Getting Organized

We finally decided to give up the delusion of having a dining room with a single purpose. Without lots of common rooms, it was turning much more into a space for arts-and-crap than eating, and it took an hour’s worth of clean-up every time we decided to sit down for a meal. When thinking of [...]

Sick Days

We’ve been cooped up in the house all week with the dreaded Coxsackie. First Miriam got the terrible little blisters inside her mouth that kept her from eating or even nursing. Then Joseph and Hannah complained of scratchy throats. Joseph got croupy, as he is prone to do. Then Hannah followed suit. (They are all feeling [...]

12. tea parties

The kids decided the other day that it was a nice day for a tea party. So they got dressed in their “best clothes” (Joseph’s suggestion) while I put the water on to boil, and then they set the menu while the tea was steeping.

29. play in the doorways

My little monkey boy has a new favorite way to expend energy: Number 29 from the list, “Play in doorways.” The picture above is pretty standard: he just wedges himself between the two doorways and schooches himself up. But one of his newest tricks is to just walk straight up one wall. I suspect the [...]

The second official act

So, the first official act in the transition form “Camp Wolff” to “The Wolff School” (That’s got to be catchier. Give me a little time.) was to go to the library. The second official act was to join the JCC. We we first started considering this little adventure, the two things I worried about most [...]

The Hannah Question

It’s a question I get. A lot. “You’re pulling Hannah, too? Why?” It’s a good question. And one I struggled with. Perhaps even — no, definitely even — more than the one about what was right for Joseph. Hannah is not the child having trouble in school. Of course, like any other kid, there were [...]

There. I did it.

After much soul searching, researching, discussing and fretting … I finally did it. I officially withdrew Hannah and Miriam from preschool and composed the letter (I’ll send tomorrow by certified mail) alerting the West Orange school district that Joseph will be receiving his edicuation “elsewhere than at school.” It’s a little scary, but it feels [...]