Slow down, construction ahead!

It  feels like in the recent past everything in my day to day life, no matter what I do, is about slowing down.  I think it's probably true for any parent of young children.  Some things just can't be hurried, one has to take them as they come, when they come.  But there is always a part of me that is screaming to do everything NOW, teach the kids EVERYTHING TODAY, finish every project on the list IMMEDIATELY, write everyhting that I want to write RIGHT NOW or the inner naysayer continues, it will NEVER happen, it will NEVER get done,  do it all and do it now, now,now, right now...   I think Someone is trying to teach me something.  I have no choice but to slow down and the truth be told, that pace suits me much better and suits the children much better.  One has to take time to construct lives, to shape personalities one step, one conversation, one kindness, one battle, one struggle, one right choice or action at a time.  I am reminded of the epic meeting between Yakov (Jacob) and his brother Eisav (Esau).  Travel with me, says Eisav, let us go together, but Yakov answers, that he can't.   Go ahead, I'll catch up with you later, I have to move slower, for the children are small and tender.  Don't worry we'll meet up at the end.  How profound!  Slow down, there is construction to be done ahead.  Don't rush, you'll get there at the right time.  Slow down, do the necessary painstaking work now. Maybe that's another way to understand that there are those that acquire their World (to come) in one moment,  for some perhaps it's one moment and then another one moment.   Good things in life require patience and perseverence and hard work.  There is no free lunch.  Sometimes one has to sow with tears in order to eventually reap with joy.  One tends to forget sometimes.  The western culture of today is very much about getting everything now, instant gratification or else.  Isn't everything I am trying to do in my life and to teach to my children the exact opposite of that message.  But how often do I find myself falling into the NOW trap anyway? So much in our daily lives is about this  message to slow down but it is also so true about Jewish history, about Israel today, about the Geula (Redemption).  Slow down, do what needs to be done, don't worry, there is construction ahead, even if it doesn't feel like it at all, even when things seemed to be turned on their heads, even when the going is slow and painful, maddeningly so, even when it feels more like a destruction, there is construction ahead.  I have no desire to wish these moments away, I just have to keep reminding myself to try and rise up to the occasion again and again, reassure myself that I will get where I need to go, gradually and that's the way it was meant to be.  Slow and steady, that's the secret to G-dliness.  Simple and yet so difficult.  Good, now it's time to get to the hard and slow work of constructing.  It just occured to me, that actually, it's a very timely message for the sefira period, which is all about incremental growth leading up to the acceptance of the Torah on Shavuos.

Pesach cereal and other Pesach related stuff

We are a family that loves matza, not just tolerates it.  As dh likes to point out that one of the ma nishtanah questions at the seder states that on all other nights we eat chometz and matza, for that to be true one actually has to eat matza during the rest of the year as well, but I digress.  So we have been eating a lot of matza in various guises - matza brie, matza balls, matza pilaf, matza kugel- you get the picture. But here is one that really amazed me in its ingenuity and simple brilliance - my sister-in-law's Pesach cereal.  It was one of those things that make you wonder why you haven't thought of it yourself.  So here is a non-recipe from when my sister in-law was small - take 3/4 of one matza break it into pieces, add sugar and cinnamon and milk to taste, and voila, you have yourself a truly brilliant Pesach breakfast or lunch or snack.  Another simple recipe the kids really enjoyed this Pesach was an old standby - Cranberry Apple Ices.  Take 2 cups of cranberry sauce, 2 cups of apple sauce and one cup of some liquid, I used grape juice, the original recipe called for a lemon soda, mix it all together, freeze and enjoy! And speaking of genius, not really Pesach related, I've been listening to a great new series of lectures by Rebbitzen Tzipora Heller on naaleh.com  called the Builder of Her Home which were absolutely fantastic and just what I needed to hear.  And finally here is a very inspirational and timely message from the Chief Rabbi of South Africa.  Have a great rest of yom tov!

