A Washington D.C. Upper NW Jewish soccer mom relates tales from the trenches of sibling battles, preschool parking lot wars and thoughts on parenting.noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Wed, 25 Sep 2024 01:06:10 -0400Blogger http://www.blogger.com82125http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/en-ushttp://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2009/03/goodbye-for-now.htmlMon, 30 Mar 2009 20:07:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-8930217784989500923I am sure most of you have guessed by now, but I have taken a hiatus from the parenting blog to focus on my fiction writing.I am happy to report I am gaining some traction with my work and will let you know more when I know more.Ta ta for now!Linda1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/06/happiest-place-on-earth.htmlbeardsDisney Worldsummer campWed, 18 Jun 2008 21:44:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-7237218595984713996Since the last time I posted a month ago, Nate graduated preschool, my basement flooded causing serious mold, and we took the kids to Disney World for a whole week. And the only thing, I really want to share is that Jacob asked Matt, "When I'm a grown-up will the hair on my head grow out of my face, too?"He is SO fuuny, especially when he doesn't try. When he does try he uproarious also.Both 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/05/mothers-day-nice-version.htmlSun, 11 May 2008 20:50:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-7113082442621701836In my rant below, I neglected to mention that my boys gave me lovely, handmade pieces of jewlery. I proudly wore both large pins on my blouse today. Now, objectively, I could look at each pin and recognize that they are no David Yurman pieces, but to me, they were the most beautiful treasures in the world.Too special to wear just any day. So I will pull them out just once a year on Mother's day1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/05/happy-moms-day.htmlMothers DaySun, 11 May 2008 20:08:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6657713161249717171Aaaah, Mother's day again. A day to lie in bed, have breakfast delivered on a tray with a rose, and get pampered all day. Oh, wait, that's on TV, not my life. Got my usual 6:30 wake up, everyone snuggled in bed till after 7. Nice. Shuffled downstairs to make breakfast.Matt- totally jetlagged and in severe back pain. I let him sleep in.Got downstairs to see that the house was a disaster 1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-earth-day.htmlTue, 22 Apr 2008 09:58:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-4049913506340190776My family's gone green this year. Some of you may think we're trying to be trendy and jump on the bandwagon. I say great, let's all be trendy and jump on this bandwagon together- much better than the skinny-jean bandwagon.Jacob's happy about going green, because green is his 'favoritist' color. Not to say we've gone Ed Begley-vegetable oil-powered car- green, but, we've made a few small changes 1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/04/im-not-saying-this-aloud-but.htmlTue, 8 Apr 2008 22:31:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6754911953384094436I am whispering this in case Jacob hears and gets the wrong idea. For the last 3 days, he has not gone in his diaper and uses the potty all by himself! The key with Jacob is that he has to be in control. As soon as I showed him how to pee standing up and left him alone in the bathroom and to go whenever he chose- he is being really good about going. As soon as I remind him or ask him if he 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/04/horrible-parenting-spotted-at-potbelly.htmlSun, 6 Apr 2008 20:29:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-3852259356402069202I would desperately love to point the finger at someone else's parenting, but I'm afraid Matt and I get all the credit for the worst 15 minutes in parenting we've done in a while. Granted, everything is relative- our children were not physically abused, left alone or mauled by wild animals due to our negligence. So in perspective, it's really not totally horrible- just mildly embarassing.On 2Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/03/busy-little-bees.htmlWed, 26 Mar 2008 13:57:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1476961415735459678I hate the whole concept of overscheduled kids. Childhood should be playing outside, building forts out of every chair and sheet in your house and just hanging out. In fact, NPRrecently ran an article about free play for children. See it herehttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514So, with all this, I managed to undo 5 years of hanging out in one semester. Currently, my 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/03/story-retirement.htmlSun, 23 Mar 2008 11:21:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-3940152231681213457The other night I went out for drinks with some other mom friends. I found myself telling a funny anecdote and had some deja vu. The story is pretty funny, so I've toldit often in the past few years. My friends around the table politely laughed- even though they may have heard the story before.So, this is my call to myself and others. Retire the story. Yep- tell it one last time, then make a0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/03/ive-got-vomit.htmlWed, 5 Mar 2008 16:22:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-3595291336742866429Welcome to my little corner of Hell. Friday night I felt a bit nauseated. Saturday morning, nausea turned into full fledged vomit. It is now Wednesday, and I am only just beginning to hold down solid food.Thank goodness for family, specifically my mother in law, who showed up fearlessly (the threat of vomit contaigion was strong) and took care of the boys. Despite the hours she put in, I 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2008/02/when-words-come-back-to-bite-you-in-ass.htmlTue, 12 Feb 2008 11:00:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6623655380631040297This past week I have had a few conversations that have come back to bite me in the ass. A new babysitter came to watch the boys Sunday evening. When we arrived home, she complimented us by telling me the boys stayed so nicely in their beds. She'd was not used to kids staying in their beds.Of course I shrugged it off by joking that we trained them by using shock therapy. Inwardly, I was smug.1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/12/making-grade.htmlThu, 27 Dec 2007 21:03:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6189188398879115286Do you ever have those days when you feel you are swimming against the current and slipping further and further from your destination? I am having one of those weeks, possibly months. The problem is that Alpha parenting Bobo style comes with a lot of rules and rigamarole. I seem to be missing all the baselines.