Remember The Good Old Days?

Yesterday morning while Nadav was napping I went to the grocery store. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the high 70's so in the afternoon Nadav and I walked to pick Jordy up from school. The remainder of the afternoon was spent running the kids to and from activities and making dinner. I was proud of myself for trying something new- I added a kohlrabi to my soup(once I figured out what to do with it). The soup wasn't great-I don't blame the kohlrabi-so I won't share the recipe.
Today Josh and I had to go to the bank. To make a long story short they had been taking money from our account which they shouldn't have and they finally refunded it however they refunded it twice so we had to sign a form to release the duplicate payment. It reminded me of the good old days right after we made Aliyah when we were in the bank almost daily. Ahh...the good old days. Since the bank is in the mall we also walked around a little bit but didn't buy anything. On the way home we stopped at the rock store(not sure what else to call it...a rock nursery?) for a few rocks that Josh needed for his continuing project in front of the house. I should really take pictures...he is making good progress. I can't wait until it is done! It should look really nice. After Jordy returned from school I drove him to swimming while Danya was at art class. After swimming Jordy went to Moshe S.'s house. Danya then got a phone call inviting her to a birthday party right now. So I dropped her off and picked Jordy up. We had dinner and then Josh and Jordy worked on a project for school. I got the boys into bed and then picked Danya up and she went to bed soon after.

Another Electricity Free Shabbat

I can't really remember anything exciting from Wednesday or Thursday so I will skip right to Friday.
Friday was spent mostly in the kitchen. Luckily Nadav took a nap and Josh was around and helpful. Robert joined us for Shabbat-which he will be doing quite often as he has just started the army and is now our tenant. So we bombarded him with 101 questions about his first week in the army. He didn't know the answered to most of them but he'll learn. As I was lighting candles our electricity went out. Jordy ran to get Josh who had just left for shul. He switched the electricity back on and all was well. After the men returned from shul we sat down for dinner and about 15 minutes in the power went out again. So we finished the meal by candle light and then Josh walked to the shomer(guard) and he came over to switch the power back on. Apparently it is our hot plate that is shorting out the electricity-which is why it only happens on Friday nights. The hot plate timer was off so all was fine all night.
Saturday morning Danya and Jordy headed to the youth minyan in hopes of getting a Nestle Crunch bar but both returned disappointed that they didn't have enough Crunch bars so it was a Milky Way bar(they reward kids for attending by giving out American candy bars). Nadav and I hung out at home getting ready for lunch and then were going to go to shul and meet Josh and Robert but as soon as I got Nadav's socks on they came home. Oh well. The Block family minus Danny joined us for lunch on Shabbat. Due to the electricity issue we brought our food to the Brodsky's to heat up. Then in the middle of lunch, when the timer went on for the hot plate, the power went out again. Wonderful. Jordy and Eli played all afternoon. Danya played with Tamam Gerson for a while and then joined the boys. I went to Laura's for some tea and then took Nadav for a walk. After Shabbat we were happy to have electricity again. Josh took Danya and Jordy to the parent child learning while Robert did his laundry.
Today I went to book club where we discussed The Help-great book! The kids were out of school early as it was a fast day. Danya went to Meira's and Jordy came home and played DS. Later Nadav and I walked him to English. I then came home and attempted to make dinner. Nadav was VERY crabby. I tried to get him to take him a second nap but that was a no go. Once I took him out of his crib he wanted to be held the whole time. In case you were wondering it is not easy to peel roasted peppers with one hand while balancing a 14 month old on your hip(but the roasted cauliflower and red pepper soup was great!). Nadav continued to cry all evening. Josh headed out to baseball and I finally put Nadav to bed and he happily dove into his crib. Poor baby was so tired. Danya and Jordy talked to Bubs for a while on the phone. Then they both went to bed and I am going to start work.