A very long short Pesach update

Sometimes it takes many years for some ideas to take root and become actualized.  I think that this year I caught a little bit of the Pesach liberating spirit, touched that breaking out of our self -imposed limitations feeling,  came to terms with the idea that setbacks are also part and parcel of the ultimate redemption.  Cleaning and organizing and crashing and coming back again to enjoy the seder.  Somehow, over the years despite the lack of time for in depth study, the words of the Haggadah itself became more meaningful and more immediate. Spending time with kids, going on outings, realizing it's just too much right now and we really need to rethink our Chol Hamoed family outing policy.  Beautiful vistas, stretches of azure skies and hills and trees and happy muddy children.   So idyllic in many ways, I've got pictures to prove it, but tired and irritable mother and an exhausted father. Sigh.  But tomorrow is another day.  So for today -happy, energetic, ready to go children.  We decided to implement a different strategy.  Dh took the bigger four on a trip and I stayed home with the babies.  Dh and the bigger ones really enjoyed the outing minus the difficulties of juggling infants and a very energetic headstrong toddler.  And I, I was a little sad to not be able to go but I really appreciated the time just with the little ones, finally getting some relatively undivided attention.  So, sunny skies, birds overhead, babies swinging in a hammock in a gentle breeze, a toddler collecting twigs and riding around me, a sweet, almost heady smell of some blossoms from as of yet unidentified tree (looks like some sort of an ash) and some sure knowledge of being where one should be.  It's been a marathon of cooking and trying to balance everyone's needs and wants and still get that special feeling that each holiday brings and not lose that special something that each holiday brings.   Yes, I think I've got some of that liberating Pesach spirit, by slowly changing things to shape a life I should really be living.  Thank G-d.  And tomorrow is another day with its' ups and downs,  its' joys and disappointments, its infinite potential for something special and holy and meaningful, something too good to lose to crankiness and pettiness.  So I'll try to pass that part over and skip into the day that I'd like it to be, one little change at a time.

A few more Succos inspirations for the future

When I was looking for interesting Sukkah decorating ideas, I came across an article here with different  traditional sukkah decorating ideas from Jewish communities from around the world throughout history, definitely something interesting to consider and something that might come in handy in the future sukkah decorating projects.  Also here is another creative sukkah decorating idea from designmegillah.com with lots of more decorating and holiday ideas to explore.  Finally, here is a link discussing growing an esrog tree from seeds or cuttings and  here is a  list of links for recipes and ideas of what to do with one's esrog once the holiday is over.

A Very Belated Succos Post

I've always loved fall but fall in Israel is very special.  There are no colorful leaves with few exceptions and the weather until the rains come is often indistinguishable from summer but the holiday season mood prevails and that is what makes it different from the other falls in other parts of the world.  I love how the genral mood changes from Yom Kippur solemness and seriousness to Succos joy.   I love  the post -Yom Kippur bang- banging noise of people putting up their sukkahs and the post- Succos bang bang crash noises of putting them away.  So this year's Succos was very nice.  We did get to do some Succos crafting with the kids, although not as much as  I had originally  hoped for but the pompom garland and the chain out of different patterned wrapping papers came out very nice and the kids did a great job decorating the sukkah with decorations new and old (  hopefully I'll post some pictures once I overcome my various computer issues, sigh).  The weather was beautiful.  We really stayed close to home this Chol Hamoed but the kids did get to do some local things and for most part we just stayed home, enjoyed the down time, dealt with chaos if it developed and enjoyed the holiday.  The menu was pretty simple with pot roast, chicken roast, moroccan style chicken stirfry with lemons from our yard, unstuffed cabbage, salads, cake, parve ice cream and such and that worked out just fine.  Everyone enjoyed shaking the arba minim, esrogim (citrons) smelled divine and made me think how someday when we have a place of our own, how nice it would be to have an esrog tree in our yard as well as an arava (willow) tree and some hadassim(myrtles), some day.  The kids enjoyed the Simchas Torah  excitement, I think something has to be done about the overwhelming amount of candy and other sweets that they consumed in schul for the future but in the end it was nice.  The kids helped take down the Sukkah just as they helped put it up and that was that for this holiday .  Somewhere in between all this we brought up the winter clothes, distributed sleeping bags and winter blankets as the weather slowly began to change towards a colder one.  I think the children got a well needed break from everything over the last month and are now ready to dive in, into the rest of the year and settle down to a routine.  I've been aslo trying to organized us for the coming months of life and learning.  I've been meaning to write sooner but with everything going on it was hard to find the time and energy.  The Shalit deal, has also cast it's difficult shadow over many people's Succos this year.  Of course, we were all very happy to have Gilad Shalit back from Hamas captivity after over 5 years but the hefty ransom that the Israeli government decided to pay left lots of people upset, hurt and apprehensive. There were many reasons why the deal was struck at this junction and lots has been written on the subject both for and against only time will tell how the implications will play out, may G-d protect us all much like the sukkah is meant to remind us that true protection comes from Above even if we are in a rather makeshift shelter, which is not much of a shelter at all.  So this has been weighing heavily on my mind and so this post is very very late.

