My husband came home.
Good timing.
Aaron had just come back from picking up his cap and gown, and I wanted to let Larry know that we will be having company for dinner.
I ask Esther, “Where is Daddy?”
“He went to his bedroom.”I head down the hallway, toward s the bedrooms, and call out, “Hey, Good Looking!”
And Aaron, from his room, yells, “Yes, Mom?”
Those new hearing aids must work pretty well.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Story of teh Day 5/ 21/ 2009
Aaron went to pick up his cap and gown.
He, and Esther and Sarah had the car packed and ready for their trip to St. Louis, but today is cap and gown pick up day and he had to do this before they could leave.
So, Aaron went to pick up his cap and gown.
Esther’s phone rang. It was Aaron.
“Mom!”
Did they lose his cap and gown?
“Aaron said that Ethan said they are coming for dinner tonight!”
“They are?”“Well are they?”
No. I mean , I don’t’ know. I mean, did I invite them? If I had, I would have written it down.
If I had, and it was Shabbat, and I couldn’t’ write it down, I would have told Larry to remind me. And then he would have reminded me, Motzi Shabbat, and I would have written it down.
I mean, I think I would have.
“I don’t’ think so. I mean maybe no, But I don’t’ know.”
A very pregnant pause.
“I’ll have to get more food.”
This, normally wouldn’t happen. Not the not being sure about something, but the problem over the food.
We eat like pigs.
Nehama once told me, in surprise, “You each eat more than three people!”
None of us has a real weight problem. I am the chubby one- 10 lbs overweight, which I wasn’t, back then, and no one else is even 5 lbs overweight- so when a friend whose family is mostly chubby says that….well, it wasn’t a compliment. But, I must admit, it is true.
But the good part is that when I cook, I cook PLENTY- so company is not a problem, even unexpected company.
Normally.
But Esther ,Aaron and Sarah were headed out of town for the Memorial Day weekend- and I had figured that Larry and I would eat up a lot of the leftovers, with maybe just a nice salad a fresh side dish………
So, dinner was not the usual extensive spread, and the Stufflebeams- Ethan’s family number 7. Most of whom are hungry teenagers.
That is even worse than a Margolis, appetite -wise.
Okay, at the moment, they only number 6, since Jordan is still at Yeshivah in Israel.
So, what do I do?Panic.
I decide I will run out to Trader Joes and buy some chicken. Sigh, that is solved.
But are they coming?
I dial Stacie. No answer at home.
I call her cell. No answer.
I figure out how much time I need to leave to get the chicken. It will be a snap. Shabbat starts late, this time of year. I have hours.
I call Stacie , again.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Are you coming for dinner?”
“We’re in Memphis.”
Well, they are probably not coming for dinner, that is a few states away.
“Oh, because Aaron saw Ethan, when they were picking up caps and gowns, and Ethan told him that you were coming for dinner…”
“Oh, well, Ethan didn’t’ want to come with us. And the plans we made for him fell through, and he is all right staying at our house for the weekend, but we told him to go to your house for dinner, and get himself up early enough to go to Etz(synagogue) in the morning, so he can eat lunch there.”
And, she had just , in the bustle of getting her large family out of town, not called me.
Which is a total relief-one extra person, and someone I don’t’ even have to do any extra picking up for.
Except he is going to die from boredom, because he will be stuck here with Larry and me, and no Aaron.
And I am not imagining that.
Aaron told me so.
He, and Esther and Sarah had the car packed and ready for their trip to St. Louis, but today is cap and gown pick up day and he had to do this before they could leave.
So, Aaron went to pick up his cap and gown.
Esther’s phone rang. It was Aaron.
“Mom!”
Did they lose his cap and gown?
“Aaron said that Ethan said they are coming for dinner tonight!”
“They are?”“Well are they?”
No. I mean , I don’t’ know. I mean, did I invite them? If I had, I would have written it down.
If I had, and it was Shabbat, and I couldn’t’ write it down, I would have told Larry to remind me. And then he would have reminded me, Motzi Shabbat, and I would have written it down.
I mean, I think I would have.
“I don’t’ think so. I mean maybe no, But I don’t’ know.”
A very pregnant pause.
“I’ll have to get more food.”
This, normally wouldn’t happen. Not the not being sure about something, but the problem over the food.
We eat like pigs.
Nehama once told me, in surprise, “You each eat more than three people!”
