00:42 wake-up

The evenings are cool now so we sleep with our windows open. In another couple of weeks, we will have to put the AC on. The night air will become hot and humid, making it impossible to sleep without the cool air. For now, it's fresh air, no noisy machines and a ceiling fan.

Which is all fine and dandy until inconsiderate teenagers decide to hang out in the park next to our house after midnight yelling and screaming obscenities at each other – in English!

Which means I understand what they are saying and even know who they are. The mother in me wanted to yell out to them to be quiet or just “shush” them through my closed trissim (shutters). Instead I got up to see if any of my kids were still up so they could call them or go out to tell them they were too loud and had awoken their mother (of course, Ari slept through it all!).

MB was up for some reason, but jumped back into bed when she heard me moving. DB was already asleep. By the time I got back to my room the kids were leaving the park.

And I was completely awake!

So now what?

I blog. I think. I put in a load of laundry.

I pack a box? Probably not.

I’ll go read on the couch and fall asleep there again.

It’s gonna be another one of those nights…

…Dreaming of wall colors and bathroom vanities…

The 26,000th hit question

IF YOU WERE BUILDING A HOUSE FROM SCRATCH, WHAT WOULD BE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WOULD WANT IN OR ABOUT YOUR HOUSE?

Picking out bathroom sinks and vanities

That's what I did today.
As well as decide where to put my reverse osmosis spiket.
And the air conditioning ducks on the second and third floors.

Fun Fun Fun

Decisions Decisions Decisions

Picking Tiles

Ari and I drove to Tel Aviv AGAIN today. This time to really finalize our tile selection for the house. Evidently, the contractor is ready to FINALLY start laying the tile.

So here is how my inner conversation goes with choosing tile:

Whatever I choose is going to look great
I don't want to care.
But I should care. 'Cuz then it will be in and I might not like it, like the windows on the outside of the house. I didn't care then and now I don't like them and I have to live with them for the rest of my life.

So I need to care and choose something nice.

But everything will look great once it's in.
Maybe I should have hired a designer.
How come other people building seem to be doing this with such ease.
We can't afford a designer.
And I'm supposed to be so good at this.

I need more hand holding.
How do I know if it's going to look good.
I don't care.
I don't want to care.

But if I don't care then I might not like it when it's done.

And around and around and around and around

Think this is fun?!

No.

P.S. Happy Mother's Day! I Need my Mommy...

Good news

The packing has begun!

DB and Ari threw down the dusty boxes from the attic to the porch on Friday. We had saved them from our move from Boston 3 years ago.

Then I had our 6 male Shabbat guests dust them off.

Then I told them that they were not allowed to leave Saturday night until the kitchen was clean and they had each packed at least one box! They fell for it and we now have 6 boxes packed - 5 of books and one of "chatchkies" from the china cabinet.

Now to keep up the momentum!

My Week

Sunday, met with 2 clients at the Oasis Center in Modiin. A 12 year old and a 6 year old. Then I dealt with house stuff. And procrastinated packing.

Monday, I dealt with house stuff (worked on the cabinets for the mudroom and the master bedroom closet). And procrastinated packing.

Tuesday, I went to Jerusalem. I had to meet a social worker to get approved to be a gaurdian for my neice and nephew while their parents live in South Africa. (Did I tell you all yet that Brother Matt moved to South Africa?!) Did some shopping and walked around Geula and Mea Shearim and the city center. Took myself out for lunch at Village Green (yummy vegetarian!). Met with "the client that hates to talk" and a new Kallah (bride). And procrastinated packing.

Wednesday, 3 clients at the clinic. And procrastinated packing.

Thursday, group supervision, a seminar on incest (yuch!), and thenI taped a session with a client. Came back home, did my shopping for Shabbat, baked a little, And procrastinated packing.

Good night and Shabbat Shalom.

Mazal Tov to Yaakov and Shev!

My Yaakov got engaged last week.

He made a movie preview and rented a movie theatre.

Big step.

Permission to Build

We got the okay today to start building!

Our mortgage was ok'ed and we recieved the "heter B'nia."

Which means we can pay for the house and we can start building...

Funny thing. The house is almost all built!

We move June 27th. It's crunch time!

When are you coming to visit?

Jumpin' Back In

I start back to water aerobics tomorrow!

Woo-Hoo! Can't wait!

What are you going to start tomorrow?

Israeli Independence Day

First, a couple of Israel moments today - in no special order:

- We were walking back to cousin Debra's house, walking through town at around 7 PM (very close to the limit of time when one may pray the afternoon prayers) and a religious soldier with a backpack and gun in hand, tucked himself into a corner in the middle of the street and began to pray.

- As we drove though the machsom (security checkpoint) on our way home (when driving to Jerusalem we have to pass through one checkpoint going there and coming home) the soldier leaned into our car window to make sure everyone and everything was hakol beseder (everything OK) and reminded us, "S'firat Haomer." (yeah, not gonna try to explain that one!)

- NED was in the daglanut last night. Every year on Yom Hatzmaut, the 8th grade girls do a flag performance. They do like a march to music and wave the flags. Sorta kinda, hard to explain. It was awesome to watch her with her Bnei Akiva shirt and waving the Isreali flag!

Since coming back from the states, I have had this almost unexplainable feeling of, "This is where I belong." I just feel at home. Yes, it's a difficult place to live and I have my hardships, but something just feels so right. And I feel so lucky to be able to live here.

The Rabbi of the yishuv spoke (in hebrew, of course) at the Yom Hatzmaut ceremony last night and said in broken English, that this is not INDEPENDENCE Day, but it's DEPENDENCE Day because we are dependent on the Almighty. I liked that thought.

Back to work tomorrow.

I was assigned a new case with a kid that was diagnosed with OCD - Obssessive Compulsive Disorder. They want me to see the family all together. There are 5 kids, plus the parents. I know nothing about OCD, nor how to do family therapy. I guess it's time to learn!