Thanks Tonny!

Who needs Blogger when you have a Karban Nesanel!

I found the date and time changer thingy!

Those NCSYers come through everytime!

Have a great one!

I'm off to clean up before my parents come to visit. Once a child, always a child!

Still trying to fix the problem

Blogger can't seem to understand what I'm looking to fix. In the meantime, I'll just write the correct date and time in manually.

Monday, December 26, 2005 ~ 7:41 am

Although it was cold and rainy yesterday, the Xmas feeling was only felt when I logged onto cnn.com. It's such a strange experience to have grown up for 37 years of my life in a culture that went bonkers over a holiday season and then be completely void of the feeling just by moving to another country (I guess that fact that it is a Jewish country helps!)

The only person I know who celebrates Xmas here is my African cleaning man. I didn't even know he celebrated Xmas until I called him yesterday fuming, wondering why he hadn't come to clean and why he didn't call. "It's Xmas, Sarah", he said. "Oh"

So although part of me misses the Xmas carols, the cheery disposition of everyone in the stores, the happy lights on a dreary dark winter night, and the memories of presents on Xmas morning, I am still content to be living in my Jewish country, celebrating Chanukah.

Last night as I went out to throw my garbage in the bin, I could hear my neighbors singing and watch them light their candles by their windows.

A Great Miracle Happened Here.

And I am thankful.

Chanukah Sameach and Happy Holidays to all!

Blogger advice

Can anyone help me figure out what happened to my date and time thingy on the bottom of my dashboard?

I just realized that the date and time is wrong and I can't figure out how to fix it.

Anyone?

Thanks in advance...

Another week

This week flew by and now it's time to prepare for Shabbat.

It was an exciting week for me in terms of starting up a new project for Olim teens using theatre and psychodrama. As I know more, I'll let you know.

The house is progressing nicely. Major decisions still to come. It's exciting, but I do not look forward to making the decsions!

Ari returns home today (please G-d) and we will be spending Shabbat at home. We were offered the opportunity to run a Birthright shabbat at a hotel in Jerusalem. I usually jump at the chance to go to a hotel and even work with Birthright kids. But after not having Ari around for the week and knowing he will be completely exhausted from this trip, I made the administrative decision to opt out of this weekend. The kids are not dissapointed - they hate leaving their friends for the weekend. (You'd think we were putting them through a torture treatment taking them to a hotel for FREE!!) So although I know Ari will be completely wiped here at home, at least we'll have him all to ourselves!

Off to cooking and baking I go...

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a restful weekend!

Brace-face

My NED, my now Thir TEEN year old, officially looks like a teenager.

This morning I took her to our local anglo orthodontist to put on her braces. Dr. Josh is a really friendly guy whose wife is a creative arts therapist.

NED chose bright pink rubberbands to accentuate the bright silver in her mouth.

I'm sure she will be complaining for the next few days.

And I will be adjusting to having two teenage girls with braces!

Hormones, acne, braces, messy rooms, important social lives.

Anyone want a teenager?!

Curfews

The bain of my existence (is that how you say it?)

I wish I didn't care what time my kids got home.

I wish I didn't have to be such a responsible parent.

I wish kids knew for themselves how to make responsible choices.

Why do I always have to be the mean Mommy.

I hate it! (Sorry mom, I really really despise it!)

I just don't want to care...

On the plane again

Yep -

Just me and the kids, again.

Ari will be back at the end of this week, please G-d!

I'll be too busy to know he's away.

I guess that's a good thing.

What do you think?

Wanna say thanks

Thanks to all of you (as of this writing 7 of you) -

who answered the 19,000 question.

Interesting answers! Anyone else wanna add one???

Too tired to think

I have been exhausted by 5:00 pm every day this week.

And when I'm tired... get out of my way!

I'll bite your head off.

My poor kids.

I don't know how working Moms do it - I guess I'm doing it.

But not very well.

Too tired to think - must continue on...

Over 19,000

I apologize to my family and friends, and anyone else who reads my blog, for not posting in almost two weeks.

I could start listing excuses, but...who cares, really. I just haven't done it.

I am juggling many things:

• My husband's traveling and my relationship with him in the country and out.
• My children's needs. Food, clothing, school, emotional health, physical health.
• My client's at the Neve clinic.
• My private client.
• My efforts in trying to start a group for Olim women at the new clinic in Modiin.
• Another job opportunity working with Olim teens and psychodrama.
• Another job opportuntiy to work with Israeli 'street kids' in Jerusalem.
• Running another workshop in March for NEFESH.
• Building a house and all the detailed decisions that have to be made.
• My health.
• My nurturing.
• My sanity.

How's that for a list of excuses I said I wasn't going to write?!

Please be patient with me...

BTW, the best part of my week so far was an 8 hour visit with BB #2, who is here with a group of guys from his synagogue for the week. I miss my family!

And now, for the 19,000 question (if you care): If you could change one thing about your daily routine, what would it be?

Smile :)

Another week gone by....

And I feel obligated to post something.

Parenting - alone

Decisions on lighting for the new house - alone

Sleeping - alone (not really, Ely sleeps with me every night!)

Driving into Jerusalem - alone

Ari returns (please G-d) on Friday. We are all looking forward to him being home for a week before he turns around and goes back to the States again. This stinks! But it's a job, so I'm not allowed to complain.

My clients are consistently coming to their sessions. I guess that's a good sign. It's challenging work - but very rewarding.

Our house is going up...and up...and up. No workers this week because of the piguah in Netanya. Don't know what keeping the Arab workers off the yishuv helps with security in general, but whatever.

That'll have to do as a catch-up for now.

It's 9:15 pm, all my children are in the house! Either in bed or getting ready to go!

I'm headed there myself. Early night, early morning.

Later...