None of us has a real weight problem. I am the chubby one- 10 lbs overweight, which I wasn’t, back then, and no one else is even 5 lbs overweight- so when a friend whose family is mostly chubby says that….well, it wasn’t a compliment. But, I must admit, it is true.
But the good part is that when I cook, I cook PLENTY- so company is not a problem, even unexpected company.
Normally.
But Esther ,Aaron and Sarah were headed out of town for the Memorial Day weekend- and I had figured that Larry and I would eat up a lot of the leftovers, with maybe just a nice salad a fresh side dish………
So, dinner was not the usual extensive spread, and the Stufflebeams- Ethan’s family number 7. Most of whom are hungry teenagers.
That is even worse than a Margolis, appetite -wise.
Okay, at the moment, they only number 6, since Jordan is still at Yeshivah in Israel.
So, what do I do?Panic.
I decide I will run out to Trader Joes and buy some chicken. Sigh, that is solved.
But are they coming?
I dial Stacie. No answer at home.
I call her cell. No answer.
I figure out how much time I need to leave to get the chicken. It will be a snap. Shabbat starts late, this time of year. I have hours.
I call Stacie , again.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Are you coming for dinner?”
“We’re in Memphis.”
Well, they are probably not coming for dinner, that is a few states away.
“Oh, because Aaron saw Ethan, when they were picking up caps and gowns, and Ethan told him that you were coming for dinner…”
“Oh, well, Ethan didn’t’ want to come with us. And the plans we made for him fell through, and he is all right staying at our house for the weekend, but we told him to go to your house for dinner, and get himself up early enough to go to Etz(synagogue) in the morning, so he can eat lunch there.”
And, she had just , in the bustle of getting her large family out of town, not called me.
Which is a total relief-one extra person, and someone I don’t’ even have to do any extra picking up for.
Except he is going to die from boredom, because he will be stuck here with Larry and me, and no Aaron.
And I am not imagining that.
Aaron told me so.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Story of teh Day 1/ 9/ 2007 - yes, time went backwards
I had a sobering moment.
I posted the previous Story , and then I realized that the Story it referred to was a pre-Blog Story....yes, from back in the Dark Ages of Man when I still emailed those things out to a group of cringing friends.
Even from 4 states away , I could hear them shudder...okay, feel them shudder, each time they noticed a new one in their inbox.....
Anyhow, this is the Story behind the Story from 5/ 18/ 2009 :
Story of the Day 1/9/07
Yesterday, Sarah came home from school and wanted a snack. I have rules about what you can have for snacks and that the kids have to fix it and clean up after themselves (occasionally I make a treat like muffins, but this is regular routine.)Sarah had gotten home late , because there are a couple of new kids on the bus- so she was very hungry. She asked me if she could make herself some noodles. I said , okay.
Esther comes to talk to me , aghast, 5 mins later. Sarah has washed the dishes in the sink (not even just rinsed them off and set them in the dishwasher) and has scrubbed out the sink with cleanser and rinsed it. Esther asked her why she was doing that, and Sarah told her because she wanted to cook noodles.
Well, the first time I taught her to cook noodles, it was on a Friday. Unless I am working late on Friday, that is my house cleaning day- so, I did that before I showed her how to put water in the pot, boil it, etc. Somehow, she thought that was part of making noodles. (We have two sinks, everyone else just uses the other sink to drain the noodles- but I was just finishing that chore before showing her.)
Anyhow, now I have a nice shiny sink, and it isn't even Friday!
I posted the previous Story , and then I realized that the Story it referred to was a pre-Blog Story....yes, from back in the Dark Ages of Man when I still emailed those things out to a group of cringing friends.
Even from 4 states away , I could hear them shudder...okay, feel them shudder, each time they noticed a new one in their inbox.....
Anyhow, this is the Story behind the Story from 5/ 18/ 2009 :
Story of the Day 1/9/07
Yesterday, Sarah came home from school and wanted a snack. I have rules about what you can have for snacks and that the kids have to fix it and clean up after themselves (occasionally I make a treat like muffins, but this is regular routine.)Sarah had gotten home late , because there are a couple of new kids on the bus- so she was very hungry. She asked me if she could make herself some noodles. I said , okay.
Esther comes to talk to me , aghast, 5 mins later. Sarah has washed the dishes in the sink (not even just rinsed them off and set them in the dishwasher) and has scrubbed out the sink with cleanser and rinsed it. Esther asked her why she was doing that, and Sarah told her because she wanted to cook noodles.
