12 things to smile about in 2012

I usually end up adding more to top 10 lists, so I decided to do 12 for 2012. These are the things that made me happy this past year.

1. My daughter's cochlear implant surgeries going so well and the amazing results since then. (She recently said "Abba, more blueberries!")

2. The Big Bang Theory...so many laughs...and still more to catch up on!

3. Making some new friends through Chick Lit Central (or through people I met through it).

4. My BFF's visit this past fall. We had such a great time hanging out and baking pies. (And also getting to see some friends I hadn't seen in a long time...one as long as 13 years.)

5. Jennifer Weiner calling me BY NAME when I went to her book signing (and later mentioning my twitter handle). Also connecting with a girl from my community because of a shared love of books, after seeing her at this signing.

6. Seeing some comedy shows, even though one of the comedians was the same for both shows and did the same act....it was still hilarious!

7. One of my close friends having her first baby.

8. Chick Lit Central reaching over 900 followers.

9. The fun bonding evening with my mom when we went to see Jodi Picoult. (Not only that, but Jodi is an amazing speaker!)

10. Our beautiful, new kitchen that never fails to impress. It was so worth cramming in the corner of our living room and eating out of the microwave for two months.

11. My younger son learning how to read. It's so exciting to see how proud he is when he figures out the words on each page!

For my final choice, I thought I was going to say "FINALLY getting to see the movie of Les Miserables after waiting all year for it to come out." However, I saw it and was moved, but also miffed by a few things. I still think they did a better job of making it a movie than the person who brought Rent to the big screen. However, I don't think I could sit through it more than once. Anyway...drum roll please...

12. Finding out that someone I admire is going to be living in a nearby city for the next four years!

Have a wonderful New Year! May we all have more than 13 things to be happy about in 2013!

THREE YEARS!!!

Happy blogoversary to me! :)

If you're reading this, then the world did NOT end last week. Guess it means we still have to be productive after all.... Still, after hearing Rebbetzin Jungreis tell us we're all doomed, I'm paranoid for what the future holds. :P But at least the Mayan calendar was proven wrong.

This year has been slow in terms of blogging. I think the one thing anchoring me was the blog project. We're going on almost TWO years. I love writing about the different topics and coming up with my own topics every few weeks. We're a fun and diverse group. I do hope to write other posts for this blog, as I remember writing it in so frequently in the past. I even e-mail one of my friends and seem to have a blog post to share with her about almost everything we discuss!

It's also been a hard year for people in different parts of the US. While the events didn't personally affect me, they still left their mark. While I was trying to keep my son from being born on 9/11 (after the fact), ironically enough, a tragic event on a smaller scale took place on my birthday this past year...the shooting at the movie theater in Colorado. Then there was Superstorm Sandy, which we prepared for after we lost power for almost a week in July. Thankfully, our preparations were in vain, but I can't even imagine living the horrors that people did in NY and NJ. I'm hoping that things are coming back together now, but it still sounds like a long road for some. I'm just glad our community reached out to offer their homes and meals for some Shabbat weekends. We signed up too, but our community outreach was so huge that our help wasn't even required. And finally, there was the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I spent most of Christmas (not that I celebrate it) thinking about the families who didn't get to spend it with their children and loved ones because of one horrible act. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

On the positive side of the past year....my daughter's speech development has been flourishing since she got her cochlear implants. She repeats what we say and also sings her favorite songs. It's so cute to hear her talk and definitely something I don't take for granted. Chick Lit Central is flourishing too, with over 900 followers. And we have interviews scheduled through February at this point. Plus, a lot of great books have come my way for 2013. I already enjoyed Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster and The Girl's Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate. I'm excited to read the others waiting on my shelf! I'm currently reading One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, which has given me a great idea for something new to do on my blog. More on that later!

