Happy Birthday to Da Boy!

Hard to believe but its been one year since this little tyke turned my world over...



Happy Birthday to Da Boy!

Censoring Your Child's Music

Question: What kinds of music do you not allow your children to listen to?

I started thinking about this recently. Da Gurlie is really talented musically. She can hear a song a few times and remember the lyrics and tune. Don't give me any credit, that trait comes from her mother.

So I thought to introduce her to music other than Uncle Moishe. Played her some jazz (Coltrane, Monk, Jones etc). That went over well.

Then, yesterday, some AC/DC started blasted from my Bose speakers( Ipod was on shuffle) and we rocked out to that. Now she's getting into Pop.

I mentioned that to some people and they did not like me playing AC/DC for her. Until now, I've pretty much played everything but hip-hop/rap (because of the foul language).

So what do you say? What types of music should be restricted to children?

Rioting from Boredom

Why is it that Chareidim riot every so often? Lets put aside "Blood libels", "SHABBOS!" "Autopsies" and other excuses.

Its quite simple (well, maybe not, but might just be one of the reasons).

Boredom.

Having been to a few fun riots on Bar Ilan Blvd and having lived in Geulah, I can attest to that.

Life is boring in Charidei Town.

Maybe some kids would stroll over to Gan Sacher for a game or two of basketball (like me)but its frowned upon. What else is there to do?

Rioting is the answer.

Go throw stones at chilonim, burn garbage cans, assault gov workers, stone buses and other sundry mischief.

It's fun.

I know. I've been there. And there is nothing more exciting to a young bochur than getting chased by cops on horseback. Or that crazy water cannon firing at will into the crowds, trying to ruin that $1000 streimel.

Is there a solution? Maybe some Charidei basketballs courts where kids can work off their energy less violently.

Better yet. Jobs. It's kinda hard to to riot when you have to be at work.

Which Donuts do you Desire?

Voices are raised.

Fists are shaken.

Threats are made.

Why, you ask?

Its the Donut Debate with my co-workers. Who makes the best crullers? Dr. D claims that Dunkin Donuts rule. Mista B hollers that he doesn't understand why people love Krispy Kreme.

I shout them down. KK rules!!!

Of course, I'm right. In the order that they are desired:

Krispy Kreme

Entemanns

Dunkin Donuts (or Double D's as Fizzle calls em)

I don't think DD's is worth the 99 cents. Seriously. Small and Stale, keep em away from me.

On the other hand....KK's are loaded with goodness and are simply yummy with sweetness.

The boyz start yelling that Entenmann's doesn't count as a "real" donut because they aren't fresh.

I wrote about "Jewish" donuts back in Chanukah time.

So lets hear it. What donuts do you dig?

Firsthand accounts of Terrorism

After reading Ben-Yehuda's account of being injured in a terrorist attack, I was reminded of certain days, dark days.

Baruch HaShem, we don't hear of too many suicide bombings lately, largely due to the "infamous" security fence. But there used to be many, many attacks.

I remember those times vividly.

I grew up in the '90s in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Those were the days of the #18 bus bombings, after the other, some of them taking place a mere few blocks away from my home.

Dark days.

The dark day when I took the bus home from school in Tel Aviv and hearing on the radio about the Dizengoff bombers.

The dark day when I wake up hearing a massive boom, walk 3 blocks to the Machane Yehuda Market and still see the car burning, hearing the crowd cry for vengeance against the Arabs (no casualties that time, BH).

The dark day when I hear that my mother was talking to my sister in Ben Yehudah Mall and my sister hears the phone go dead. Turns out my mother was running for cover while multiple explosions are going off, targeting rescuers and civilians alike.

Want to hear more? Visit Gila at My Shrapnel who will tell you what its like "getting to know your shrapnel".

So the next time some asshole complains about how the security fence is oppressing the Palis, tell them to take a ride in the DeLorean time machine and take a seat on the #18 bus. That should change their stupid minds.

Needed: Ideas for children indoor activites

Things have changed around casa Da Jew.

We now have a babysitter watching my son and another child during the day. Until now, Da Boy was going to a playgroup in Boro Park but he wasn't getting much sleep (light sleeper).

Da Gurlie changed her playgroup too and now goes to a closer one to home until 3pm.

Thing is, we split the babysitter with someone else with 2 kids. So from 3pm until I get home about 5 o'clock, the babysitter is watching 4 kids-2 infants, Da Gurlie who is 3 1/2 and a boy who is 2 1/2.

We need ideas how to occupy the older kids while allowing the babies to sleep. The 2 yr old is energetic while Da Gurlie is more sedate, plus there is an age gap. So we need 2 separate act ivies for each one.

Ideally, I would like to write up a schedule of activities per day per child.


Comments and links are very welcome.

Ed: I'm tagging those bloggers who are in da know: Mother in Israel, Juggling Frogs,Raizy , Hadassah, Sally, LOZ , Trep , Jameel , Babysitter and Rafi .