Sukkah decorating ideas - garlands and buntings galore

I've been thinking of trying some of these since last year, when I realized that all sorts of garlands can make wonderful sukkah decorations.  They are for most part fairly easy and fast to make and kids like to make them and it's a type of project that can be done with different ages. This definitely a family friendly kind of a project, just the kind I love. So this year when time and energy are very scarce I found this great link on Squidoo ( one of my favorite places for getting great ideas) with literally hundreds of creative ideas for all sorts of garlands and buntings.  I hope to make at least a few of these to add to our ever growing stash of sukkah decorations.  Very exciting and good for creating sweet memories for years to come.  Enjoy!

Shifting focus

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while but it was one thing after another and it just didn't come together as I kept revising and updating in my mind.  But tonight as I once again faced the prospect of wanting to write and not getting to it, it occured to me that what I was really aiming to say is very relevant to Yom Kippur, which will be upon us shortly.  On one hand, things have really not been going according to plan,my plan that is:) First, the printer broke down, the computer was more dysfunctional than not, then the whole family came down with a virus ( fevers, head aches, flu symptoms, rashes, oy) and more of the same.   So the planned lessons, the holiday baking I was hoping to do, the art projects I was dreaming about, etc, all became an impossibility and had to be either canceled altogether or severely curtailed. But on the other hand, all of the above opened up many opportunities for meaningful discussions, for informal lessons, for creating a more peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, for letting us shift focus and concentrate on things that are really important, for allowing us to absorb life lessons that seemed to be raining down in abundance suddenly.  And it made me think that really this message is one of the messages for this introspective time of the Jewish year.  One has to be able to shift focus when necessary in order to change for the better, to concentrate on what has to be done right now rather than what one wishes to be doing, to have faith and let G-d point one in the direction one needs to go, to be patient and flexible  and accept one's limitations for the time being. So often I find myself getting frustrated when I can't get to do what I think needs to be done and yet so often I find that these unintentional detours provide the unparalleled growth opportunities that would've probably never come about or certainly not as naturally or with just the right amount of impact had things gone according to plan.  So on this Yom Kippur Eve I'd like to wish everyone a Gmar Hatima Tova (May you be sealed for a good year)and a year full of blessing and faith and many meaningful detours!

Some timely inspiration for the upcoming Jewish holidays

Here is a great link to an ebook, Reflections for Yom Kippur by the Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, which I saw on  Jewishmom.com.  It's very inspirational reading for this time of the year and  offers a lot of Jewish wisdom in a very easy to read format.  I haven't read the whole thing, but what I've read so far has been fantastic.  Enjoy!

This and that

I am chronically behind in posting all the interesting links I come across.  So here are a few I meant to post for a while.  This past summer we did two projects that were very simple but extremely popular with a wide age range. One was making colored salt/sand art from Creative Jewish Mom here by coloring regular table salt with chalk and using clear plastic cups  and the other was making stickers by making pictures on clear contact paper with Sharpie type permanent markers ( I think this one was from Crafty Crow).  The kids old enough to do projects, loved both of these.  Highly recommended!
I listened to a great shiur on Elul by Rabbi Aryeh Nivin thanks to this post on Jewishmom.com.  It was very inspirational and timely.
I saw a great idea on somebody's homeschooling blog about making scrabble tiles, using craft mosaic tiles and Sharpie markers - I am really excited about this one.  One can also find directions for making a scrabble board on Google.
I was recently reading in Raising Brighter Children by Sidney Ledson about how one's vocabulary influences one's intellectual and educational progress more than anything else because words are the building blocks of thought.  So I am still contemplating what is the best way for us to boost vocabulary growth in addition to reading great books.  Well, there are many different websites that offer many different word lists to help one in that endeavor, one just has to google for them.
I am beginning to think about Succah decorating and with so many Jewish holidays coming up, there should be many options.   Creativejewishmom.typepad.com has lots of creative ideas as does chinuch.org.  So that should get us started with the holiday crafting.
I am sure there are many more that escape me right now, which I'll try to post if and when I remember:)

Two videos for Shavuos

Here are two videos for Shavuos, the first  a real moving one from Rabbi Lazer Brody and the second one a cute and funny song.  Enjoy! Chag Sameach!