Well, the first time I taught her to cook noodles, it was on a Friday. Unless I am working late on Friday, that is my house cleaning day- so, I did that before I showed her how to put water in the pot, boil it, etc. Somehow, she thought that was part of making noodles. (We have two sinks, everyone else just uses the other sink to drain the noodles- but I was just finishing that chore before showing her.)
Anyhow, now I have a nice shiny sink, and it isn't even Friday!
Story of the Day 5/ 18/ 2009
Esther has been away too long.
“Mom, look what she is doing!”
Esther was surprised to find Sarah cleaning every dish in the kitchen and then meticulously scouring the sink with cleanser.
This is because she wanted to make Ramen noodles.
“Yes?
“She still does that?”
Yes, and she will, forever, since she believes that is how you make Ramen noodles.
And who am I to disabuse her of that notion?
“Mom, look what she is doing!”
Esther was surprised to find Sarah cleaning every dish in the kitchen and then meticulously scouring the sink with cleanser.
This is because she wanted to make Ramen noodles.
“Yes?
“She still does that?”
Yes, and she will, forever, since she believes that is how you make Ramen noodles.
And who am I to disabuse her of that notion?
Story of teh Day 5/ 15/ 2009
Friday evening.
Dinner.
Esther is home from college. A short visit before she takes off to the farm. She is doing a summer internship in organic farming.
We get a lot of interesting looks over that one.
And that is even before we mention the sheep.
Unfortunately, we won't be getting a lot of interesting groceries from it, since she will be all the way out in New York State.
And Kara is home, although only for a few more hours. A brief trip in.
So, we are having a lovely Shabbat dinner.
And Aaron starts explaining to Kara, "I think he was really a not very good hypnotist."
He is talking about Purim. The Lubavitch Community Purim Seudah ( meal) and party we attended after the second Megillah ( Book of Esther) reading.
"At least I think he was lousy, because I couldn't' hear him , because he told me to close my eyes."
Dinner.
Esther is home from college. A short visit before she takes off to the farm. She is doing a summer internship in organic farming.
We get a lot of interesting looks over that one.
And that is even before we mention the sheep.
Unfortunately, we won't be getting a lot of interesting groceries from it, since she will be all the way out in New York State.
And Kara is home, although only for a few more hours. A brief trip in.
So, we are having a lovely Shabbat dinner.
And Aaron starts explaining to Kara, "I think he was really a not very good hypnotist."
He is talking about Purim. The Lubavitch Community Purim Seudah ( meal) and party we attended after the second Megillah ( Book of Esther) reading.
"At least I think he was lousy, because I couldn't' hear him , because he told me to close my eyes."
Story of the Day 5/ 13/ 2009
Listening to Aaron, on the radio, is full of thrills for me. Not just because it causes my heart to go an extra flutter or two, just hearing his voice, but because he is….well, Aaron.
Unpredictable.
Funny.
I mean, how many other students choose to do their newscast about butt-prints?
Last night was no exception.
Although, butt-prints weren’t the topic. The topic was drugs.
Specifically, cocaine.
Aaron had been introducing the songs with his usual eclectic banter. All of the listeners now know which singers he thinks are hot.
He also has his own sense of “place”.
The student station is a mix of rock and hip hop.
So, of course, DJ Deaf ( Not Def, Deaf), chose to start of the evening with Aretha Franklin.
My husband and I spent a lovely evening listening to a wide variety of things, the Beatles, John Mayer, Modest Mouse, as well as some 60’s Motown. Oh yes, and wake me up when September Ends…which is by someone modern, I think, but how would I know…...
We hope the regular listeners found it educational.
But, back to the drugs.
Aaron:
I saw a song called “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton. I go on air and say,
“The computer has a song by Eric Clapton called cocaine. I’ve never heard the song before, but if its called cocaine then it must be good. It probably means that its so good you get addicted to it. I apologize. I am not trying to promote Cocaine. IT is a BAD Drug, and WJEL doesn’t endorse the drug.”
After about 8 or 9 seconds, he stops the song and exclaims, “That wasn’t’ very nice. I didn’t’ realize it said that.”
Aaron adds:
“Wow, that was nothing like Cocaine. Once again WJEL doesn’t endorse the drug! Please do not try cocaine! “
Aaron then puts on a different Eric Clapton song.
Unbeknownst to me, just after this , Aaron got a call from a listener.
The listener asked him, “Are you the silly guy?”
I couldn’t have phrased it better, myself, and I gave birth to him.
