Friday, December 28, 2007

Squee alert!

OMG! Cali is knocked up, people. As in Pregnant. Squee! Go share the love!

And Second Squee Alert! Jen and Cait are preggers, too! Wow. The good news just keeps coming in.

As for the Cheeky, she's doing better - thanks for all of the well wishes. We have a steroid prescription to pick up, and her puff-puff to administer, but the fever's gone, and so is the fear.

So Squees all around!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Off to the ER we go...

Fever - Not too bad. Cough - Not too bad. Wheezing - Not too bad. All three together=off to the ER we go. She's down to 46 breaths per minute, from 52, and her fever's down to 103.5 from 103.8, but each time I lay her down to take her temp, the resulting breathing catastrophe has me terribly nervous.

So despite the steam treatments, and motrin/tylenol alternating, and her "puff-puff," (aka inhalor), she's still not in the best of shape. But bless her little keppe, she's almost as chatty and playful as her poor sick body will allow.

Including "Maka do!" to put on her socks and crocks, to get in the car seat....

Monday, December 24, 2007

On Faith...

I've written before about how I have an internal negative reaction when people wish me a "Merry Christmas," and I instinctively respond with "Happy Chanukah."

The Rabbi on Saturday was talking about how we react to such things. Especially since this past week's Parsha (Torah Portion) talks about the blessings given to Jacob's children. When people wish us a Merry Christmas, or a happy holiday, they are giving us a blessing. HOW we receive that blessing tells us much. I shared about my inner snark, if you will, and how I'm working on overcoming that. I truly am. I have even found myself NOT internally grimacing when someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I simply say Thank you, or "Happy Holidays to you!" Maybe I have more important things going on in my life right now, or maybe I am truly getting a bit older, and perhaps a bit wiser, or maybe it's the lexapro, who knows. but it feels good not to get my knickers in a twist over someone wishing me nothing but joy.

And in true Jewish fashion, where an entire culture typically dines on Chinese food and rents a movie, Narda, Malka and I will be going out for an early dinner, and then strolling down 5th avenue to look at all of the window displays. Because we are also New Yorkers, and it's quite a Shanda if we don't pay homage to the glorious displays of the department stores lining 5th Ave.

Yesterday, we had a wonderful visit with birth mama V, at "our Starbucks," as we now like to call it - they have a HUGE upstairs, that is perfect for Malka to run around in, and they don't bother you much. In fact, one guy was asleep in the corner, the entire time we were there. "V" has also given me permission to make her pictures Friends and family on Flickr, so if you are friended on flickr, you can see pictures of her as soon as I unprivate them.

Narda gave me a wonderful gift this am - she kept Malka entertained ALL morning, and I organized the bookcase in the living room, clearing a shelf to store all of my sewing supplies.

it's been a great day so far, and it's SO nice to have this family time together. Sure we miss not being in Portland with my family, but it's nice to create family time for ourselves, too.

So Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, and enjoy each moment as they come, for each moment is a gift, and meant to be enjoyed.

Friday, December 21, 2007

the new bag. I'm WAY proud!


the new bag. I'm WAY proud!
Originally uploaded by shellipsm
Vintage fabric from Janet. Top zipper from a thrifted wool sweater I took apart to felt for ugly doll bits.

It has a lining, and an inner pocket, and I'm in love. Narda, not so much. But that's OK, I didn't make it for her! ;)

Better pictures to come. But I just had to share.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Matching...


It's time we entered the grown up world.

Narda was getting sick and tired of cleaning cat puke out of our bedroom rug. It was Shag. From Ikea.

We got a new rug. It's awesome, and will hide cat puke nicely.

The dark green you see? it's almost a match EXACTLY to our wall color.

Now I just need to make a quilt that matches.

Because our room doesn't look "quite" right now. With the generic brown shag rug, everything just kind of blended in. Now, our room looks like a grown-up's room. SO we need a quilt to match.

I'm open to ideas. Should I try to match the rug exactly? Or just do some big squares in a white background, using colors from the rug? I'm eager to hear what you think...

Monday, December 17, 2007

Since you entered this world,

Two years have gone by.

Woah.

I'd write more, but it will have to wait for later. I have the "day off," but I really only have about an hour before I have to leave to go to your Doda Inbar's house to decorate your Elmo cake, and get it to daycare before you wake up from your nap.

Just know that your mommy and I love you more than anything in the world, and we consider ourselves the luckiest people alive to be able to be your eemahot.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Eggceptional


We love you, Cali!

OK - so um, yeah. We won't do THAT again!

The crime: Giving our sweet, cherubic daughter a homemade, organic-ingredients chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.

At 7:15pm.

