We're not in Vacationland. But it's sort of like Vacationland. It's called Mom & Dad's.

Again, through the magic of the internet, I'm not even here. I'm visiting at my parents. Here's my baby nephew, isn't he the cutest?!?!?

Here's my boy skiing. I skied too, but luckily there wasn't a picture, because I wore purple snow pants and just missed looking like a giant grape by half of an outfit.My Sweet Pea went back to the hospital, but I didn't even manage a picture this time. It was asthma, and don't worry - she's doing well.

In lieu of an asthma picture, I offer these people we saw in Houston right before we left, bundled nice and warm against the cold:It was in the high 50s/low 60s mind you.

I also have this one sign I saw while skating last week:I mean, I try NEVER to leave money on shelves. But there wasn't even a shelf. There were some cubby type things nearby, but no shelf. So that makes it way easier to comply.

Have a great New Year everyone!!!!!

Satan Controls All Fun. I didn't actually decide that. I saw it on a church sign today.

As I type this it's a few days before Christmas and the temperature is in the 80s. Still, Houstonians make a valiant effort, don't they?

If that's not enough to fill you with holiday cheer, I don't know what is!

Maybe the depths of despair would be more up your alley? Speaking of which, I saw this on my way to bring the kids to school:
Just in case you missed it, that would be:
Really?!?!?! ALL fun?!?!? Like, even wholesome fun like playing catch? What about baseball?

Does Satan control board games? What about those big inflatable play things that kids bounce around in?But maybe Satan SHOULD control those big, inflatable play things that kids get into a bounce around. SOMEBODY has to make sure that the big kids don't all go in at the same time and trample the little kids.

I'm actually kind of surprised there wasn't a stampede to attend that church such that I couldn't even get a photo...

At any rate, in case I don't get to post again before New Years (especially if I get smote and all from making fun of a church sign) have a great Christmas and New Years too! Most importantly, try not to let Satan control all your fun!

This Shin is Done Dug

We've had about all the shin digs a body can stand in the past couple few months. Thanks to everyone for my boy's bar mitzvah! Thanks to people who don't like to speak in front of crowds but who still read stuff, especially if they read it in a language they didn't know.
  Thanks to my cousin for calling me before the break of dawn to make sure the music was perfect!


Thanks to Older Gal for pitching in whenever and however she could. Thanks to people who drove and flew incredible distances to be here, and to people who came even though they just got out of the hospital (and thanks for these party pictures too Debbie)! Thanks to my sister-in-law who took sole care of my baby nephew and withstood computer problems and other storm and strife just so my brother and older nephews could come. Thanks to my other cousin for holding up the Torah even though I forgot he just had back surgery. Thanks to people who came short distances, but had to fight galleria traffic to get to the party location or drive in the dark on Friday night. Thanks to my coteacher for not complaining even though I had to use each and every classroom break to make phone calls. Thanks to all my coworkers. Even though I just invited people I work with directly, I truly wish it could have been all the teachers. Thanks to my Sweet Pea for trailblazing and for helping her brother out all she could. And thanks to my other cousin for reassuring me that it's perfectly normal to discover people I should have invited every time I turn around. Thanks to my cousins and relatives and friends who wished they could be there but couldn't. Thanks to friends who did stuff to help, and friends who offered to help.Thanks to Mom and Dad who always do everything they can to make everything better and thanks to my brother for coming to Houston (premier vacation spot that it is) twice in six months. Thanks to all my boy's teachers and the rabbi and the cantor and the gabbai and everyone at the synagogue. And thanks to The-Guy for being my strength when I didn't have any. Thanks of course to anyone who read this far and everyone for everything, especially in this crazy holiday filled month.More pictures to come!

The Iternet is Magical. I look like I'm here, but really I'll be back tomorrow or Monday.

If all goes as planned, I'm not actually posting this right now, I'm listening to my boy read Torah!Except, hopefully he's wearing a suit instead of Christmas colors. At least that's the plan anyway. You know, the plans I've had more than two years to make, but decided to pack into two and half weeks instead?

At any rate happy birthday to my boy! He's thirteen today, on his bar mitzvah day!!!!

I hope everyone had a great week and has a great weekend and I will catch up with everyone because VACATION!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

Jill

I have six papers due plus my boy's bar mitzvah all in the next eight days. So how can I really be expected to think up a decent title I ask you?!?

When I mentioned my need to learn to plan a bar mitzvah in two and a half weeks, my friend Beth came up with this helpful hint:

I think first and foremost, you give everyone the wrong time and then print up correction postcards and forget to mail them. Isn't that the way you do it?

And that is exactly, exactly what I did!!!! So I'm good there.

But I'm not the only one working hard on this event. My boy has been studying practically since he was born. The-Guy is acting as his personal postman. Older Gal is tempering our bad moods with baked goods.

And of course my Sweet Pea is doing her darndest to free up beds for relatives. She does this by making herself at home (as usual) in the ER. (A door closed on her foot, but don't worry, she's fine):Even the good for nothing cat is pulling his weight, by reminding us that you should not forget to stop and smell the roses.
Eat some too. They're delicious.

And when you're done, feel free to drink some of the water from the vase. 'Cause all those rose petals make a body very thirsty. Apparently.
Plus, the roses are decimated anyway, so how much water could they really need?

Hope everyone has had a nice week! Thank you for the good thoughts for my friend - it will still be a long road, but so far so good!!

How to Plan a Bar Mitzvah in Two and a Half Weeks

I don't actually know how to plan a bar mitzvah in two and a half weeks, but I'm trying to learn. If I get any worthwhile experience, I'll pass it on. Come to think of it, I have a day less than two weeks now.

There's just not another way to describe this week besides "bad". A good friend of my parents passed away unexpectedly and a good friend of mine discovered a very serious health condition.

Here she is all happy and dancing at the wedding. She's in black, I'm in the makeshift wedding dress, and my other friend is in greenish-yellowish and black, and they're both of them the best friends a person could ever want:But she made it through what more or less amounts to brain surgery, so even though it's Chanukah, it's actually a second Thanksgiving.

So happy (C)han(n)uk(k)a(h) people! That's how my friend/coworker has decided it should be spelled and I completely agree. And happy second Thanksgiving too!