I've made some great new friends this year. Mostly online, but some in person too! One is a debut author, S.B., whom I've gotten to know via e-mail and has become a special part of my life. She's so sweet and easy to talk to. She's also told me about an impact I've made on her life, which means a lot to me. Then there's R.S., another blogger who doesn't live too far from me. We met in person last week and I enjoyed chatting with her. There's also a woman from my community, with whom I connected at the Jennifer Weiner book signing this past summer. I didn't know she liked to read (chick lit, no less) and this new discovery has helped us become better friends. Before, we just said "hi" in passing, but now we e-mail more often and we got together for tea last month. I hope we can hang out again soon. And finally, there's J.D., who not only let me read an early draft of her novel, but also has become a big part of Chick Lit Central. (I was not responsible for choosing her to do reviews, that was based on her own merit and skill.) We've met up for lunch a few times in the past and have discussed musicals, movies, TV shows, etc.

My husband and I got into The Big Bang Theory this year and are currently on season five. It's so funny and definitely appeals to my geek side. I don't watch much TV, especially after saying goodbye to Desperate Housewives and giving up on The Office. Thankfully, I have a close friend in the neighborhood with whom to watch 90210. Aside from that, there's Glee, Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother. I'm excited for Smash to return in February, as well! I haven't really been blown away by any movies this year, but I'm hoping I'll like Les Miserables better than some people who were let down by it. I loved Wreck It Ralph though. Everything else was built up to me a lot and I wasn't super impressed.

I'm hoping 2013 will be a good year for everyone. I would love to get through a whole year without hearing about any violence or gearing up for major storms. Time will tell, I guess....

Three's Company

I've been blogging with three fabulous women for over a year and a half now and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.

This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: I am...

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

Every day at work, I support a group of managers who all want different things at the same time. This could be a report, a letter to a donor, research, a mailing, etc. At home, I have a group of "managers" who also want different things at the same time. This could be anything from a cup of juice, a snack, a bath, a story, a hug, etc.

I am a mother of three. I know that's pretty obvious, but there's more to go along with it. I will only be a mother of three, no more, no less (G-d forbid). When my husband and I first talked about having kids, I had originally said two and my husband wanted three. I agreed to three at the most, but that was it. (I told him if he wanted any more, he'd have to go all Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior to have the rest). I am glad I went for a third, but now, as one of my friends said after she had her second, "the factory is closed."

In Orthodox Judaism, we're told to be fruitful and multiply. I know of families with many kids all close in age. Thankfully, in a Modern Orthodox community, three seems to be the average. I do know of families here with more than three kids, but it's not as common as in my brother-in-law's community out in Pikesville. In any case, I've done my multiplying and can safely say that three is my limit. Where I would have been clamoring for a baby every time I held one of my friends' babies before, I no longer have that urge. I've resorted to the grandmother/aunt philosophy that they're cute and sweet, but I get to give them back to their parents. I even felt this way the other night while watching a friend's baby. At no point did I feel like I wanted another of my own.

My last pregnancy was hard. I was sick the whole first trimester and that was while chasing around two little boys. I don't need to be "coughing in the potty" while also looking after a toddler who only wants my attention. Then there were the backaches and those weren't fun either. It hurt to sit for a lengthy period of time. I also gained a ton of weight and am still having trouble shedding the last ten pounds. I really don't think my body could take another pregnancy. Not that I'm asking it to...

To confirm this decision, I have given up my kids' clothes (even my daughter's baby clothes, and she's still a toddler) and also my maternity clothes. I don't want any of it back. I'm happy to accumulate clothes for my kids, as they are growing fast. However, those clothes will also be paid forward. I've done the same with toys, books, baby items, etc. I was only too quick to get the infant car seat out of the house as soon as my daughter was ready for a toddler seat. The high chair will be next and the crib is being completely disassembled and thrown out once she's done with it. (It's gone through three babies and a recall that makes it annoying to use because we can't push down the front anymore.) I haven't even learned how to drive the van yet and have gotten away with just driving one or two kids someplace at a time in my sedan.

I love being a mom, but I think three kids are enough for me. They each have their demands, requests, needs, etc. Finding balance and keeping everyone happy isn't as easy as you might think. And getting them out of the house on time is a huge ordeal that requires waking up at the crack of dawn. There's also the change from "one-on-one" to "zone defense." I do like that they entertain each other a lot of them time and the boys are sweet with their sister at least, even if the have their little rivalries with one another. Now that I have three, I can't even remember what life was like with two or even when my oldest was the only child. My kids fulfill me and brighten my days. They have their unique personalities that blend together in a special way that can only happen between siblings. I grew up with one sibling and we're still very close. I always imagined having a two-child household, as a result. However, I'm so glad to be a mom of three and can't imagine anything different from that now.

