month. And also to remember to check my weight on the gym scale, as 134-137 I'm seeing on my scale now seems to good to be true.

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:02:57 GMT

I dont't know if I should be showing off yet, but for the past few days my scale doesn't go over 137 lbs in the evenings. Morning have been nice too - between 133.5 & 135 lbs.

I've been going to gym consistently - and even began going to all-body workouts in addition to pilates and yoga. Right now my whole body hurts - even around ribs, collarbone & along the spine - basically, places where I didn't think I even had muscles!

All in all, there is hope for me and my pre- 1st baby weight.

Старые сказки на новый лад.....

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:17:56 GMT

Another Yeshiva Boy.....

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:44:36 GMT

Ok, the vidoe is a poor imitation of Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" (or at least seems to be), the words are good.

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:34:43 GMT

Wow, I guess I wasn't alone!
http://community.livejournal.com/76_82/4438849.html

Nachum, Ish GamZu

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:28:29 GMT

It's a well-known stroy....
Dd recounted it at the Shabbos table today. A few missing details made the story sound way too fake:

Dirt turns into errors and swords and king not only praises and rewards the ever-positively thinking man, but just loves the Jews from now & on.

To start off, the Jewish community sends a men with a box of Jewels and other precious gift to the king ALONE. Shure, in those pieceful "olden" days traveling alone wasn't dangerous at all, especially if you had a big case with you.

At night our hero stops at an inn and tells the inn-keeper - a stranger - exactly what is in his luggage. Shure way to keep your belingings overnight and stay alive as well!

After luckily staying alive overnight and escaping the king's wrath at presenting the dirt, he goes back home and guess where he stayes overnight! - at the same place where he was robbed. And yet again, he tells the nice, trustworthy in-keeper that he's got some goodies on him - king's generous rewards.

Absolutely illogicaly, the inn-keeper doesn't rob him again.

May be, before abridging the stories for kids, one should make sure they still make sence?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:11:11 GMT

I know it will sound crazy after 133 lbs, but I'm glad I'm at steady "not-over-139" point. Even after Shabbos. Considering that I used to go voer 140, this is an achievement - as in "retained".

I hope, for good.

A co-worker reccomended to keep a food journal - just keeping track of what you eat and how it affects your weight. The truth is, I don't need a food journal to know that pancakes with sourcream make me gain, but the fact that it all will be written down makes me feel guilty about eating.

I also go to gym pretty consistently.
At least 2-3 times a week: Thurs: yoga (great - just love the stretching!); Tue: pilates (after which I have pain in muscles I didn't know I had) and a general all-body workout on Sunday. When things settle down with the 2nd job, I will try to go on Wednesday mornings as well - before classes.

Sarah's Yogurt

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:11:07 GMT

School News.

Girls' new school translates Chumash into Yiddish in addition to English.
All the kids get a kick out of listening to Dd1 review her chumash sheets.

The favorite so far - Leben fun Sarah - ~~Sara's yogurt~~ - the life of Sarah.

Dd2 is bringing home the cutest things ever. This Shabbos we were treated to Alphabet Yoga - AM showed us how to make F and f out her own body. Older kids joined her - everybody was falling & laughing.

After that, she found an old sorting shapes game she grew out of a long time ago and gave us a lesson on shapes (cube, sphere, cylinder, cone), and explained (and demonstrated) how some of them roll or slide (or both).

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:46:38 GMT

On Tuesday, we saw a real Texan, wearing a real cowboy hat, boots, denims, riding a truck. He looked as if he stepped out of a movie - tanned, mustached, confident. And a bit out of place in rushed, cynical NY.

As he pulled out of the gas station, a small, old lady zooooomed in, making a sharp turn & twist, jumping her car in front of the pump. Dh & I couldn't not laugh. But neither did we want to be on the road when this gray-haired woman is there.

Photos

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:45:36 GMT

Lvov
Vinnitsa
Nature

http://imgsrc.ru/main/user.php?user=igord