The goings on

It's been really busy and stressful around here.  I am glad we didn't have to do this for the past five years.  Moving is stressful (did I mention this already?) and tiring and I can't wait to be done with it already:)  We've been doing little else besides packing and sorting and packing some more. Well, in a few days it will be over, G-d willing and than we can proceed to the unpacking and the settling in stage. My head is full of all kinds of ideas for the best way to organize and arrange everything in the new place but really I believe one has to live somewhere first before truly knowing the best place for everything to go.  I've been looking through all my gardening books for all kinds of gardening and other outdoor things I am hoping to dowith the kids in the new place.  I keep calling it "the new place", becasue it will take time to make it into a home.  Hopefully not too long.  We have been keeping to a minimalist learning schedule of math and copywork besides the usual limudei kodesh stuff.  But there really has been no time for anything else - projects, etc.  The kids are doing very well with the Mammoth math, we are doing a mix of division, multiplication and fractions and it's nice to see how all the various sections fit well together and reinforce each other.  I think the children are seeing their own progress and are finding it encouraging.  There has been a lot of creative free play which is always cute for me to watch.  We had a little birthday party.  I think the kids picked up on a few life skills with all the moving related activities.  On the geopolitical front, things are always exciting in this part of the world.  We had violent Arab mobs again trying to crash through our border next to Syria.  The moral equivalency nonsense and other twisted reporting coming out of some reporter's mouths/pens in the wake of Israel having to take defensive albeit very very restrained actions to protect our sovereign borders just boggles the mind.  Considering how political and slanted much of the reporting in the Western media is, I wonder if it's at all possible for an average European to ever really understand things here. Some good articles here  and here and here to shed some light on the situation, mostly for the benefit of my European readers.  You won't get this from the BBC(see this too while you are at it).  The insanity and the dishonesty, deliberate or through sloppy and bigoted reporting gets to me sometimes.  There have to be some intellectually honest people out there who don't buy into this endless distortion and falsification of history and current events.  So, I am looking forward to Shavuos and to the days when the headlines won't be full of projections for this or that political eventuality, to how many missiles will fall on Israel in the next war and where, to the ever growing number and spectrum of threats and our level of preparedness for all or some of them.  G-d is watching us and guarding us here.  I wish the world would leave us alone already and mind their own business, Heaven knows they have more than enough problems of their own.  We don't need any fake peace proposals or processes.  We need the kind of peace that only G-d provides when we do what He wants.  Chag Sameach everyone, happy Shavuos, do some learning, eat some cheesecake and  leave the everyday cares for a while for this special holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah, which made us into the unique nation that we are.

Lag B'Omer

I can smell the Lag B'Omer bonfires outside.  The excitement building up to this somewhat mystical holiday in Israel is just amazing, while in the Diaspora it's not really celebrated in a big way.  I've been meaning to listen to Rebbetzin Heller's Sfiras Haomer and Lag B'Omer shiur in  the "making the holidays meaningful for children" series. I finally got around to it tonight, while dh took the bigger children out to make a bonfire with the neighbours.  It's a really wonderful and informative lecture, which made things much more meaningful for me and it also offers LOTS of practical ideas for discussing these concepts with children, as well as things to do, to make it more concrete.  Here is the video.  It's excellent! Too bad I haven't gotten to it earlier, but something to keep in mind for the remainder of the sfira and the future. Enjoy!

Pesach, rain, funerals...

It's hard to believe that Pesach is over.  I always find the transition back from the holiday challenging. In many ways it was very uplifting but there was also pain this year for both erev Yom Tovs had a funeral on it.  Right before  Pesach started, Daniel Viflic died of his wounds.  So in addition to the usual bedikas chometz there was a funeral to attend and a shiva visit the next morning.  Alas, the second erev yom tov was once again marred by another Jew's murder.  Ben Yosef Livnat was murdered by a PA "policeman" at Joseph's Tomb for praying while Jewish at a Jewish holy site.  The Arabs celebrated by desecrating this site yet again.  A preview for all those obsessed with establishing a terror state on Jewish land.  More on that later.  But it was also a very beautiful and uplifting Pesach with children singing around the table, good food and company and a few local outings.  Beautiful weather and rain, so unusual for this time of the year.  Perhaps another flow of blessing to comfort the Jewish people, perhaps the very heavens weeping over our national pain.  I read some interesting and inspiring books over Pesach - Rabbi Reisman's  In the Footsteps of the Prophets,  Rabbi Soloveitchik's Fate and Destiny and started Rabbi Eisemann's Haazinu book, I forget its' name.  All very meaningful and inspirational and timely.  We went on a local outing with the kids, it was really nice as always.  I love hikes and the scenery is out of this world.  I'll try to post some pictures later.  We had some family visiting us and we visited some family.  It was really special and there was lots of excitement.  We had lots of good conversations on many subjects but the usual lessons were on hold.  I cooked and cooked and cooked and cooked.  The kids surprised me by liking the healthier things I made as well as the usual favorites.  I think I'll write a separate post on the subject.  Now that all the Pesach things are put away and the excitement and the upheaval dies down, I hope we can get back to our routine and all the things that I put on the back burner until after Pesach.   Yes, Pesach is over.  Now as we count down to Shavuos, it's time to grow and build and push ourselves to new heights and learn and learn and learn.