I just had to get this shirt when I saw it!

My three "bosses"

The Merrylandgirl Stamp of Approval

I've been blogging with three fabulous women for over a year and a half now and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.

This week, I picked the topic: What person (not a close friend or family member), place AND thing would you put your stamp of approval on and stand behind that stamp 100% of the way?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

My topic idea was inspired by How I Met Your Mother. (Shocking, huh?) There was an episode where they were talking about being a "stamp tramp." This meant putting a stamp of approval on anything and everything, even if it wasn't good. Marshall was guilty of giving anyone and anything his stamp of approval, getting him into some hot water at work. Ted realized that he was piggy-backing off of other people's approvals, such as when Lily told him that Dishwalla was a great band and he thought he originally gave them the approval.

I think I'm more particular about who and what I endorse. Having said that, here are my top choices in the "Who," "What" and "Where" categories.

Who: Hands down, my dental hygenist. I think finding a really good dental hygenist is, for me, even harder than finding a good hairstylist. You're trusting this person to put all sorts of dental tools in your mouth. The hygenist is usually the one who spends the most time with the patients, so it's in their hands to make the experience pleasant or torturous. When we moved to Maryland, a friend recommended a dentist nearby for us. I was instantly won over by the hygenist and her easygoing, friendly personality. She acted as if she had known me her whole life. We have a lot of similar interests. It's hard for her to clean my teeth when I just want to chat with her the whole time!
When it was my sons' turn to get their teeth cleaned, she was incredible with them, as well. My older son had been to the dentist previously and thankfully had a good experience in NJ too. However, my younger son isn't always the easiest with cooperating. There were times he'd just refuse to cooperate with the nurses at the doctor's office, and that was just to measure him for height and weight! So imagine my pleasure when the hygenist convinced him not only to sit nicely on the chair, but also keep his mouth open so she could look at his teeth. She was so sweet and patient with both my sons. I feel it is so important for a child's initial dentist experience to be pleasant or they'll spend a lifetime dreading that bi-annual visit. My hygenist has completely taken that worry off my plate. I know she'll make the experience just as wonderful when it's my daughter's turn in the chair.
Since that first visit, she has switched practices. When our local dentist stopped taking our insurance, I found out where she worked and was thrilled that they took our insurance. It's a bit of a schelp to get there if I'm taking the kids for appointments, but so worth it to have her cleaning their teeth. I am not giving her name here as to protect her privacy, but if you live in or near Montgomery County (MD) and need a good dental hygenist, feel free to contact me!

What: One thing I hate even worse than folding and putting away laundry is ironing. I don't even remember the last time I ironed, but that is thanks to Downy Wrinkle Releaser. With a few spritzes and a little smoothing with my hands, my clothes look like they were just ironed. It's perfect for those mornings when I realize I let something go too long without folding and need it for work or shul. A while back, I couldn't find it at either of my local Targets and was freaking out because my supply at home was low. Then I found it on my next Target run and bought a few bottles to have on hand. My older son thought I was crazy for getting excited over laundry spray!

I also want to mention the Zyliss Lock-n-Lift manual can opener. We've gone through our fair share of lousy can openers. Our electric one even stopped cooperating with us. When my husband found this one, we haven't had a problem opening cans ever since. I love this device!

