We are about to start week 3 of complete bed rest for Rebecca. Today starts week 37 in this pregnancy. She goes to the hosp. every other day for a non stress test and blood work. The Dr. would like to hold out until week 40 if she can. Becca is trying really hard to be pleasant and put on a happy face. It's hard for her. Miss Mim and The Dude are doing ok. Becca is telling them that Mommy is "sick" and will get better soon. It's a balancing act between what is best for the baby and for the Mommy. So we wait. I am doing everything I can to help their little family maintain their routine. The kids get to school and get picked up. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are made. They get lots of hugs and play time. Bed time stories are read. Jason and I are getting the laundry done. Other household tasks are getting done. Jason has been working from home as much as he can. He lets the kids play in his office when he is in there and he plays with them every chance he gets. And so we wait.

We are about 1 month from the arrival of our new grandson. He is doing well but, Mommy isn't. She is on complete bed-rest. It's been about a week and she is going stir crazy. The little guy needs to cook for another month and then everything should be ok.

I can't believe it. I am finally able to get back into this site. As I am sure you know, I have not posted here since July. The reason being I was not able to get on the site. None of my pass words worked. It was crazy! I finally got it figured out. So, now I am back (I hope)

As you can see someone is happy.

Well maybe two little people. ;) I have been doing a fair bit of traveling lately. I have been west as far as Idaho an as far east as Cape Cod. I have met some wonderful cousins I never knew I had.

And some cousins I have known for years.

I got to see some old friends too. But, most of all I am glad to be home.

I haven't posted here for a while because I could not get into the site. BuT, yesterday my password worked again for some strange reason. So I posted to this blog and put up some pictures. But this morning they are not here. I am, to say the least, confused. If you still read this blog and saw yesterdays post please let me know. You could even say hi if you are still reading this blog. That way I'll know who is still here. Thanks!

We had a wonderful 4th of July. Miss Mim and the Dude rode their balance bikes in our local parade. They were so cute. It was so hot the fire dept. opened up a hydrant to spray the kids down. (pics to follow, when I figure it out again) In the afternoon we went to a cookout at daughter #2's house. It was great. But, I must thank G-d for air conditioning. It hit 102f. Today is going to be hotter. These days it's air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned where ever and then reverse the process. I know how the wicked witch in the wizard of oz felt. We are "melting".

In honor of Fathers Day

It's Fathers Day. Hard to believe we are half way through another year. Time moves so quickly, at least for me. I remember my mother telling me that the older she got, the faster time seemed to pass. I don't believer her back then. Now I know how right she was.So, in honor of Fathers Day.... A couple of pics. These are some of my favs The program won't let me add any more pics. So enjoy these. More later

I have been looking back at how much Miss Mim and The Dude have grown.

These are Miss Mim. Below are The Dude.

They are the most amazing people. And, soon they will be joined by another little one. Just the thought of that thrills me. My life has taken so many twists and turns, some good some bad. They have made me who I am. Thank you to all the people I love. You are the joys in my life.

I have sadly come to the conclusion that some people feel they have the right to say anything they want to online. I don't always agree with everything I see on the internet, but I try to be respectful. I know this is not news. But today I have hit my limit with disrespectful, rude people. I have given these people chance after chance to just be nice. But, from today forward, if you continue to be rude, unkind or disrespectful to me or anyone who writes on my facebook page, blog or any of my other social networking sites I will no longer be excepting anything you send. I understand you have the right to say what you want in a free society, but not on my pages. I also understand that every once in a while we will disagree. That is fine. I refer to the people who must always correct, or put down everyone. ENOUGH!!!!

This is where I would like to be right now. Somewhere out at sea, enjoying a tropical drink and relaxing. It has been a hard few days. Our house is back to ourselves. But, with memorial services, wakes and funerals it's been busy. We have had house guests too. This week we have two fiber shows to do. Thankfully everything was dyed before our guests arrived. So now there is only the packing up to do. These two shows are "summer camp for knitters". We went last year and did very well. This year with all the new yarns I am hopeful we will do well again. Our yarn/ fiber show season is off to a great start.

A great man is gone.

Yes we have lost another. This time my husbands Uncle George.

His obituary says he was 92 years old. He served in WWII. He was a pilot who flew the China-Burma-India theater. And, he retired as a Lt. Colonel.

It really doesn't tell you much. It doesn't tell you what a joy he was to be around. Or, how he had a clean joke for every occasion.

It doesn't tell you how, when the wife of the leader of China came to the U.S. and spoke at the Univ. of Mich., she asked "Who will save China?" This was at the start of WWII. Uncle George jumped up from his seat to volunteer.