-4 servings of vegetables per day? not even close. Do green apple jacks count?1 hour2Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/still-fuming-in-dc.htmlMon, 26 Nov 2007 19:45:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-2832302563094947360We got back from Barcelona last week and headed straight to Miami for Thanksgiving where we spent the last week. I will highlight more about our Barcelona trip, but now I need to write about an incident that happened today at the airport.Jacob and I sat down on the floor in an open space by the gate of our airplane this morning. There were no seats left and a nice big open space by the window 1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/easy-day-in-barcelona.htmlWed, 14 Nov 2007 17:31:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-7299387797548435672We took it easy today and stayed in pjs for brunch in the apartment. Everyone needed a day respite from our hectic touring schedule. Around noon, we headed to a playground a few blocks from our apartment. The boys played for an hour, while we chatted it up with another American family on holiday from an army base in Germany. Nate was delighted to have an english-speaking playmate.After the 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/days-5-7-in-barcelona.htmlTue, 13 Nov 2007 16:13:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-4499971489833195621Matt started Tech Ed so he has been escaping with the laptop before I wake up and returning after we sleep, so blogging has been on hiatus. He got back early tonight so here goes.I can't remember where we left off, but on Sunday we took the Bus Turistic up to Parc Guell, a Gaudi fantasy. The boys wanted more hiking, but they loved the mosaic Salamander fountain. It was a lovely day, and the 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/day-4-in-barcelona.htmlFri, 9 Nov 2007 16:24:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-2271153680904515259The jet lag is wearing off, and the fun is beginning. We took a tour bus up a hill to Montjuic today. Some believe the juic in the word stems from the ancient Catalan word for Jew. Makes sense, as there is an ancient Jewish cemetary up there.We stopped at the Fundicion Joan Miro. The boys played in the sculpture garden then Nate and Grandma toured the art with sketch pads and colored pencils 1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/hola-from-barcelona.htmlWed, 7 Nov 2007 17:30:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1180063106934066811I am posting today from Barcelona! On Monday, Matt, Nate, Jacob, my parents and I hopped on a plane (ok, 3 planes) and flew to Barcelona where we wil stay for 10 days. The boys were marvelous on the plane. It was a night flight, and they played for an hour or so then fell asleep for the rest of the flight.Now that we are here, I am rethinking the whole trip. Jacob is not handling jet lag well2Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/11/brows.htmlThu, 1 Nov 2007 14:50:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-3890671685106289736I can't stop looking in the mirror; embarrassing but true. A few weeks ago, I was getting a bikini wax before my Costa Rica Trip. I confessed to the aesthetician I had never waxed, shaped, plucked or in anyway touched my eyebrows. Silence filled the room for a few seconds, then she roughly pushed my head back on the table and got busy with her tweezers.Ten minutes and a few tears later, she 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/10/got-milk.htmlTue, 9 Oct 2007 21:04:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-7605151990296516343This little anecdote should really go on my friend of a friend's blog, Mamma Knows Breast, but its going on mine. So Hah!Last night while reading bedtime stories, Jacob reached over and put his hand down the collar of my shirt to squeeze my breast. Before I could stop him, he removed his hand and announced, "Mmmm, I want some milk!" Then he made his little fist into a cup and pretended to 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/10/even-best-laid-plans.htmlSun, 7 Oct 2007 21:20:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-5932996502965557110If any of you were at Imagination Stage today for the 12:30 production of Jungle Book, the shrieking, crying kid was mine. Matt is out of town (surprise surprise) so I decided to treat the boys to a day at the theater seeing the Jungle Book. Nate is really into the jungle, so I figured it would be a great first play.Well, I was right about Nate. He was excited and so happy when the show began.2Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/09/soccer-mom-goes-shopping.htmlsex toysslipped discMon, 10 Sep 2007 21:29:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6803745636539936388Other possible titles for this blog include:-I would do anything for love, and I will do that-The Girl Next Door-A little bit of Naughty in Nice BethesdaAs some of you may know, Matt (my hubbie) has a slipped disc. He is more or less bed-ridden unless he is on a red-eye to Redmond. Today his doctor recommended a special wedge pillow to alleviate some of the pressure in his lower back. One might 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/09/catch-up.htmlWed, 5 Sep 2007 20:14:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-2620112391579560854First I'm gonna whine a bit. I'd like to have a really good excuse for not blogging in the last month, but I dont. Let's just say camp ended, my babysitter left town and Matt took an endless business trip. By the time night rolled around, I was too tired to blog. I spent the evening surfing my TIVO and working on my book. Yes, you read correctly, my book. For the last few months I have been 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/07/no-harry-potter-spoilers-i-promise.htmlHarry PottermaturityTue, 24 Jul 2007 13:35:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-8191824019094632770It would be remiss of me not to mention the major event of the last week, since many of you know me to be a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Of course I finished it within 12 hours of its release, but I promise, no spoilers. The release of Deathly Hallows was a large event, in part because it caused many fans to reflect on the last ten years of their life since the first book came out. (or whenever they 0Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/07/office-politics.htmlTue, 17 Jul 2007 22:52:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-2387076614816642503Gossip seems to be human nature. In sixth grade it's all about who likes each other. In eleventh grade, it's who slept with each other. Same goes for college. When you graduate to an office environment, bed-partners remains a top subject, but in the interest of professionalism, much discussion occurs about work-place politics. Cubicle placement, firings, hirings, promotions etc... all come 2Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)http://uppernwmom.blogspot.com/2007/07/can-4-year-old-be-sexist.htmlTue, 10 Jul 2007 21:53:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-6053843941924850133I am not sure whether it is developmental or a precursor of things to come, but Nate has become a bit of a sexist pig lately. For example, today he announced, "Boys are faster runners than girls." When discussing his upcoming birthday party, he is quite clear that he wants no "girl" things in the goody bags. "Nothing pink or princess!," he announced with disdain dripping from each syllable 1Your (optional) podcast author email address (LHeller)