The goings on

We've been very busy with all the Pesach preparations.  Despite all the chaos and stress, we did have quite a few great family times.  There was a lot of free and imaginative play in between all the cleaning and they even fit a mock wedding in, don't ask.  Academically, we've gotten more on track lately.  The boys are doing very well with the Italics Beautiful Handwriting for Children.  The kids never cease to amaze me, the almost nine year old, who had such a hard time in the past with all things hand-eye coordination related is doing really well and is even motivating himself to move into cursive sooner and then on to calligraphy, thank G-d.  I am very happy with the Math Mammoth worksheets that we are using for math, the kids seem to like them and are understanding and applying the concepts taught.  I bought some student electrical circuit kits.  The boys really enjoyed those, especially the almost nine years old who has discovered his technological/mechanical side lately.  I am hoping to encourage that.  The boys went to the zoo.  They are making progress in their reading as well.  There were lots of discussions about the current events.  Geography is very much part of our daily lives as things come up.  We also had some discussions about various medical matters, mostly terror attack inspired, sigh.  I am hoping to do more formal stuff with the younger set after the holidays.  We had a good coloring session but we were just too busy for anything more involved on the project front.  I am hoping once the holiday is over there will be more time for things like that.  I'd really like to do some drawing lessons with the crew as well.  I feel with everything that is going on personally and nationally, I am constantly in a state of emotional overload.  I am very tired but the kids give me many reasons to smile every day, G-d bless them.  We made some really hilarious home videos of our baby in his jumper thing bouncing up and down to everyone's encouragement. I am sure we'll be playing around more with that.  I love the fact that one can really fit in so much learning even when short on time, even in a course of a very busy life.  I am looking forward to Pesach and right now trying not to get too overwhelmed with everything.  We are having some family visits over the  next week and everyone is very excited.  The kids got a few small things in a shekel store, as well as some new clothes.  I am pleased that it is so simple to make them happy and that all things considered they are really a sweet and unspoiled bunch, B"H.  Chag Kasher v'Someach to all !  I am not sure how much I'll be posting till after Pesach!

A Prayer for Daniel

Yesterday I took the big boys shopping for some clothes and shoes for Pesach.  It was really nice to spend some time with just the two big ones and we were successfull in our quest and B"H found everything we needed fairly easily and the boys were happy and we were all in high spirits.  The shopping center was bustling with all the holiday shoppers and lots of kids were around with one parent or older sibling supervising and keeping the young ones out of the house so all the necessary preparations could take place at home.  So we entered a local clothing store and got to work trying to find a right sized suit for my oldest and then it happened.  There was a sound of a  loud explosion outside.  For a moment everything stopped as tense and worried faces turned towards the door and listened. There was a question mark on every face! Then not hearing any screams or ambulance sirens everyone breathed in relief and returned to the task at hand.  Perhaps it was just a construction related blast or maybe a chefetz chashud (a suspicious object) or...   Thank G-d, a false alarm.  But a week ago when an anti-tank missle slammed into a schoolbus it was no false alarm.  Minutes before the bus driver let off the last of his charges and then it was just him and the son of his family friends, whom he was giving a ride to.  Daniel, 16 was just going to visit his grandmother before the holiday, it was vacation after all.  He never made it there.  Today he is in a deep coma, his condition is extremely grave, having sustained heavy trauma to his head and the rest of his body, there is nothing else modern medicine can do for him.  In short, Daniel needs a miracle.  Daniel is my neighbour's son, his family lives on my block.  This whole week there are many prayers and tehilim being said for him. We all check for updates on his condition.  His family has asked the public here and abroad to pray for their son and do things as a merit for his complete recovery.  So please pray for Rafael Daniel  Ariyeh ben Tamar.  May the same G-d that performed miracles for the Jewish people when he saved us and took us out of Egypt, perform another one and restore Daniel to full health and may it be a truly joyous and miraculous holiday for us all, without it being marred by anguish and pain and terror.