It doesn't say that he was at the Univ. of Mich. on a tennis scholarship and a real party boy for the times.

It doesn't tell you he was part of the famous unit "The Flying Tigers" or that he flew the infamous "Burma Hump".

His obit mentions only a few of the medals he earned. It doesn't tell you what a caring man he was. It doesn't tell you he continued to play tennis well into his 80s.

There is so very much more to this wonderful man's life, I could go on and on.
But, I am just beginning to understand something.

I have had the pleasure and the honor of knowing some amazing people in my life. And if I have learned one thing from this wonderful man it is: To look to the future. It is all well and good to remember the past. But,you can not change it. You can use it to help you build your own future.

A dear dear friend

How do you say goodby to someone who has been your friend for more than 25 years? I guess you start with Thank You.

When I met Eva I was a young mother and she was a Grandmother. I was busy with all the things invoved with day to day life. With making sure my children were fed, clothed and of course polite to adults.

Eva had raised her children and was so relaxed and calm around mine. I couldn't help wondering if she knew something I didn't. And of course she did. She knew so many things I did not.

Eva knew that with age come wisdom. She also knew that things can be replaced, people can not.

She showed me that cancer is not a death sentence even if it is scary. She showed me that cancer can come back and you can get through that too. She also taught me that I can be too helpful. (Something I am still working on)

She taught me that people can still be friends even if they haven't spoken in years.

Eva taught me how to grandparent. She "adopted" my children because her's were so far away. She had time for my
children even when their own grandparents did not. She showed me that "right now" is the only time that there is for a small child. And that a hug from "Grandma Eva " was the best!

She was loved by everyone who knew her. Her quiet strenght inspired many people.

Today I heard Eva passed away. I haven't spoken to her in a couple of years. For that I am really sorry. I will miss you dear friend. May you rest in peace.

I will think of you every time I light Shabat candles. Because that is how we met, in a room filled with Shabat candles.

Passover is here

I am up to my eyeballs in Passover prep. I know many of you don't know what that means. Basically it means everything in the house must be cleaned.I mean everything! This goes beyond normal spring cleaning. The entire house must be made free of anything that has a leaving agent.Every nook and cranny cleaned. Nothing that has any potential of having flour for example. If a particle of dust can be there it must be cleaned. The entire kitchen has to be cleaned from ceiling to floorboards. Dishes need to be changed.(Kosher for passover) Shelves cleaned and paper changed.Food must be thrown out or sold so there is nothing that has ever come in contact with a leaving agent in in the kitchen. It is a real complete change over. Add to that cooking of food for two Seders needs to be done.

Since the Seders are not at my house I don't have to do all the cooking. Both of our daughters do their share. One daughter is hosting both Seders and it really makes things easier. I am making two sponge cakes, a chocolate dessert, Matza balls for 35 people (I think) Gifilta fish for the same number. I also get to do the potatoes for one night. And lets not forget the Seder Plate, my job as well.

Everything else is being made by our daughters. So lets take a look at a menu.

Hard boiled eggs
Chopped liver and mock chopped liver
Gifilta Fish
Chicken soup with matza balls
Turkey (1st night) Prime Rib (2nd night)
vegetable
potatoes
dessert

It's a five course dinner and we do it for two nights. It's a lot to do. Passover is only a week. But by the end I am so ready for pasta and bread I can't stand it.

So, Happy Passover everyone. The first Seder is tomorrow night. I still have lots to do. Hubby is helpful and that is a major plus. Off to cooking I go. ;)

There is big news brewing around here. I can't tell you yet, but it's big.


The Dude has come a long way with his speech. He is now using 3 and 4 word sentences.
That is awesome. Every day he has new words. He also doesn't sign as much now that he has words. He is a total manipulator though. Today he went to help himself to a fifth cookie. He decided that he could get away with it if he brought one for me too. (It worked)

Miss Mim now hears everything you say and then repeats it back or asks questions about what you said. I called something a "Monster Problem" and she wanted to know what that meant. I explained it to her. I am so glad I didn't say something else. Yhey are growing up so fast.

I am really enjoying being a grandparent. I am so luck they live close by and I get to see them so often.

I spent part of yesterday at MSI (the Museum of Science and Industry). I got to preview a new exhibit. WOW!!!! I also got to spend some time with Hubby and our daughter. It was a great day.

Being a science geek and hanging with other science geeks can really be fun.

