Oy Vey and Mother's Day

Oy Vey (Oi Vei)! The Jewish expression is recognizable from this quirky quartet. It's a choice phrase of theirs.

We picked up a few Yiddish phrases while living in Seinfeld's neighborhood, and this one has been a choice phrase of mine a few times as of late. It's an exclamation of dismay or exasperation. Here are some examples of usage:

• "Oy Vey! My dog just used the bathroom in my car..the car I plan on trading in tomorrow." (Josh?)
• "I drove off from the restaurant with the to-go box on my trunk. Oy Vey!" (Liz?)
• "Oy Vey! A certain toddler is exerting her independence with her pointer finger."

Yikes! Sass in the foreground and euphoria in the rear.

Thankfully, these "Oy Vey" moments are less frequent than the proud and happy ones. And...here's a good - actually great - one to remember. It's after Margaret's first Spring program, all dressed up and feeling proud:

She rocked it on stage singing "This Little Light of Mine." I think her favorite part was, "Hide it under a bushel, NO!, I'm gonna let it shine." She really had the "No!" part down pat:)  

Now that I'm a mom, I realize the importance of having role-model mothers in my life to guide and support me along this road. I'm so thankful for the relationships I have with two in particular, the first of which is my mom, a.k.a. Sugar:

Mom, how you survived raising four kids is a mystery to me. You're amazing. As I witness some of Margaret's challenging two-year-old moments...repressed memories from my own childhood have been resurfacing...memories of me hiding my school shoes because I didn't like the way they buckled, pleading with you to redo my hair over and over again because it wasn't "tight enough" at the top, refusing to wear stockings because the middle seam hung down in between my legs, and the list goes on. I'm cringing! I'm so sorry! I'm hoping that the friendship we have now somehow makes up for the challenging moments from my toddlerhood:) 

The second is Josh's mom, a.k.a. Meme:

Meme, whatever you did to raise your son, you did it right. I pray that Margaret and Louise develop into the caliber of people that your children have become. 


To Margaret and Louise, I love being your mom. I love you to pieces, and I love watching you grow. Sugar and Meme, thanks for having me as a daughter. With the four of you, I'm in a pretty sweet spot.