The End of Chanukah

Friday was cold and rainy so we hung out at home. I made some Shabbat food and Josh went out and bought the rest. The kids played at home and that was about it. We lit the last night of candles and got the last round of presents...DVD's and a mini American Girl doll for Danya and DVD's and a card game for Jordy. All were happy for their gifts but sad that Chanukah is coming to an end. Friday night we had a nice dinner and we all took turns playing Jordy's card game with him.
Shabbat morning was quiet. After lunch Danya and Jordy attempted play dates but nobody was able to play so they both came home and played here until Shabbat ended. After Shabbat the kids ate dinner and then went with Josh to parent child learning. Saturday night Nadav had a cold and was up for a few hours in the middle of the night.
Sunday morning the kids headed off to school again...yippee! Since we were exhausted we didn't get anything done(that I recall). Nadav was kind of cranky most the day. Jordy went to his English class and then Moshe came over for a short while. Danya came home and hung out here. She was excited that her teacher returned. Apparently her teacher had broken her pelvis and something else in her car accident. Poor Ornat!
Monday the kids went to school and their various activities. Nadav's cold seems to be much better. Otherwise nothing exciting to report.
Today Josh took Nadav to the store with him in the morning and then Nadav took the longest nap ever! 2 and a half hours!!! Wow! He and I went to the grocery store later and he kept pulling food off the shelves and standing up in the shopping cart-this kid is trouble. He almost bit into a hot pepper that he pulled off the vegetable display. Lovely. Since I had just returned from the store with no dinner planned(dumb) we ordered pizza for dinner. It was also in celebration of Danya getting a 100% on her science test. Yeah Danya!!! After dinner everyone went to sleep and work.

What's Going On Over Here

Here we are again. Trying to remember what on earth has happened since my last post. I had to look at the calender for some help as last week is a blur already. The only thing it helped me remember was that Jordy went to the dentist on Thursday for his second root canal. Again, he was happy to be there and it was smooth sailing. Again, he was happy that he got to come home and eat a huge bowl of ice cream for lunch. Another exciting activity on Thursday was packing. Danya and Jordy were all excited to pack for Shabbat away.
On Friday, as soon as the kids got home from school we loaded up the car and headed to the David Citadel. My parents were in town only for a few days with a group. They invited us and the Balsams to join them for Shabbat. We enthusiastically accepted. We stopped at falafel in Modiin for lunch and then to the hotel. My parents met us in the lobby and hung out with us for a bit. Josh headed to the kotel for mincha while I bathed the kids and got them dressed. Before Shabbat we headed down to light candles for Chanukah. The kids got day 1 gifts-books for Danya and Jordy from the Balsams and Kellmans and stacking cups for Nadav from Bubs and Pops. Then we lit candles and hung out until dinner. The group planned to eat dinner at 6:30 and the kids were starving. They were happy once they saw the buffet of food to choose from. I am pretty sure Jordy ate 2 sufgoniyot and Danya tried all the other desserts. Nadav and Jordy went to sleep pretty quickly. Danya and Meira went to play cards with Savta for a little while and then headed to bed. After the kids went to sleep Savta and Lisa joined Josh and me for a game of Settlers. The only problem was Nadav was sleeping in our room and we only had a bathroom and closet light on. No problem. We brought a tiny coffee table to the closet doors/bathroom entrance. We brought 3 chairs around and Lisa sat on the floor of the closet. When there's a will there's a way.
Shabbat morning Nadav was up pretty early. Jordy and Danya played with him for a while. Josh joined my Father and Nafi at shul while the women and children went to breakfast. We sat there for an hour and a half eating. Nadav was in his high chair the whole time enjoying the melon, cottage cheese, yogurt, crackers, cake, cucumbers....the kid ate a ton! The men eventually joined us and ate. The older kids all played together and with Saba and Savta until lunch. Nadav took a giant nap and Josh, Lisa and I played Settlers again. When Nadav woke up he and I joined everyone else at lunch. Nothing like another huge buffet meal! Again, we ate to much and spent to much time in the dinning room. When we were done we only had an hour and a half left of Shabbat. Again, more games, reading etc. After Shabbat we lit Chanukah candles again and then got round 2 of presents from Saba and Savta and Bubby Gladys. We said goodbye to Saba and Savta as we didn't know if we would see them again this trip. We then bundled up and went with the Balsam's to find dinner in Mamilla next door. We settled on pizza which ended up being bad, but the kids were happy to get their soft pretzels. We also let the kids stop at a candy store to use some of their Chanukah money. We went back to the hotel and got the kids in bed. Lisa returned for Settlers-which she won-her first victory!
Sunday morning we slept a little late and then headed to a giant hotel breakfast. Yum. We packed up and loaded the car and checked out. Then we walked through the old city to Ir David. We saw the 3D movie and then went to see the tunnels. We joined up with a tour leader and took a little hike with them. Danya did not enjoy the hike. She could not wait for it to end. The problem was once it was over we had a hike back to the hotel where our car was. Josh decided to take a cab to the hotel to pick up the car and come get us. Only problem was he called when he arrived at the hotel that the keys were in his jacket pocket which was in the stroller with me. Oops. So the kids and I started walking and Josh met us. We made it to Mamilla where we stopped for food as it was after 3 and we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We had really bad service and spent way to long at the restaurant. We finally got to the car and headed home. We got home after 6. We lit candles and gifts for night 3. Jordy was really excited to get his DS from Bubs and Pops and Saba and Savta. (Have you ever seen him with such a big smile???) Danya also got a game for hers. Nadav got his ball pit which he was really excited about!

