On Wednesday evening Danny came over. He brought a gift for Danya and Jordy. Danya was excited to receive a bag of Bisli but Jordy doesn't like Bisli so he gave his to Nadav. Turns out that Nadav appreciated it. He was playing with it for about a half hour. See:
And here are a few cute pictures from the night:
After Nadav went to bed I joined Lori and we resumed delivering coffee to the soldiers who work at the 2 checkpoints near us. There is a rotation from the Yishuv and someone goes every night. I stopped doing it when I was put on bed rest back in May. Lori stopped a few months back so we were both a bit rusty. It was very busy at the first checkpoint so we were surprised that the second, larger checkpoint, was quiet and we were done in an hour. Thursday morning Josh and I went to go pick up the new stove top. Now all we need to do is get the service to install it. In the afternoon Danya had her last swimming class. They had a swimming show that Nadav and I attended. It was very cute. Ala synchronized swimming. Here are a couple pictures. The videos aren't uploading, I will try again tomorrow. (Note that on Tuesday Jordy will have his last swim class so you may be seeing some similar pictures and videos then). Friday morning the clocks changed here. We lost an hour. I spent most the day hoping to nap and getting ready for Shabbat. We enjoyed that Shabbat started a little later and that we had a little more time to get ready. The kids were a little tired at dinner so they got to bed right after they ate. This morning Danya and Jordy were practicing for Pesach singing Mah Nishtanah and Echad Me Yodah for me. When Josh got home from Shul he took all the kids for a walk to the park so I could nap for an hour. Nadav has been waking up twice a night lately so I am a little sleep deprived. The nap was good and they woke me when they got home for lunch. The kids played nicely most the afternoon. We gave Danya and Jordy dinner before Shabbat was over and once Josh made havdallah we got Jordy into bed. Of course Danya then remembered the homework she had but didn't do on Friday.
Just going to hit the highlights since it has been so long and if I try to remember and write everything it will never get done. Danya and Jordy had a few days off of school before Purim. They helped pack the shalach manot. Here is a picture of ours. It included a piece of pita bread(dough), a bag of chips, a 100 Grand bar, chocolate coins and a Payday bar-the Saltzman Stimilus package.
I tried getting pictures of all the kids in costume but only Danya wore hers. Jordy was a gladiator and wore his costume to school the week before but wouldn't put it on at all on Purim. Nadav had a panda costume that was lent to us but it was a little scratchy and too big and he was screaming so much as I tried putting it on him, so I never got it all the way on him. So only Danya dressed up(as a unicorn). We went to Megillah reading at the shul across the street. The plan was Josh and the kids would listen to Megillah and I would attempt it. I was impressed when I was able to hear the whole thing, while holding Nadav in the Baby Bjorn. I think it was the first time in 8 years that Josh and I heard Megillah together. We later went to a purim carnival at another shul. The kids were excited to win a fish, but I think it was suicidal or something since it was always laying on it's side. We would tap the bowl and it was flip back upright and swim around. Each time anyone would walk past the bowl we would announce "I think the fish is really dead this time" and then tap the bowl and then you'd hear a "nope, still alive". It lasted 3 days. The kids were almost relieved that it finally died. Anyhow, after we got home from the carnival Danny arrived and stayed home while the kids went to sleep so Josh and I could head to yet another shul for a purim shpiel. Josh was recruited to prepare a small presentation of a made up invention. He "invented" a product that would help with a problem that we have here which is random dogs wandering free and pooping on anyone's lawn. His wasn't until almost the end, around midnight, but it was really funny and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Purim day I took Nadav with me to hear Megillah and again, with the help of the baby bjorn, he was content. The rest of the day was spent answering the door for Shalach Manot and preparing for Seudah. The Rotters, Gersons and Danny joined us and Nocky and Ruanne stopped by at the end. We all had a nice time and ate too much(or at least I did). The next night while we were eating dinner we noticed that Nadav was very interested in the food we were eating and kept reaching for Josh's fork. So we decided that it was time to let him eat real food. Here are a few videos if you want to watch his first bites and see how messy he was at the end.
We noticed that for the few days we fed him he was waking up a few more times at night and was a little crabbier so we stopped and will try again after Pesach. We also had a random sighting last week. When Jordy and I were walking home from gan we noticed a turtle walking up our street. It so happened that 2 other neighbors were out and they came to see what we were looking at. One neighbor said sometimes turtles wander into the neighborhood and then she picked it up and asked if we wanted to put it in a container so that Danya and the other neighbors kids could see. So here is a picture of the turtle....it's hard to tell from the picture but it was pretty big. I went pesach shopping this week. On Sunday Lisa and I went to a store in Yerushaliam that caries a lot of American products(which is important since it is hard to find lots of kitniyot free products in Israel where most Israelis eat kitniyot). Then today we went to Bubs and Pops favorite store, IKEA, to buy a few kitchen items. I also bought the rug we have been trying to buy for about a year and a half but they never have in stock when we go. Jordy was upset when he heard I had gone to IKEA without him. I told him I sang the IKEA song the whole time(only Bubs and Pops will get that one). Yesterday Nadav had an appointment at tipat chalav. He now weighs 6 kilo 760 grams(14.9 lbs.) and is 66cm (25.98 inches). He got a shot and again he didn't even shed one tear. Strange, huh? After we hung out the required 15 minutes to make sure he has no reaction we headed to an appliance store to buy a new stove top. The one we have came with the house. The electric starter doesn't work at all. 99% of the time only 2 of the 4 burners work and when they do it usually takes a half hours to boil a covered pot of water. Anyhow, I figured if we are going to replace it I should do so before Pesach so I don't have to clean it. I ordered one and it should arrive tomorrow. Once it arrives we have to call the company that manufactures it and they come and install it. Here's hoping they can install it close to Pesach! Here are a couple more cute, random photos: I think that is about it....I will close with this funny conversation Jordy and I had before Shabbat after I finished drying my hair: Jordy: "Your head looks different" Me:"Is it good or bad?" Jordy: "Good. Very, Very Good. Not even a little bit bad".
