Mary Tyler Moore Song Inspires Mom
Why is it that every time I carry my groceries in a brown paper bag, I feel like Mary Tyler Moore and start to hum the theme song “Love Is All Around?†There’s something empowering about clutching a sack full of apples, ice cream, a carton of eggs, and Raisin Bran cereal with a stalk of celery and a bouquet of daisies sticking out of the top that makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
So to all you women who have the urge to sing in the supermarket parking lot or toss your headbands in the air when you’re in a crowded street, this one’s for you:
“Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it’s you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don’t you take it
You’re gonna make it after all
You’re gonna make it after all”
‘Mishegas’ Welcomes Mommybloggers. Better Late Than Never.
All these years I thought I had my act together as a mom. After all, my kids appear to be clean (so what’s a little ear wax?), nourished (ketchup is a vegetable, right?), educated (thank goodness for spell check), and appropriately dressed (except for my son’s plaid boxers hanging out of his baggy jeans.)
At age 15 (Jack) and 11 (Sari), neither one has yet to flunk a class, swallow bubblegum, beat up anybody, get a tattoo (at least not that I know of), or been arrested for ding dong ditching in the neighborhood.
Somehow I’ve managed to pull this off while I cook, clean (my husband Scott does the toilets), carpool, and get them to every sporting event, activity, and haircut appointment while in my spare time I try to sneak in a movie with my spouse and keep my career alive as a professional freelance writer. Add to my parenting portfolio—I clean their retainers weekly with Efferdent; I collect glue sticks, eraser tips, and sharpies in every color for last-minute school projects; I make banana bread from scratch; I recycle; I’ve been a room mom for the past 20 years.
Lately, however, I feel like I did when I was in first grade at Weber Elementary School and was one of the last kids to be picked for Red Rover in gym class. Never mind the fact that I created a parenting humor column called “Mishegas of Motherhood†(www.mishegasofmotherhood.com), and one of my stories appeared as a webisode in the online sitcom series “In The Motherhood,†starring Leah Remini. And never mind that the largest Jewish women’s volunteer organization Hadassah booked me as their guest speaker at an upcoming dinner banquet on June 5 at Hilton St. Louis Frontenac.
Where I fall short is keeping up with the tech savvy mommybloggers. When it comes to blogging, I don’t know the difference between a podcast and a peapod. Continue reading
“Mishegas” Interview Featured in Novelist’s Blog
As a journalist, I’m usually the interviewer, but recently I had the golden opportunity to be the interviewee. What writer wouldn’t jump at the chance to talk about herself? It’s kind of like the mom who never appears in any family snapshots because she’s the one behind the camera all the time. Continue reading
Mishegas Mom Prepares to Leave the Nest
I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating lately. In particular, I’m thinking about my column and how much Judaism and parenting go hand in hand. I’m also racking my brain to figure out where I put my cell phone, again. I’ve searched everywhere: my purse, my coat pockets, the key hanger in the laundry room, the front seat of the car, and even in the freezer under the cheese pizza. Seriously, I’ve found car keys in there before. Continue reading
Ring In The New Year With Life Changing Resolutions
As if the holiday season isn’t stressful enough with shopping, baking, decorating, spending, overeating, and overall frivolity, I impose yet another to-do list on myself—New Year’s resolutions. Continue reading
Holiday Mitzvahs Top Wish Lists, at Least for Parents
As the first decade of the new millennium approaches (writers are always looking for a hook), I can’t help but contemplate how the wish lists of my children reflect today’s warped generation. Sari, almost 11, wants a cell phone. I didn’t own one until I was engaged to be married. Jack, a freshman in high school, yearns for Dr. Dre headphones that cost more than my auto insurance deductable.
Parents are to blame for their children’s spoiled behavior, and I’m certainly no exception, especially when it comes to high-tech toys. To start with, we stick our youngsters in front of the computer way too young, while they’re still in diapers, and we practically give them a username and password by the time they get a social security card. No wonder today’s youth have a constant need for stimulation and immediate gratification. When a recent Wal-mart television commercial advertises how Nintendo DS promotes family bonding, the situation is obviously out of control. Continue reading
Being Thankful for Chocolate Is A Blessing
The other day I’m sitting in the vet’s office waiting for Luci to get her vaccines, and I start to feel antsy and bored. A talking parrot imitates the meows of a sick cat, and I’m about to lose my mind. Even Luci paces the room like a prisoner in a jail cell.
It’s times like this when I’m desperate to pass the time in a productive way. The only thing I can think of is to clean out my messy purse. Continue reading
Make No Bones About It—Mitzvah Dogs Help Others
As all of you loyal readers know, “Mitzvot of the Heart†showcases boys and girls who use their unique skills and interests to help others and make a real difference in the community. It’s only fair then to praise our four-legged friends who do their part in making the world a kinder place as well. After all, a dog can perform a variety of good deeds, such as boost confidence in a child who struggles with reading, enable a disabled adult in a wheelchair to push open a door, and offer companionship to a lonely elderly person. It’s about time we give these mitzvah muts their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Continue reading
Blessing of Animals is Howling Success
I can’t imagine life without Luci, my apricot toy poodle who comforts me when she lays across my lap and warms my body and soul like a cashmere blanket, who pulls the sock off my foot and then tries to put it back on, who knows just how to cock her tiny head and peer at me with her chocolate brown eyes to get whatever she wants, who rests her chin on the corner of the Monopoly game board without ever knocking over a hotel piece on Boardwalk. Continue reading