Where: I have a thing about where I buy groceries. The store has to have reasonable prices, a wide variety of products, and also lots of Kosher items. While I greatly appreciate an all-Kosher store, they tend to be overpriced on some products I can find elsewhere. When I lived in Illinois, I was all about (the) Jewel. In New Jersey, Shop Rite was my go-to store (even though I heard it has gone downhill in the last few years). Since moving to Maryland, I've gone back and forth between several stores. Magruder's left our local shopping center to make room for a Kosher supermarket. While the location was between stores, I had to go elsewhere. Suddenly, that "elsewhere" became Giant. I totally love going to Giant. It has everything I seek out in a grocery store. The sales are great and I even tend to find some fun surprise deals. They carry Kosher items and most of their generic products have a valid hecksher. It's always bright inside and the displays are attractive. On Fridays in the summer, I would stop there on my way home from work and could spend a lot of time roaming the aisles when Shabbat still started at 7:00. I miss going there and look forward to when we spring ahead and can make it part of my Friday routine again. The other Giants that are closer are nice, but the one by work has an even better Kosher variety and I already know my way around. Another thing is that the cashiers are so friendly. They even have a service where people will help you out to your car, if needed. And if I'm having trouble finding something, I can go up to any employee in the store and I know they'll be helpful. As a side note, Giant is lucky that Wegman's isn't too close to where I live because that would be major competition for them. I went to a Wegman's only once and was blown away. Given I'm usually the one who goes to the chain grocery stores (my husband does the Costco runs), it's important that I'm happy where I shop and Giant definitely fits the bill.

Art affecting life

I've been blogging with three fabulous women for over a year and a half now and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.

This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: Talk about a book or movie ( if you have more than one, that's OK too) which you feel has changed your life, either for the better (or for the worse).

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

You already know all about my involvement with The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I'll gladly refresh your memory though. I feel that it had a huge impact on my life, including my personality. Going to the Mundelein theater every Saturday night in the summer of 1994 did more than just entertain me. I got my first experience of being in a non-dysfunctional group of friends. (While I liked some of my friends in high school, I didn't really feel like I fit into the groups they wanted me to be involved in. I didn't like their friends, so that made it harder. Plus, there would be fights within the groups. Spring Fling senior year sticks out in my mind...) It was nice to just hang out with a group of people and feel accepted right away. I also felt like guys finally found me attractive or worthy of flirtation. Embracing this feeling gave me confidence when I met my first boyfriend during freshman year of college. And performing as Magenta gave me confidence to be uninhibited and accept myself. It was where I became friends with out-of-the-closet gay guys for the first time, making me feel more comfortable about friends coming out to me later that year, and beyond. It was also the catalyst for meeting certain friends. I met my friend J, the "eleventy feet tall" freshman in college because of a newsgroup post he put up, asking if Rocky Horror was playing anywhere on campus. We later ended up seeing it in Peoria and he became part of my circle of friends shortly after that. We talk sporadically via e-mail, but he was an important part of my life in college. And then there's Kev a.k.a. "Quick," who I met through our internet server because he saw my handle was "Magenta." We were both in relationships at the time, so it wasn't for any reason other than to become friends.  Years later, he married Moma Rock and now we've become close friends. If not for Rocky Horror, we might have never made such a connection!

In the summer of 1998, I stumbled upon Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I had seen it at bookstores and it sounded interesting, so I decided to buy myself a copy. I found myself laughing out loud at inappropriate times, but Bridget was just so funny. I loved the messages she got about her disappearing skirts and how she wrote "v." for "very." (I would imitate the latter.) It was hard not to love Mark Darcy, even before I knew that he'd be played by Colin Firth in the film version. Both the book and movie of Bridget Jones's Diary had impacts on my life. The book was my first exploration into the world of chick lit, and obviously wouldn't be my last. And the movie saved my sanity after a really upsetting situation involving a guy the week before I saw it in the theater. I saw the movie with a friend who also was having guy problems. Watching Bridget tell off Daniel Cleaver was so empowering that I felt better about things and knew I could move on from that awful guy situation. (I even wrote him a note telling him off; not super mature, but I needed to do it.) A few years later, my friend and I saw the movie of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason together with our significant others. It was like we had come full circle!

A month of giving thanks

There was a Facebook challenge to post something we're thankful for every day. I am also sharing everything I wrote here so I can look back on the month and smile, as well as give background to these items, as needed.

November 2nd: I missed this yesterday, so I'll post two things:
1. Thankful that we survived the storm relatively unscathed other than some water marks on the ceiling of our study.
2. That we live in such a giving community. SO many people offered their homes to people coming in from NJ and NY for Shabbos, that our help wasn't even needed. Sad that we don't get to participate, but still thankful that the reason is due to living in such a wonderful neighborhood of kind and giving people.