And then he told him that he really enjoyed Aaron interruption the song his …..banter, and that this other Eric Clapton song was much better. (“Tears of Heaven”)
Must have been another parent.
Addendum from May 20th ( since this is when Aaron got the corrections to me.)
Meanwhile, apparently the adults who are supposed to be supervising this..well, they haven’t, because no one has said a word.
Unpredictable.
Funny.
I mean, how many other students choose to do their newscast about butt-prints?
Last night was no exception.
Although, butt-prints weren’t the topic. The topic was drugs.
Specifically, cocaine.
Aaron had been introducing the songs with his usual eclectic banter. All of the listeners now know which singers he thinks are hot.
He also has his own sense of “place”.
The student station is a mix of rock and hip hop.
So, of course, DJ Deaf ( Not Def, Deaf), chose to start of the evening with Aretha Franklin.
My husband and I spent a lovely evening listening to a wide variety of things, the Beatles, John Mayer, Modest Mouse, as well as some 60’s Motown. Oh yes, and wake me up when September Ends…which is by someone modern, I think, but how would I know…...
We hope the regular listeners found it educational.
But, back to the drugs.
Aaron:
I saw a song called “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton. I go on air and say,
“The computer has a song by Eric Clapton called cocaine. I’ve never heard the song before, but if its called cocaine then it must be good. It probably means that its so good you get addicted to it. I apologize. I am not trying to promote Cocaine. IT is a BAD Drug, and WJEL doesn’t endorse the drug.”
After about 8 or 9 seconds, he stops the song and exclaims, “That wasn’t’ very nice. I didn’t’ realize it said that.”
Aaron adds:
“Wow, that was nothing like Cocaine. Once again WJEL doesn’t endorse the drug! Please do not try cocaine! “
Aaron then puts on a different Eric Clapton song.
Unbeknownst to me, just after this , Aaron got a call from a listener.
The listener asked him, “Are you the silly guy?”
I couldn’t have phrased it better, myself, and I gave birth to him.
And then he told him that he really enjoyed Aaron interruption the song his …..banter, and that this other Eric Clapton song was much better. (“Tears of Heaven”)
Must have been another parent.
Addendum from May 20th ( since this is when Aaron got the corrections to me.)
Meanwhile, apparently the adults who are supposed to be supervising this..well, they haven’t, because no one has said a word.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Story of teh Day 5/ 8/ 2009
Sarah came and told me that Aaron had stunk up my bathroom.
She volunteered to go get the ionizer from her room and set it up.
We are a family of many air machines. Hepa purifiers, ionizers, you name it. Two to a bedroom.
We do this so that we can breathe in the morning. Not breathing happens to be fatal.
In case you didn't know.
The ionizers don't work well enough on their own, but are a boost for the other air purifiers. And they have a side benefit.
They destroy odors.
My husband opens the door and gives to every shnorer who comes.
The ones from Russia who don't speak much English all smoke like they will die if they dont' have a cigarrette every 5 minutes, when , in fact, they will die if they do.
And even if they are not smoking when you usher them in, the stench hangs on them and their clothes.
And when they sit in the living room, while he gets them checks for whatever they are collecting for, it sinks in. And the smell doesnt' leave, when they do.
So, after a visit from them (and they come one by one, but one after another, till there are 5 or 6 of them on a given day, making their rounds from city to city),we have to pull out one of teh heavy duty ionizers with a fan, and run it for half an hour.
So , while Sarah ran off to get her ionizer, I went to meet her in my bedroom.
Oh my God! It was overpowering.
And that was in the bedroom.
I didnt' dare step foot in the bathroom.
And it told me something else.
You see, this happened just after Aaron left for school.
Aaron must like a girl.
The stench from that men's cologne , however, is making me hope that she's had her adenoids removed.
She volunteered to go get the ionizer from her room and set it up.
We are a family of many air machines. Hepa purifiers, ionizers, you name it. Two to a bedroom.
We do this so that we can breathe in the morning. Not breathing happens to be fatal.
In case you didn't know.
The ionizers don't work well enough on their own, but are a boost for the other air purifiers. And they have a side benefit.
They destroy odors.
My husband opens the door and gives to every shnorer who comes.
The ones from Russia who don't speak much English all smoke like they will die if they dont' have a cigarrette every 5 minutes, when , in fact, they will die if they do.
And even if they are not smoking when you usher them in, the stench hangs on them and their clothes.