But, what really amazed me was spending time with the little girl we raised and seeing the woman she has become. Don't get me wrong, I see her all the time. Yesterday I had the chance to see her in a different situation than we are normally in. I got to see her as I really have not before. I have worked with her professionally,interacted with her as an adult, fought with her and seen her in any number of ways. But yesterday she was an adult being a kid again. (So was I.) She is an amazing woman. I can't explain it, but yesterday was different. It was a wonderful day!

Where Have I been?

Ok everyone. I have heard you! I don't update here very often. Once again I have not posted here for a while. As always there has been a lot going on.

Lets start with the little ones. Miss Mim has turned 4. She had a wild week to celebrate her birthday. She had a preschool birthday party, a friends birthday party, a family birthday party and Our Annual Hanukkah Party all in the same week. Poor kid didn't know what hit her. There were gifts coming out her ears. Of course Hanukkah starting that week put everyone on gift over load.

Not to be out done, The Dude has turned 3. He had a party at each of his
preschools, a joint friends party with another little boy and a family birthday party.

I have also started a new business. I am now an Educational Advocate. I work with parents and help them navigate through the public school special education bureaucracy. So far I am working with 3 families.

Froebe Fibers is still going strong. We just had our best show ever. This month will be spent dying yarn, knitting samples, and designing. Next month we have 3 shows. That will keep us busy.

Everyone else is doing fine and is healthy. There are a couple of things in the works that I can't tell you about. But, I will as soon as I am released from my vow of secrecy.

Stay tuned in. There will be more.

It's a New Year, full of hopes and dreams, annd maybe just a littl fear.
My grandson turns 3 next month. That is a joyful time. But, it is also scarey. You see he has a speech delay problem. Right now he is working with a wonderful speech therapist. She is great with him an cares about him almost as much as I do. But, when he turns 3 he falls under the realm of the local school district for his speech needs.
Having been a teacher working in the public schools, I know what he is about to face. Public schools have Special Education programs ( which he will fall into) which don't really serve children like him. At best, he will be placed in a preschool class with 20 other children with a host of mental and physical problems. There he will get half an hour of speech therapy once or twice a week.
There isn't a problem with the size of the class. He just isn't in need of being in a special ed classroom. What is recomended for a child with his speech delay is one hour of speech therapy 3 to 5 times a week. He has no delays in any area other than speech. So, he will be in a class where the children are learning skills he has already mastered. And he will become bored IN PRESCHOOL.
There is a second possibility, he can stay in the preschool program he is in ad receive speech therapy for 1/2 hour twice a week. Neither choice is good as far as I am concerned.
As the grandmother, there isn't anything I can do. I have made suggestions to my daughter. She has listened. I give her lots of credit for that. And, I can tell her what the school district should be able to do. But, when she is in the meetings and it's her against the special education team, who has to deal with a budget, there isn't a lot she can do.
They will tell her," these are the programs we have set up." We don't have room for him in the program he needs, we will place him in this more restrictive classroom because of space. We will move him when space opens up." Or they can only provide x number of hours of therapy when he should be getting more.
There is so much BS they will be giving my daughterand she will have to fight. As a regular classroom teacer, I only know part of what special education depts can do. But, I know how they try to get parents to agree with their "plan" even if it's not the best for the child. They justify it by saying these are the programs they have or they have limited funds or some other lame excuse.
My grandson is a happy outgoing child. The least restrictive inviornment for him is to provide him the speech help he needs 5 days a week and place him in a regular education classroom. I hope my daughter can stand up to the pressure the Special Education dept. of the local school dist. is about to apply.

Well I sat on this post for a while. I wasn't sure if I should post it. Things have changed. Not only an I going to help, but I have started a new buisness to help other parents work their way throught the maze of public education. Things do seem to work out.

One of my fondest memories is of my mother baking cookies with my then 2 year old daughter. They mixed dough from a recipe my Mom knew by heart. As I watched them roll out the dough and cut out the cookies it felt almost like a Norman Rockwell moment. My daughter kneeded her dough, rolled it out, and cut out her shapes. The more she worked the blacker the dough became. I was a little concerned that anyone would eat those cookies. My mother just smiled and sent my little one off to wash her hands in the bathroom. As my litle sweetie turned the corner mom wisked away the dirty cookie tray and replaced it with fresh clean cookies she had cut out and popped them in the oven. The tray my daughter had made was never to be seen again. When the cookies came out of the oven, my daughter was none the wiser and we had wonderful cookies. It all looked so smart and easy. And, beacuse I was expecting our second child any day, watching this wonderful exchange between my mother and daughter gave me chance to relax a little.

