This summer I spent a week in New York City taking a class at Teacher’s College about setting up successful writing workshops in classrooms. I was alone. Did I mention that my kids weren’t with me? It was hard for them, and at times it was hard for me, but mostly, it was wonderful. Sometimes missing each other is a good thing…<\/p>\n
This post doesn’t have much to do with Elul, but I wanted an excuse the share the story I wrote for them while I was away, so here it is. It’s a little bit true, but not mostly.<\/p>\n
Mama had been waiting all summer for her trip to New York. A week in the city all by herself! She couldn\u2019t wait. She could read the newspaper in peace and quiet; she could cook anything she wanted for dinner; and finally, finally, a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n When Mama got off the train in NY it was raining. Mama had left her umbrella at home because Ella and Zoe were using it to play Mary Poppins. By the time she arrived at the apartment, she was soaking wet. She put on her pajamas and crawled into bed. She was so tired, she didn\u2019t even brush her teeth.<\/em><\/p>\n Mama didn\u2019t wake up even once until the alarm went off the next morning. No one had woken her for one more hug. No one had asked for a drink. No one had wet the bed. So why did Mama still feel so tired? (And why did her mouth feel so funny?)<\/em><\/p>\n After brushing her teeth, Mama opened up her computer to the NY Times website. She started reading an article about a woman who was running for president. While she was reading, no one asked to play webkinz. No one begged to look for a new backpack. No one pleaded to watch funny animal videos. Even so, Mama had a hard time paying attention to the story about the woman running for president. So, she closed the computer and got ready for class.<\/em><\/p>\n After a long day in school, Mama was ready for a big dinner. At the market, she wandered up and down the aisles. So many of her favorite foods – the ones that no one in her family liked. She took a bag of brown lentils off the shelf, and scooped out some quinoa from the bulk bins. She chose the biggest bunch of kale, and added one jalapeno pepper for good measure. That evening, she made a giant pot of stew – spicy stew.<\/em><\/p>\n Mama sat down with a bowl and a spoon. While she was eating, her phone rang.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHi Mama, it\u2019s Ella.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd Zoe!\u201d shouted Zoe in the background.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI was just about to call,\u201d said Mama. \u201cI\u2019m eating dinner.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you having?\u201d asked Ella<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cQuinoa and lentil stew. With kale.\u201d Said mama. \u2018It\u2019s spicy.\u201d She added. \u201cAre you\u00a0wrinkling your nose?<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cYes,\u201d admitted Ella.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cWhat did you have?\u201d asked Mama.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSpaghetti\u201d said Ella, brightly. \u201cPapa is letting us have spaghetti every night! And ice cream.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n When they got off the phone, Mama packed away her stew in small containers. Eight of them. \u201cWell,\u201d thought Mama, \u201cThat\u2019s enough for lunch and dinner. Every day. For the whole week.\u201d Mama sighed, and served herself a big bowl of ice cream.<\/em><\/p>\n Soon it was Friday. Mama packed her suitcase and headed back to Massachusetts. When she walked in the door, Ella and Zoe cheered. \u201cWe missed you!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI missed you too,\u201d said Mama.<\/em><\/p>\n That night, Mama made spaghetti for dinner. With ice cream. Everyone loved it \u2013 esp-ecially Mama, who was a little tired of spicy lentil quinoa stew. After dinner, she handed her laptop to the girls. \u201cYou can play,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m exhausted. I didn\u2019t sleep well all week.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Mama put on her pajamas and crawled into bed. She was so tired, she didn\u2019t even brush her teeth.<\/em><\/p>\n By the time her head hit the pillow, Mama was sound asleep. A few minutes later, Zoe came in. \u201cMama?\u201d she whispered. \u201cMama?\u201d she repeated, no longer whispering. \u201cCan I have one last hug?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d said Mama. She squeezed Zoe and fell right back to sleep; Zoe fell asleep too, right in her arms.<\/em><\/p>\n A few minutes later, Ella came in. Mama? She whispered. She poked Mama on the arm. \u201cMama?\u201d Mama grunted. \u201cCan I have some water?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cTake mine,\u201d said Mama, pointing vaguely toward the nightstand. Ella took a drink and crawled into bed in between Mama and Papa.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Mama was woken up exactly three more times that night. The next morning when she woke up, the girls were both just a little bit awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. \u201cHey\u201d said Mama softly. \u201cHow\u2019d you sleep?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGreat\u201d they both answered sleepily.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMe too.\u201d Said Mama.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re home,\u201d said Zoe.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMe too\u201d said Mama.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut you were waiting all summer for your trip,\u201d said Ella.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d said Mama, \u201cI thought I was. But I was wrong.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cReally, I was waiting all summer for a different trip. The trip back home from my trip to New York.\u201d\u00a0She reached over to give her girls each a kiss.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that funny smell?\u201d asked Ella, wrinkling her nose.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cOh that,\u201d laughed Mama. \u201cI\u2019ve got to go brush my teeth.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This summer I spent a week in New York City taking a class at Teacher’s College about setting up successful writing workshops in classrooms. I was alone. Did I mention that my kids weren’t with me? It was hard for them, and at times it was hard for me, but mostly, it was wonderful. Sometimes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-parenting"],"yoast_head":"\n