And when they sit in the living room, while he gets them checks for whatever they are collecting for, it sinks in. And the smell doesnt' leave, when they do.
So, after a visit from them (and they come one by one, but one after another, till there are 5 or 6 of them on a given day, making their rounds from city to city),we have to pull out one of teh heavy duty ionizers with a fan, and run it for half an hour.
So , while Sarah ran off to get her ionizer, I went to meet her in my bedroom.
Oh my God! It was overpowering.
And that was in the bedroom.
I didnt' dare step foot in the bathroom.
And it told me something else.
You see, this happened just after Aaron left for school.
Aaron must like a girl.
The stench from that men's cologne , however, is making me hope that she's had her adenoids removed.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Story of teh Day 5/ 7/ 2009
Aaron called his boss, this afternoon.
Well, the manager at the movie theater.
A girl ( I think her name is China, but since I don’t’ hear so well, maybe it is Chanel or Cheryl ) who also works at the theater stopped Aaron in the hall, today, and asked if he could work her shift-, this Sunday.
About a month ago, Aaron had told the manager that he couldn’t’ work until school let out.
This came after Aaron started doing really poorly in math, and realized that it really is important to do things like devote some time to studying.
Oddly, until that moment, he thought I was making it up.
He should have known, I am really not all that original.
Anyhow, he was on the phone and he told the manager, “I really can work now, because school is going downhill!”
Oh no!!!!
I frantically started signing to Aaron in the background, but I had to wait until a break in their conversation to tell him, “It’s slowing down, not downhill- downhill makes it sound like you are failing!”
Poor Aaron, and he told it to that manager with such excitement in his voice.
Story of teh Day 5/ 6/ 2009
Sarah has been ill.
Ill as in feverish with no appetite, a headache, and extreme fatigue. Extreme enough that I have started to think of her snoring as normal daytime background noise. Okay, she doesn’t’ snore, most of the time, but you get the idea.
On Monday, she was awake for a grand total of one hour.
That included the time she used peeing, taking Tylenol and moaning.
Oh, and when she sat at the table and didn’t’ drink the tea I made for her.
On Tuesday, yesterday, she was awake for about 3 ½ hours. Only 1 of those hours was before 4 PM.
And she did drink a bit more tea.
She also moaned a bit less.
This morning, she moaned.
A couple of hours later, she got up and ate a waffle. With some tea.
At lunch time, she had a small bowl of mashed potatoes. And some tea.
While she ate her mashed potatoes, we sat at the table in the breakfast room. From there we can look out onto the patio and the back yard.It would have been pretty, except that it was gray and rainy.
Sarah said to me, “It is nice that the grass was mowed, yesterday.”
It took me a moment.
“That was two days ago, on Monday. Today is Wednesday.”
Sarah looked at me as if that simply couldn’t be true.
“Today is Wednesday?”
The unspoken part was , “What happened to Tuesday?” She had somehow realized that she had slept through an entire day, and factored that in. But , she couldn’t understand how she had slept through two of them.
But today is Wednesday. Well, it is for the people who have been awake since Sunday.
I checked the newspaper , to be sure.
Ill as in feverish with no appetite, a headache, and extreme fatigue. Extreme enough that I have started to think of her snoring as normal daytime background noise. Okay, she doesn’t’ snore, most of the time, but you get the idea.
On Monday, she was awake for a grand total of one hour.
That included the time she used peeing, taking Tylenol and moaning.
Oh, and when she sat at the table and didn’t’ drink the tea I made for her.
On Tuesday, yesterday, she was awake for about 3 ½ hours. Only 1 of those hours was before 4 PM.
And she did drink a bit more tea.
She also moaned a bit less.
This morning, she moaned.
A couple of hours later, she got up and ate a waffle. With some tea.
At lunch time, she had a small bowl of mashed potatoes. And some tea.
While she ate her mashed potatoes, we sat at the table in the breakfast room. From there we can look out onto the patio and the back yard.It would have been pretty, except that it was gray and rainy.
Sarah said to me, “It is nice that the grass was mowed, yesterday.”
It took me a moment.
“That was two days ago, on Monday. Today is Wednesday.”
Sarah looked at me as if that simply couldn’t be true.
“Today is Wednesday?”
The unspoken part was , “What happened to Tuesday?” She had somehow realized that she had slept through an entire day, and factored that in. But , she couldn’t understand how she had slept through two of them.
But today is Wednesday. Well, it is for the people who have been awake since Sunday.
I checked the newspaper , to be sure.
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