Jump forward a number of years. I am now the grandmother of two wonderful children, a girl who just turned four and a boy who is two. The memory of my mother baking with her grandchild is still so sweet that I decided to bake cookies with my grandchildren. I can not pull a sugar cookie recipe from my memory so I did what any modern day grandmother would do. I went to the internet. After a short search I found a recipe that would work. Since the dough needed to be chilled at least an hour, I decided to make the dough the night before. Everything went well. Two batches of dough chilling in the fridge ready for the morning.

Morning came. My daughter and her children were to arrive a about 10:00. At almost ten I get a phone call. The boy is still asleep. He has been woken several times and still can't / won't get up. No problem I say. Let him sleep.come over when he getes up. I decide at this point that the kids will enjoy decorating the cookies so I might as well start baking them and have some ready to go when they arrive. Good thought right? So I start baking. I take out my board and cover it with flour. I have my new rolling pin and the bands that go around it so I can roll the dough to the correct thickness.
( My mom didn't need those). The cookie cutters are out. I have two of each shape we plan to use so there will be no fighting. I take the dough out of the fridge. It is too cold to roll. Maybe that is why the directions said to chill the dough for one hour. I finally get the dough rolled out. Those thickness bands don't work well. I get two trays of cookies cut out. I put one in the oven for eight minutes and the doorbell rings. My family is here. Now I have a dog. She is a very cute boxer who is just a year old. Normally when the grandchildren come over she gets excited but can be controlled. Not today. This dog is so excited that the children can not get into the house. Cookies in the oven, children trying to come in the house and I am trying to restrain 45 lbs of dog while trying to hold the door open. After some yelling for my husband to come help me we get everyone in the house, the dog outside and the first batch of cookies out of the oven with out being burned.
At this point I find out that my daughter was in such a hurry to bring the children over ( not to disappoint me) that the little man hasn' t had breakfast. Everything stops! He needs breakfast. What kind of a Bubbie would I be if I didn't make breakfast. The second batch of cookies comes out of the oven as I scramble up some eggs. (Little man's favorite) After breakfast we are ready to bake cookies. Everyone washes their hands so we don't end up with black cookie dough. My daughter and I roll out dough for both children and show them how to use the cookie cutters. They do a great job. We get most of the dough cut out and leave some for the kids to play with. Time for the little ones to have a break until all the cookies are baked.
I make the icing that will cover half of the cookies and we all wash hands again. The mommy and I frost the cookies while the little ones put sprinkles on top of the frosting. I have been smart here. All of the sprinkles are in little bowls with spoons and each child has their own sided cookie sheet to work on. (Contain the mess as much as possible) The kids sprinkle the cookies. Who knew that blue and red sprinkles would be more popular than all the other colors! They did a good job even if all the sprinkles are on one side of each cookie. Then I spread chocolate frosting on the undecorated half of the cookies and we made sandwich cookies.

The whole process did not seem as easy as when my mother made cookies with my daughter oh so many years ago. I just hope the memory is as sweet for my family as that one is for me.

Doing much better today. I got a good nights sleep. I have a good cup of coffee. (Thanks Jan)
And what I hope will be a quiet day to knit. Still need to work on posting pics.

I spent time with the babies yesterday. That helped my day improve. The "Dude" is really doing well on his talking. He says Bubb eee now and sssss for stop. He says peez for please, Mom ee, Da dee and Mim mim for Miriam. I even got him to say a sentence yesterday. It was one word at a time, but he said "Go to Mommy car". It was great. But Mommy wasn't there to hear it.
You can see how hard he works to get out the words he has. The determination on his little face....

I am so lucky to be able to spend so much time with these little angles. To Evelyn, I wish you were here to, just to get to watch them grow up.

too many things going sideways

Today has been a real pain. Things keep going wrong. Or at least not going the way I expected. I hate days like this.
So, since thingsare gling wrong I am going to try to post a pic nere today.
Well, thatdidn't work either. I think if I can get a pic off theweb I should be able to.load it here. But thjs machine says I have too many windows open. So I will have to fivufe that out before I try again.

After that wonderful post about knitting I haven't touched my knitting at all. I have dyed yarn, cleaned house, grocery shopped and done a million other things. But no knitting. On small business saturday I bought some great sock yarn. But it isn't getting cast on. I am afraid it will end up in the stash and be forgotten. (Like so many other skeins)
Today I have tons of cooking todo because everyone is coming here for Shabbat dinner. The Mommy and Daddy people have an office party to go to. So the rest of the clan will be here.

Menu

Soup
Prime Rib
Double Baked potatoes
Some veggie
Challah
Babka for dessert

Everything made from scratch by me today. I really do love cooking and baking. So I am off to start. Have a great day everyone.