Monday we were all worn out from the day before so we hung out around the house most the day. After lighting candles we headed to the mall to pick out gifts from David and Jodi. Jordy choose a balloon animal kit and Danya couldn't decide so she still has a gift coming. We ate dinner at the food court and walked around some more. We saw them lighting the big Chanukiyah in the mall and then got free sufguniyot...yum.
Tuesday morning I had to take Jordy to get an echo cardiogram. Don't worry, all is fine. He has a heart murmur and they just wanted to verify that it is functional. Turns out the murmur is the sound of his blood rushing through his veins so all is well. By the time we came back it was getting late already so we just hung out at home some more. After lighting the Chanukiyah and dinner we had family movie night. We watched Monsters vs. Aliens. The kids loved it.
Wednesday we went to the port in Tel Aviv to watch street performers do an acrobatics show. Then we went to Ramat Gan for a late lunch. After we lit candles and the kids got some money from Bubs and Pops Danya headed to the Gerson's for a sleepover and Jordy and I had another movie night and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Thursday, after picking up Danya and getting the report that the girls went to sleep at 3am(!!!!) I took the kids to "the fun place" aka. Eretz Nehederit. They have a separate area for little kids with a huge ball pit. Nadav spent most his time there but he also found a balloon and kept dragging it with him and calling it a ball while running all over the place. After 2 hours of family fun we stopped at the grocery store and then headed home to light candles. I didn't have gifts for the kids so I gave them the battery toothbrushes my mom brought and they were really excited. We went to a Chanukah party at friends for a short while and then came home so everyone could get a good night sleep.
Ahh....all caught up....until next time!