Hurricane Sandy was expected to hit the DC area pretty hard, but our neighborhood was okay. We prepared for a major power loss and didn't lose power at all! However, Sandy wasn't so kind to NY and NJ residents. Our community set up a program to get buses from various towns in NJ and NY to come out here for a Shabbos. We offered to host dinner and share our guest room, but there was such an outpouring of hosts that we weren't needed after all.

November 3rd: Thankful that tonight we "Fall Back" because that means after this week, we get our Saturday nights back to go out on dates again.

In the months between Spring Ahead and Fall Back, we have very long Shabbats which extend well into Saturday evening, making a date night nearly impossible by the time it's over. So when we get our evenings back, it's time to go out on dates again!

November 4th: I am thankful that my daughter is napping now so I can be productive for a little while. :)

My daughter is walking and talking and demands attention at all times. Needless to say, if she's awake, nothing gets done.

November 5th: I am thankful to E.S. for giving birth to her daughter 8 years ago today, which inspired me to want a baby and produced my son, as a result, 10 months later. :)

As soon as I held my friend's daughter, I knew I wanted a baby and got cracking on that. :) My son is who he is because of when he was born. I do feel that birthdays and birth signs affect personality. If I had waited longer, he might have been a different person and I might have also waited longer to have my other kids, affecting their personalities, as well.
Oddly enough, as soon as another friend held my son, she started trying for a baby and had her son a year later!

November 6th: I am thankful for the suffragist movement that allows women to vote. I can't even imagine being denied such a right and am proud of the suffragettes who fought for all of us women to have it.

November 7th: I think it's pretty obvious what I'm thankful for today, given my earlier posts. That's all I have to say. :)

This refers to my candidate choice winning the US Presidential election. :)

November 8th: I am thankful that Glee is back after being away for a month. I've been going through withdrawal...

Glee was getting annoying for a while, but now with a new crop of students and getting to see what former students are doing nowadays, it's getting more interesting and I'm enjoying it again. I like the character of Marley. She's very down-to-earth and a great singer. I also am enjoying the eye candy that Rachel is hanging out with (and I don't mean Kurt)!

November 9th: I'm thankful it's Friday and I know that's sounds cliche, but it's been a LONG week!

The week just seemed to drag and it was also intense towards the beginning with all the election stuff. Then there was the post-election upheaval of negativity against our current and still future President. It was enough to make me physically ill at times. Plus, my four year-old son broke our piano, I found a roaster chicken in my trunk on Thursday that should have gone into the freezer on Sunday and I managed to burn a kugel the night before. The same four year-old who broke the piano has been having tantrums galore. So I told my husband to put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill in time for Shabbos, which is also a mad rush now that it starts before 5 pm.

November 10th: I'm thankful that I got a nap in today, even though Shabbat was short. :)

It made the day go much faster, even though I lost track of time and almost made my husband late to mincha.

November 11th: I am thankful to everyone who has fought to protect our country. I've heard about all the horrible things that veterans go through physically and emotionally and it's truly heartbreaking. If you want a fictionalized account of some real situations, check out Home Front by Kristin Hannah.

Kristin Hannah's novel really opened my eyes up to what veterans go through. Here's my review of Home Front along with links to help veterans.

November 12th: Thankful, as always, for all the readers and authors I've met since I started Chick Lit Central in 2010. We have such a great community and I've made some wonderful new friends as a result!

It's been an amazing two and a half years. We reached 900 followers recently and also got to be one of the hosts for International Chick Lit Month. I've connected with some new authors this year and got to review some incredible novels. The highlight was having Jennifer Weiner call me by name in front of everyone at Sixth and I Synagogue in July (where she had her book signing). At that same event, I found out that a girl from my community has the same taste in books and we've become better friends since then (instead of just people who say hi in passing.)

November 13th: Thankful that I know some shortcuts to get around annoying, rainy-day traffic. (Just wish I could teleport to work on days like this!)

November 14th: I'm thankful for the amazing advances in technology that have allowed my children to hear so well.

My son is having a great year in school so far and my daughter is starting to talk more. I can even understand some of what she says!

November 15th: Thankful that our closest friends living in Israel are okay.