Another Fantastic Pesach Cleaning Idea

I had to post something just before I collapse for the night, it being after 1AM and all.  This link was posted in the comments on Jewishmom.com on how to encourage your kids to help clean for Pesach.  A pre-Pesach treasure hunt, where  little treats are left at the bottom of some predetermined location needing some cleaning.  What  a brilliant idea! Mothers can be so creative!  I think this will definitely get some kids I know excited.  But forget the kids, I can use a treasure hunt like that myself, especially at some unearthly hour:) There, I found something quick and useful to post after all.

Pesach coloring pages

Mercifully the printer has regained its' equilibrium and so here are a few links for some great Pesach coloring pages that we enjoyed.  The kids were all excited and got to work with their crayons, pastels and watercolor pencils.  These are the links to the best Pesach coloring pages that I've found.
Here are three links to coloring pages from Aish.com, chabad.org and Torah Tots.  And here are some really wonderful coloring pages from Akhla that my kids really liked.  Also, here are some more Hagaddah coloring pages plus some rhymes to explain what's happening.  Just right to keep the kids occupied in between the cleaning and shopping, etc. One can also work in some discussions on relevant subjects while the kids are coloring or before or after - history, the meaning of different parts of the Seder, Divine Providence vs. free choice, Antisemitism,  ancient Egypt, etc. Enjoy!

Towards a meaningful Pesach

Pesach preparations are underway here as we get closer and closer to the holiday.  I don't usually start months in advance as some do.  Because with many  little children and my current living quarters, it's just not practical or realistic to do that.  We don't do spring cleaning either, only the necessary cleaning for
Pesach, see Rav Scheinberg's Cleaning list here.  We are starting to do some food and other shopping too.  The kids were enthusiastic about coloring some Pesach coloring pages to decorate the room, if only I could get my printer to work:)  They were very enthusiastic about cleaning. So we turned on some Pesach music - a Children's Village of Jerusalem fundraiser CD from years back and got to it.  The older ones helped, the little ones played and are now learning the words to all the different Haggadah songs as an added bonus.  We love Pesach here and try to make it as beautiful as possible.  Not perfect but enjoyable and meaningful,  I hope.  As always we try to keep it simple. I don't think any major Pesach projects are going to happen this year.  There is just too much going on, but one never knows.  I also try to get something every year to make the Seder more beautiful, a new table cloth or napking rings or something for the table.  This year I got some new couch covers, we needed some anyway and it will make the room look more royal for the Seder.  The kids already put in requests for favorite Pesach delicacies.  I don't mind getting new illustrated Hagaddahs for the kids, over the years we acquired some really beautiful ones and it makes things come alive for the children and makes the Seder more meaningful for them and us. I am looking forward to looking at the whole collection once we bring out all the Pesach things.   I finally sat down with the little ones and we went through the Artscroll Illustrated Haggadah with them, explaining all the different parts of the Seder, speaking about the pictures, singing the different songs, etc.  I worried if I managed to get in as much information as I wanted and if I got the right ideas across.  But then, I listened to Reb. Tziporah Hellers lectures on how to make Pesach meaningful for children(see bottom of post) and even though my presentation wasn't quite as dramatic as her's,  based on what my daughter said I could tell that the message of that G-d was there and that He cared and that He is stronger than our oppressors and can do anything and that in the end there is justice( listen to the lectures for more on the subject) did get through.  In general, I found the experience of going through the Hagaddah with the children very moving as some parts really spoke to me like never before.  The messages were really timely too.  That's the beauty of the Seder, discovering new layers of meaning year after year in the familiar words and rituals.  I am sure things will continue to be very busy and at times chaotic and stressful but then there will be excitement as we put away the regular dishes and bring out all the pesach boxes and I hope there will be joy and meaning and freedom and redemption as we celebrate this important holiday. Chag Kasher V'Sameach!!!

Some Pesach(Passover) inspiration

Here is an excellent article from Sara Yocheved Rigler putting the suffering and redemption intertwined in the of Pesach (Passover) story into perspective.  Very timely too, considering all the goings on in the world vis-a-vis the Jews.

Crafts: A lunch bag

I've been eying this oilcloth project for a while and it just occurred to me that it might be a good and useful project for this pre-Pesach period, when everyone is cleaning and it would be very nice indeed to send the kiddos out with one of these while one tries to chase the leaven out of the house.  So here is a whole lovely round-up of lunch bags from Whipup.net to go and make, if one has time and inclination at this busy, busy junction:)