Shoes Done Easy

Friday I spent most the day at home cooking and getting ready for Shabbat. Robert joined us for what was a mostly quiet Shabbat.
Sunday afternoon, after school and Jordy's English chug, I took the kids to buy Shabbat shoes. I hate this outing and I usually divide and conquer. Meaning I usually take 2 trips to the shoe store and then only have to deal with one of them at a time. So I was being brave. I gave them the usual lecture in the car on the way there about how if they don't behave we get nothing and how each of them is only getting one pair of shabbat shoes, not Shabbat boots. Danya quickly picked out an ugly, pink platform heel shoes. I told her no and directed her to the more appropriate shoes. She was excited that I showed her a shoe that was a slip on as opposed to a strap. She was happy with that and she was done. Jordy kept pointing out hiking boots and I kept redirecting him to the one pair of Shabbat shoes. He didn't like them but once he tried them on he liked them and we were in and out of the store in under a half hour. Hooray! Once we got home Danya insisted on wearing her shoes around the house. She is still doing so-my guess is this will last until Shabbat.
Monday was a busy day. Josh and I cleaned out the junk from Jordy's room(but mostly Josh-I spent most the time finishing a puzzle). Then Nadav napped and I went to the grocery store by myself. Ahh. Not long after I got back Nadav woke up. Nadav and I picked Jordy up from school and then went to Modiin. When we returned Jordy went to ceramics. Danya returend early as her softball chug was canceled due to rain. Then Nadav and I went to go run a busy carpool. Lisa was at a party with Michali so I was getting Jordy, Meira and Moshe. Plus I had Nadav with me. Since we have an itsy bitsy car we couldn't all fit. So first I went to the ceremics studio, handed Meira an umbrella as it was POURING and took Jordy and Moshe and brought them to school since they were having a evening at school for Chanukah. It took forever since it was pouring and everyone was dropping their kids off. Poor Meira was soaked when I got back. She didn't seem to mind. An hour and a half later I was back at school picking Jordy up. He had a great time, was eating his Soufganiah and the best part was that parents weren't required to attend. He came home, ate some dinner(side note-who on earth thinks a good time for a school program is from 5:30pm-7:00pm??? Don't any other kids need to eat then??).
This morning Josh and I took Nadav and ran a few errands in Kiryat Sefer. Nadav was so tired on the way home and we wanted to keep him from sleeping. He kept dozing off and we kept trying to make him laugh. It was pretty entertaining. While Danya was at art and Jordy was at swimming Nadav and I headed to Modiin to buy Jordy a few more school shirts as there were only a few colors available in his size when I originally went. We picked up Jordy and Moshe and came home to make dinner. The kids enjoyed their tuna melt souffle and everyone played for a while and headed to bed.

I've Come to Fix the Sink

This morning Josh and I took Nadav to run a few errands. When we got home Nadav napped. I attempted to use the sink that Josh had repaired the other day(don't think I mentioned it-the faucet in the meat sink had broken and he repaired it once but it broke again). It was leaking everywhere. I called the plumber who said he could come Sunday. Then I called Alan who told us how to replace it ourselves. Of course we(read: I) panicked for nothing and it was a quick easy fix. Jordy had Moshe S. over after school and Danya had a friend as well. I took Jordy and Moshe to English and then we went to get the sink piece. Jordy went to play with Moshe B. after English. He came home for dinner. Danya's friend stayed for dinner and then went home. Everyone went to sleep pretty easily. Pretty boring day.

Late Night Book Worm

It's 11:55pm so I am gonna make this quick. Today was pretty typical. I did want to share a Danya story. I have mentioned that she has become quite a book worm lately. Here is an example: Tonight she came to me at 8:30pm while I was beginning work. She asked if she could watch a TV show and I told her that since bedtime is in 10 minutes maybe she should get into pajamas and into bed and read. She agreed and was excited because last night at the Yarid, which I am trying to block out of my brain, I bought her a new book that she was excited to start. I said goodnight to her and then I got absorbed into my work. Josh returned from shul and saw she was in bed and figured since she was in bed I already tucked her in and all was well. At 10:15pm I headed downstairs to switch the laundry and her light was on. She was just getting into bed. I asked her what in the world she was still doing awake. She responded "Nobody came to tuck me in so I decided to keep reading the whole book". I asked her if she noticed that she usually doesn't finish a book in 10 minutes and she just kind of shrugged her shoulders and said something about us not tucking her in. While Josh and I both thought this was hysterical-any excuse to stay up late and keep reading-we also realize that it may not have been our best parenting moment. I guess this is the price you pay for being a work at home at bed time mom. Big fat parent fail. Funny story though. Good night!