Avivah Werner

Category: Pesach

  • Time to get started Pesach cleaning…or is it?

    Until last night, I had a very straightforward plan for the day – start Pesach cleaning, which meant organizing the attic storage, and everyone getting started on their bedrooms.  When I make a cleaning schedule, I always make it very relaxed, so there’s never more than an hour or two at the maximum to clean each day (until the last couple of days when we do the kitchen).  I don’t schedule cleaning on Thursdays, and for the first couple of weeks, don’t schedule anything for Wednesdays, either.

    It’s a good thing that I build in flexibility, because today, the very first day, I already need it!  After Shabbos, a few of my kids came home with announcements:  1) dd8 was invited to a birthday party today at 12:30;  2) dd12 heard about a one day clothing sale being held today that she wants to go to, first thing in the day;  3)  dd12 was told by the rebbetzin of our shul that there are free tickets available for me to take the older two girls to a play being shown tonight – there are some extra because patrons get a certain amount, but some of the patrons don’t need all of the tickets they have available – 8 pm, needing to leave by 7:25 pm;  4) dd14 told me that they have a vort (engagement party) to attend for the young lady who was directing their choir, 6 pm.

    Then this morning there’s another call – the engaged friend asked if the older two dds can come early to help set up for the vort. Can they be there at 1 pm?  Sure, no problem.  Then another call – the birthday party is being changed to 12.  Sure, no problem.  Can dds come and practice a dance for the friend who is getting engaged during the time the birthday party is going on?  Sure, no problem.   And then a friend calls me to tell me her dd19 just got engaged and the vort for her is tonight, from 5 – 8 pm.  Sure, I’ll be there.

    Meanwhile, on the home front, I optimistically think I’ll start cleaning.  Since the toddlers are both awake, I decide to shift gears from cleaning a room where it will be hard to supervise them, and instead organize the bookshelves in the dining room – they get very messy since too many people in this family think that shoving something onto any shelf, whether it’s a double layer or placing it horizontally, is putting it away.  🙂  While I start, my 18 month old helps himself to some sliced challah from the bread drawer, and brings it to where I’m working and starts repeatedly putting his slices of bread (he took two) on the shelves I’m cleaning, which makes me smile because this is why you have to clean all those areas you think shouldn’t have had any chometz (leaven) on them.  Then I take a break to read a couple of books to the older toddler (he’s getting very good at choosing long ones), and then ds6 comes down to tell me that their closet is looking really nice.  So I go upstairs to check on progress on that front.

    I told you dd15 wanted to rebuild his closet, right?  That’s what he’s been doing the last couple of days, ie, Friday and now today.  And ds6 and ds10 seem to be unable to do anything but sit on their beds for hours at a time and watch him.  Not exactly hard at work in there, but I figure they’re bonding, so why not?  🙂   Ds15 is really doing a great job – I can’t figure out how he made the tracks for the three sliding door panels for the top shelf of the closet, but he did and they work great.  I don’t know how he even thought of the concept, let alone made it work!  So that’s where his energies are focused now, and the boys’ room is a wreck.  Everything has been pulled out of the closet and dumped on the beds and floor – and until he finishes painting the closet (that’s what he’s in the middle of right now), there’s no way to clean anything in there.

    Ds6 was right, the closet is looking good; ds15 has done the first coat of paint, and it’s looking very nice.  I admire it, and tell him that ds 18 months is on his way up the stairs after me to ‘admire’ the room too, and to be aware.  I leave the room, and less than two minutes later,  hear ds15 yell in frustration.  Little toddler has done what he’s best at, gotten into something. 🙂  He walked right over to the paint can, almost dumping the entire can over (fortunately, didn’t succeed because ds grabbed the can in time), but not before getting some on his pants and shirt (incidentally, a new one that is his nicest everyday outfit).   I go back in and mention to ds15 that I had just finished warning him ds18 months was on the way (he obviously wasn’t really paying attention), and ask ds10 to grab him before he spreads any of the paint on his clothes onto something else, which he does.  He also washes out the outfit, and though it’s not as good as new, it will still be useable.  I resign myself to nothing happening in that room but the closet for the rest of the day, especially since soon before that, ds15 made a phone date with his options mentor for 3 pm, which is less than an hour and a half away.  I told him that the room has to be finished by then, but even though he assured me everything will be done, I don’t believe it!

