I got all sad tonight. I'd kind of remembered to forget that tonight is Erev Rosh Hashanah, mostly because I am completely not a Practicing Jewish Person in any religious sense.

A retelling of "Upstairs Downstairs" from "Owl At Home,"
with apologies to Arnold Lobel
by Sarabeth

(Details have been rearranged and omitted to protect the innocent.)

Once upon a summer day, Ivy got up _really_ early. So did her parents. Amazingly, after two hours of pooping, playing, nursing, complaining, nursing, and playing while complaining, Ivy fell back asleep. Even more amazingly still, so did her parents.

After dialing unsuccessfully through Lowes' call-waiting system, and talking to a Home Depot customer service person who actually went into the back to see if Home Depot carries the correct replacement size (they do not), I finally got through to a Live Person in the Lowe's Appliance Department, who sent me over to the Parts Department, because the filters were not in stock in that store either.

I told the parts guy what I was looking for, and he inquired mildly: "Have you tried cleaning them?"

I find myself feeling guilty about feeling exhausted by having four kids. I find myself getting defensive: Yeah, I know, If I didn't choose to homeschool them, If I didn't choose to be obsessive over their nutrition, If I balanced my life better, If I had obtained the right sort of therapies for my kids and me, If I managed my stress better, If I didn't choose to be a stay at home mother, if if if...then I could occupy myself with something more legitimately useful about which I could stress, like a Successful/Ambitious Career! Got it.

Below is an excerpt from an [article](http://ethics.harvard.edu/blog/new-prescription-drugs-major-health-risk…) that makes my blood boil (if you can tolerate a crazy level of boiling, check out this [amazing book](http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Medicines-Organised-Crime-Healthcare/dp/18…) that goes into great detail concerning why the drug cartels - I mean Pharmaceutical Companies - are mor

**Let’s meet in a restaurant**

Is food the enemy?
Giving a dinner party has become
an ordeal. I lie awake the night
before figuring how to produce

a feast that is vegan, gluten free,
macrobiotic, avoiding all acidic
fruit and tomatoes, wine, all nuts,
low carb and still edible.

Are beetles okay for vegans?
Probably not. Forget chocolate
ants or fried grasshoppers.
Now my brains are cooked.

Our local newspaper recently published this letter http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/opinion/2015/08/27/guest-viewpoint-h…

We are a family of six, living in Tompkins County. We enjoy privileges: a medium-size home, a 10-year-old car with no car payments, the chance to live on one income (allowing me to stay home with our kids - including one with developmental/cognitive challenges), and enough money to buy healthy food.

In the moments between the crazy, I am treasuring brief bits of total magic. We have a new baby human at our house! Who three days ago went from upside down, umbilically-attached to me...to lung-breathing-infant On The Outside. She's so new that even though her eyes are bright, you can't yet tell what color they will be. Times like these, you really notice the transitory nature of the universe. Our baby had a time Inside, and is now launched. And this is how the transition went.

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GIRL!! Our newest little one arrived at 11:11am yesterday morning, surrounded by her family, friends, and midwives.

She's our biggest yet: 7lbs 4oz, and at the moment she has lots of dark hair.

Am feeling rather dazed but exultant. She is adorable and sleepy. The proud papa is doing well, as is the rest of the family...

Please send us good thoughts concerning the baby developing excellent nursing skills!!!

Love,
Sarabeth

Dear Family,

“People don’t want to be confused with facts that contradict their preconceived opinions.”
--Geoff Metcalf

"Sometimes medical care (like politics) is the art of the possible."
--William Walsh

"You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips."
--Oliver Goldsmith

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