Today was another beautiful day. It was in the high 70's(yesterday was in the 80's). Ah...March in Israel! Danya got home from school early today for no apparent reason. When Jordy was done in school we went to the makolet to pick up his treat(if he behaves all week he gets a treat on Sunday and he did well this week so he picked out a bag of Doritoes). After we got home and I fed Nadav I asked Danya if she wanted to join me for a walk to pick up her latest ceramics project from the house where here ceramics class takes place. She made a container for a mishloach manot. Danya had decided that she wanted to give this special basket to Sara the mazkirah(secretary) from the school because "she works really hard". I thought that was so sweet that she noticed how hard Sara works and I know Sara will really appreciate it. As she and I were heading out I asked Jordy if he wanted to join us. His response was "if Nadav is going then I am going". So we all went. We picked up the dish and then I stopped to pick up a couple books from the Mandels. We headed home and then Jordy went to English. After English we loaded the kids up and headed out to dinner. There is a new pizza place next to the falafel place, so we figured we would go there and everyone could choose what they want. Danya had a full falafel and I was surprised that Jordy ate a slice of pizza followed by a half a falafel. Then we went to the grocery store to buy a few things and the paper goods store. I couldn't believe that the kids were really well behaved through the stops. When we got home Danya and Jordy went to bed. Then I gave Nadav a bath, fed him and off to sleep he went.
Wednesday morning Josh and I went out to brunch. Then we ran to a grocery store and went home. The kids came home and I took Danya to the doctor as she has what I thought was a rash on her hands. Turns out she has eczema. We got some cream and came home. The kids called Pops to wish him a Happy Birthday before going to bed. On Thursday Josh and I ran a few Purim related errands. In the afternoon Daniella Kaplansky came home with Danya after school. They played together with Jordy until they had to go to swimming lessons. After swimming they came home and we ate stew for dinner. Not only did Danya and Daniella try it, they loved it! Jordy wouldn't try it but I am not giving up on him. Danya was still convinced that it was witches food but had 2 servings. On Friday morning the kids went to school dressed up in costume...or at least they were supposed to. Danya apparently decided that she didn't want to wear it. Josh took her to school as I was sleeping(as Nadav woke up 2 times in the night) however while he was at shul I got a phone call from the school telling me that Danya needed her costume within 10 minutes because the costume parade was in 10 minutes and she was the only one in school not dressed up. I was annoyed that she hadn't brought her costume, which she knew she needed. Josh came home and got her the costume in time. I spent the morning cooking. Jordy got home early from gan as the Purim party was over early. He invited Yehoshua over to play. Danya and Meira arrived and then Elisheva came to play with Danya. I gave all the kids lunch and they all played. Jordy and Yehoshua got into a fight, which is typical, and Yehousha went home. Close to Shabbat Elisheva and Meira went home and then Danya lost it. She didn't want to take a shower and she went nuts screaming at Josh. She then spent a while in her room, took her shower and then returned to her room. Shabbat morning I tried so hard to make it to shul. I finished feeding Nadav at 9:40 and quickly got myself dressed and put him in the baby bjorn. We went to the across the street shul. Nadav then pooped really loud and started to cry. I went to take him out of the bjorn and noticed there was poop dripping down his leg. So I ran back home and changed him and me. We ran back to shul but the were singing adon olam. We then took the kids on a walk to the park as the weather was beautiful. We stayed for a while and went home to eat lunch. Nadav went to sleep and Josh let me take a nap. The kids played outside most the afternoon. When Shabbat was over Josh gave Jordy a haircut and then the kids had quick showers and got to bed. I would like to take a minute to say that this Shabbat, our niece, Atara, is being Bat Mitzvahed in Boston. We are all REALLY REALLY SAD that we aren't there celebrating with the family and want to wish Atara, David and Jodi and the whole family Mazel Tov! We look forward to hearing all about it!!!
Sunday was a fairly quiet, rainy day. Jordy went to English chug. He is really getting good at reading and writing. He loves his English chug and often uses a English workbook at home(that isn't from his class). Monday was spent doing a bunch of laundry and carpooling all afternoon. I picked up Danya's glasses. She was so excited about getting them, the case they came in and the cloth for cleaning them. I know the excitement of having glasses will wear off soon but for now she is excited. Nadav showed off his new skill-rolling over. He had attempted it a few times before but always got his hand stuck and then would scream because he was essentially laying on his face. So he finally rolled over completely without getting stuck! Hooray! The downside is that now that he can roll over we can't use the magic blanket. If we had him all wrapped up and he rolled over then he wouldn't have his hands available to hold his face up and that won't be good. So goodbye magic blanket! We loved you! Today I had a doctors appointment and Josh had an appointment at the bank so we headed out to Modiin in the morning. We returned home and then I helped shuttle the kids from Jordy's gan back to the gan from the community center where they had an activity. Nadav and I laid down to rest in the afternoon and he did most the resting. I picked Danya up from English and Jordy up from a friends. The past couple months I have been attempting to make healthier dinners. I have also decided that we all need to eat dinner together every night as we are all usually home. Tonight during dinner I asked the kids if there was anything special they wanted for dinner the next few days as I am going to the store tomorrow. I asked them if they thought they would like stew. Danya responded that "stew is something witches make". She did not want stew! Josh and I were cracking up at that one. I then told Danya about the time my Mom was wearing a black hat and a little kid asked her if she was a witch! So I may be pulling out the cauldren soon to make dinner!