Lots of awful stuff going on in Israel right now in regards to Gaza. I'm not going to say anything more as I have trouble explaining all of it and don't like getting political on my blog (and I know I will if I continue). I just hope friends and extended family in Israel will always be safe and that Israel as a whole will be protected from future violence.

November 16th: I'm thankful for having such wonderful friends. Some I've known for many, many years and some I just met over the past few years.

Friendship is so important to me! If you've been wonderful enough to still be a part of my life at this point in time, then you're one of the friends I am thankful to have!

November 17th: Thankful for Big Bang Theory marathons.

I talked about how much I love BBT a while ago and since then, Mayim Bialik started appearing on the show as Amy Farrah Fowler, exponentially increasing the laughs! At the point where I said this, we had one episode left of season four.

November 18th: Thankful that Micah slept in his bed all night because we got to bed super late from watching BBT marathon.

He's been having sleeping issues involving fear of monsters. He said they were in his mirror, so I covered it with a sheet and that seemed to help.

November 19th: Thankful that close friends of ours brought a baby boy into the world yesterday and we can't wait to meet him!

Our community is rather prolific and we have some great friends here who have had babies recently. However, we were extra excited over the birth of this little guy, as these friends are like family to us.

November 20th: Thankful to my mother-in-law, who brought the most amazing man into the world 35 years ago today!

I even got to take my husband out (without the kids) to celebrate. :) And I actually get along really well with my mother-in-law, which is a rarity in this day and age. :)

November 21st: I am thankful for the safety and freedom we take for granted by living in the USA. My heart goes out to everyone living in Israel, especially the targeted areas. Praying for peace...

November 22nd: Thankful for my wonderful husband and three amazing children.

November 23rd: Thankful that we get to spend Shabbos with my brother-in-law and his family.

It was a long weekend and having my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews here made it go by fast. It was nice spending time with everyone. I was also glad that they liked the food since my sister-in-law is an amazing cook. The compliments over our meal meant a lot coming from them. They even liked the pie referenced on my post for 11/24. My BIL and his family are more observant than we are. We've learned a lot from them without feeling pressured to do more than we're comfortable with. I go to my BIL all the time for questions about Judaism that I don't have answers to. 

November 24th: Thankful that my apple pie was a hit, even though it didn't look that pretty.

After I posted this, I got all these comments on Facebook that were trying to be metaphorical for human beauty. I know beauty is found from within, but aren't I allowed to have presentable looking food? Not like I'm entering a pie baking contest, but still.... 

November 25th: Thankful that I will get out of the house for a while today. Aside from going to shul yesterday, I've been indoors the whole weekend.

This is a fact. I spent most of the weekend cooking or entertaining the kids. I left the house for two minutes to bring a Thanksgiving meal to our friends who had the baby. Then I stayed in all of Friday and only went out to go to shul on Saturday. Sunday was busy, as we had our friends' son's bris in the morning and then went to see Wreck It Ralph, which was so clever and entertaining.

November 26th: Thankful that I work for an organization that not only sends monetary support to Israel, but that our CEO visits to give comfort and support during one of the worst weeks they've ever experienced.

November 27th: Thankful that not EVERY radio station is playing Christmas music so I can still enjoy commercial-free country Tuesday on my local country station. :)

What can I say? I like country music! They do play some Christmas songs on that station, but only maybe once during my drive to work. There's only one station that is playing Christmas music 24/7 and I skip it. I hope the other stations stick to their normal repertoire.

November 28th: Thankful that my daughter is not only 21 months old today, but also really communicating with us now! We can understand what she says too!

She's been singing the songs she learns at school and I actually can hear most of the words. She also asks for what she wants and points to things and says what they are. She's come such a far way with speech therapy and I'm so proud of her!

November 29th: Thankful for the woman who gave me life.

This was in honor of my mom's birthday. Despite how we don't always see eye-to-eye, she's a fabulous mom and I love her. We do have a lot of things to bond over and she's a terrific grandma to my kids.

November 30th: I am thankful to Hashem for giving me all these reasons (and more) to be thankful for everything else.

Enough said.

Hope you find something to be thankful for every day. This was definitely a challenging exercise at times, but put things in perspective too.