The heat is on in my house right now. How did this happen? How did it go from sundresses and sweating to sweaters and, GASP, boots???!?! The funny thing is, though, that earlier this week, the weather turned, and some people saw it as an opportunity to haul out the knee-hi boots and the tights and the cute little fall jackets while some people saw it as an opportunity to stretch out their summer clothing for a little longer and continued to wear short shorts and flip flops and tank tops. So, half of Ontarians were sweating this week and half were freezing their asses off. I was somewhere in the middle, dressed completely inappropriately, in whatever I could find…because my winter clothing is still packed away somewhere, so I am making it work with layers and cold toes.

This change took me by complete surprise, I was not ready for it. It’s Rosh Hashanah time for us members of the tribe, and I’ll be honest, this is one of my favorite holidays. We are the apples-dipped-in-honey and round, sweet challah kind of Jews…not the, um, EATING THE HEADS OF FISH kind. OMG. Usually, we spend this holiday at my parents’ house in Milwaukee…noshing on brisket and kugel, but this year my stepdad the mayor had to have some surgery and we had just moved into our house and well, it just wasn’t good timing. So we are here. But it’s lovely. We are having meals with family and with friends and with friends-who-are-family. We are getting to go to shul and see friends who we haven’t seen in a year and smoosh new babies. BUT, while I thought I was prepared, alas, I was not. Because 50-something weather was not going to support sandals and sundresses and straw hats and silk anthropologie dresses.

So, I piled the three younglings into the car and off to the mall we went to LAST-MINUTE shop, which is never a good idea. Isabella and Josh almost got us kicked out of the mall twice (or maybe thrice) and Isabella left The Bay with a stuffed Looney Tunes toy that I didn’t discover until 4 stores later. While my two youngest were wreaking havoc, Emily was rolling her eyes at every single cute outfit I tossed her way. We ended up at Mexx after, um, 8 stores, and I threw my hands up all ohmigodemilyjustpicksomethingpleasebeforeIlosemyever-lovingmind. So my girl got lucky and got me at my most annoyed and just wanting to get out of the mall moment and got two of the most expensive outfits I have ever purchased for her. I am a fan of H&M and Old Navy

(but, PS, if you are not a fan of MOTHEREFFIN’ HELLO KITTY, you will find nothing at H&M right now)

prices. My mother is the one who buys the Burberry dresses for my children. I am not a fan of spending somewhere in the $200 range on two outfits for my 4th grader. But, oh my god, she looks way cuter than I ever will.

And then we went to return the Looney Tunes doll.

And I? threw a belt over something I already owned and POOF! A new outfit was born. I would feel sorry for myself about spending all of my money on Emily but I really can’t be upset about anything because THIS just arrived and having been crying giant crocodile tears of relief ever since.

I FINALLY HAVE A PHONE!

AND A NUMBER!

I CAN MAKE PHONE CALLS!

I CAN ANSWER PHONE CALLS!

As the lovely slynnro congratulated me with…”welcome to 1997!”

1997 feels pretty good right now.