    So – this is what my simple day turned into – older dds walked dd8 to her party at noon, and are staying for duration of party to prepare dance with friend.  Then they’ll go to help friend set up for vort.  Then they’ll walk home, stopping at clothing sale on the way.  Then they’ll eat a late lunch when they get home.  Since it’s not going to be long that they’ll be at home before I have to leave for vort, I’m going to drop any suggestions of Pesach cleaning for today and just focus on having dinner on the table on time.  They did straighten up their room somewhat earlier in the morning, so I’ll count that. 🙂    Dh gets home from work around 5 pm, so I’ll leave as soon as he gets here for the vort, so I can get there are the very beginning, so I can get back home in time to take the girls to their vort at 6 pm.

    Then they’ll attend their vort, and I’ll pick them up and we’ll go directly to the play, so that we’ll arrive there in time.  When we get home from the play, it should be time for bed.  🙂  Meanwhile at home, at some point the closet will get finished, the clothes will get rehung, and everyone will have time for dinner before going to sleep.  That’s the idea, anyway.

    Right now, I think I’ll try to get some veggies shredded to pop into the dehydrator, once I put the toddlers in for a nap, sort some laundry, maybe clean the tops of the bookshelves (didn’t finish all of the shelves, but they are significantly improved), and eat some lunch.  Not the day I planned, but a nice day for everyone, and productive in its own way!

    Avivah

  • Time to start budgeting for Purim and Pesach

    Many of you have been surprised that my monthly food budget stays the same, regardless of holiday food expenses, particularly at times like Purim and Pesach.  I do this by thinking ahead.  The reality is that a month which has a holiday in it is going to be more expensive than months that don’t have holidays.  That’s the reality, but it’s a predictable reality that you can plan for.  Too many people are for some reason surprised two weeks before a holiday at the necessary expenditures.  If it’s the first time they’re dealing with it, that’s one thing, but I hear the same shocked comments every single year, and most of them come from people who have been preparing for __________ (fill it in with the name of the holiday) for years.  What a shame to go into any holiday with a sense of financial doom, especially since it’s just not necessary. 

    Right now is the time that I consciously plan for Purim expenses like mishloach manos and matanos l’evyonim.  They don’t go on a credit card – they’re budgeted for in cash in advance.  However much I might want to do, I have the natural constraint of keeping my costs within the money available, which is very different from being able to put a little more on the credit card if I feel it’s necessary.  Also, I try not to be elaborate in what I send to others – I’ve never believed it a service to the community to participate in overly high standards that leave everyone feeling pressured to keep up.  We have way too much of that pressure in our communities and I don’t want to contribute to it. 

    As far as food, it’s not too soon to start keeping your eyes open to suitable possibilities for Pesach food.  Many foods that we use on Pesach are suitable for Pesach all year long and don’t require special supervision, or have Pesach supervision all year long (grape juice comes to mind).  Ground beef on sale?  Chicken, turkey, lamb, roast?  Now’s the time to buy it (obviously assuming it’s kosher l’Pesach) and can be used and put it in the freezer.  You know that it’s not going to be less expensive the longer you wait, right?  (Does the term price gouging mean anything to you? :)).  I put the meats (which are already wrapped) into the freezer inside a clean bag on a separate shelf from everything else so that no chometz gets on it; the non perishables are likewise stored away from other things. 

    What about clothes?  Shoes?  If these are things you want to buy for yourself or children for the holiday, get them now.  Spring clothing is already in the stores. Don’t wait to do this when you’re trying to buy everything else.   In addition to the huge financial wallop all of this packs when done within a very short time, there’s also the time pressure of too much to do, too little time. 

    Take a little time now to make a list of what you expect to need for both Purim and Pesach.  Look at what can be done in advance, and spread that shopping out over a period of a few weeks so that it’s only a little bit more to do each week.  You will feel so much more relaxed when yom tov comes around.  Simchas hachag should be a term that means something, not something about which we roll our eyes in disbelief that it’s expected of us!

    Avivah