The punishment: Heard over the monitor at 8:54pm: "MOMMY! EEMAH! YOU GUYYYYSSSSSSSSSSSS! Elmo FUNNYYYYYYYYYYYY! hahahahahahahahahaha"

Lesson learned.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Want to play?

So I get a surprise package in the mail from my step-niece, not sure what it is. It turns out to be a "Flat Stanley-esque" type project. It's a travel journal that is supposed to travel the globe.

You write a page, stating all about your city, and also sending a postcard to the class.

Would you be interested in playing along? The further away from Oregon, the better!

Since this is for my niece, you don't have to solicit folks - I can create a list of names and addresses, and send it along. OR... since it was a surprise to me, perhaps you can surprise someone too.

Just post in the comments if you want to play along.

Thanks!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Reunited...


The cratfy is BACK!
Originally uploaded by shellipsm
And it feels so good!

The call came at 5:05 today, just as I was getting off of the subway, to head home and light the Hanukiah.

Instead, I grabbed a cab, bolted downtown, and was reunited with my beloved Elna.

The picture is the small book bag I made for my stepsister. It has a clear pocket for a medalion, and is the perfect size for the book within.

I'm SO glad to have my sewing machine back!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Because it would SO not be appropriate now...

But um, yeah - we all grew up on this, and it was FAB!



Just don't show it to your kids, because they'll either get freaked out, or laugh. But not in a good way.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

When you mess with the bedtime...

It messes with you.

'nuff said.

Chanukah party #2 of the day put Malka's bedtime back by about 2 hours. She went RIGHT to sleep, but now? Over the monitor? Eemah. Mommy. Eemah. Sowwy Eemah. Mommy. Whine. Mommy Sowwy Eemah.

Oy.

It will wind down, but man. She was having SUCH a grand time. Because you know, the uncle Bobby was there. AKA, he who gives Eemah and Mommy heart attacks, because of the tossing and throwing. Of the Malka. In the air. But those two have a special bond, so what's an Eemah to do? Eh, the whine has already subsided.

Fingers crossed for a continued smooth night.

Pictures to come.

Chag Chanukah Sameach. (I only gained .2 pounds in two weeks! Not bad for the 'season of the Latke and Jelly Doughnut.)

Friday, December 07, 2007

Getting the hang of this present opening thing...


rip!
Originally uploaded by shellipsm
Malka is enjoying Chanukah so far - she runs to the Kippah drawer, and hands mommy and myself Kippot before we say the Bracha over the candles.

She knows the Hebrew word for present is "Matanah,"so she walks over to this yellow bin we have with all of the Chanukah presents, and says - "Matanah Malka?"

It's really quite adorable!

Chanukah Sameach.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Yeah, that!


Totally took this from Hope's page - but I WHOLE HEARTEDLY agree.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Chag Orim Sameach!


Happy Chanukah, aka - festival of lights.

May the glow of the Hanukeah (Menorah) fill the darkness with light.

And enjoy the Sufganyieot and Latkes. I hope to make some, but I did pick some up from the Kosher market, just in case...

Monday, December 03, 2007

Flooded...

So on our way home from Shul Saturday, I get a text from a random number that says: "u need to call me." And I'm thinking, huh? And then there was also a voice message. it was from the super.

Ruh-Ro.

The pipes under the upstairs neighbor's bathroom leaked, and flooded 5i (us), 4i, 3i, 2i, 1i, and the basement. Woah.

So basically, although we have cement ceilings, it is a porous substance, and in the "seams" between the cement ceiling pannels, water came pouring down in the kitchen, living room and in Malka's room. Oddly enough, it wasn't in the bathroom, at all. Fortunately, we are friendly with our super, so he sent the porter in to mop up the water from the fllor, so that our floors wouldn't be damaged.

There is some damage, some warping of our hardwood floors, but it could have been SO much worse. There's damage to the walls in our kitchen, the ceiling in the kitchen, Malka's room and living room. The kitchen will need to have the sheetrock repaired and to be re-painted, the wool rug in our hallway was soaked, but I think we got it up in time, so hopefully our apartment won't smell like wet sheep.

I'm working from home today, so I can deal with the stream of people coming into the apartment to assess the damage, and I have to upload all of the pictures and attach them to a report, as the damages are part of the building's responsibility - Luis, our super, thinks the problem is with the back up stopper - you know how when you take a bath, that hole in the stopper control that is the "overflow" protector - when you fill up a bath, all is well, but then when you actually get IN, and the water goes down the overflow thinggy? Well Luis seems to think there was a structural problem in the installation in the one for 6i, so hence, the problem.

Ugh. NOT what we wanted to be dealing with this weekend.

Here's a link to the photo set...