I have no words, nothing funny or insightful to say, except the obvious.  Hold your loved ones extra tight, let love guide your actions, and do something, anything – to work towards gun reform so that these kids and brave grown-ups have not died for nothing.  Pray for healing, pray for anything, but also pray for action in Washington.  

We celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas at our house.   Although it results in more food and potential weight gain for everyone, the technicalities are tricky, especially with a SB (Small Boy).

Of course, the true spirit of the season – Compassion, Love, Peace on earth, and all that important stuff – flies right out the window when a three year old is barraged with presents, the promise of more presents, candy and sparkly lights.  I walk around and take notes 24/7 in order to keep up with SB’s materialistic demands.  He marches through toy stores like a greedy dictator surveying his riches.  Hands on hips, he points and says, “mama, I want that _____  (insert obnoxious toy name here) for Christmas/Hanukkah”.  And I, as his humble servant, scurry along taking notes and nodding in agreement.  Anything to avoid the wrath of the Dictator-tot.

Every Jewish kid (and grown-up) knows that as far as the Sexy Glam factor goes, Hanukkah’s a tough sell compared to Christmas.  I can’t even imagine how annoying it was for my parents to endure my incessant whining every year – why can’t we have a tree, where are our lights, where’s Santa Claus, waah waah waah, it went on and on.

As a result, I’ve been trying to jazz Hanukkah up for SB, but I don’t think I’m winning the battle.  He wouldn’t touch the Latkes (which worked out well for me…), but on the bright side he did an excellent job of chomping down the little chocolate coins during the Dreidel game.  Luckily I was able to peel the gold off the chocolate before the chomping began in earnest.  He also did a fine job of decorating his own little Menorah, but that’s about as exciting as it got.  And there’s no way to explain Hanukkah to him at this age – “there was a fight and the bad guys took away the lights? WHY?  Was it Evil Emperor Zurg?”  Oy vey.

So now we’re on to Christmas.  Our house is very confusing – Hanukkah lights on the upstairs balcony, Christmas lights downstairs, Menorahs, a tree, yikes!  Even I don’t know what’s going on anymore.  Santa Claus might just skip our house thinking that we’re completely insane.  But as long as there’s candy, I think we’ll get through it.