A sweet NED story

This is a busy week here in Israel.

After Rosh Hashanah; getting ready for Yom Kippur.

Many of the schools take their students to historical and biblical sites. The most important being the Western Wall - the Kotel.

The school NED was in the last two years rarely took their students anywhere. Not sure why, really. They just didn't.

Now that NED has switched to NOGA, the same school MB has been in since we got here, she is so much happier. Not just because of the school trips, but there is the added benefit of having most of her close friends in school with her, and she is actually doing work. She is surprisingly really enjoying that part!

Last night the school took the girls to the Kotel. NED did not get home until 4:30 in the morning! When she woke up this afternoon :), she had a very nice story to tell me:

She described the kotel to be packed. People were shoulder to shoulder. She could barely move and certainly couldn't get close to the wall itself. She was standing in the back with a friend who had just made aliyah, when a young girl, speaking only Hebrew started asking her friend about the prayer service. When NED realized that her friend did not understand or speak enough Hebrew, she chimed in. NED told the girl she could help her.
NED described to me how this young Israeli girl knew enough about the prayer service to know that she was supposed to cover her eyes at one point, and take 3 steps back at another point. But she didn't know where to find those parts in her prayer book.
NED - all in Hebrew - helped this young girl to follow in the prayer book.
NED never asked her name or where she was from. NED wasn't even curious.

She only enjoyed and felt so good about herself that she was able to help this girl, not only in Hebrew, but also to feel more comfortable reading the prayer book!

I don't need to be proud of my children when they feel proud of themselves!

Isn't that a nice NED story?!

Hills and Valleys, Valleys and Hills

I've learned a hard lesson this week.

When you're angry, which really comes from a place of hurt, be careful what you say!

Losing control of your emotions can be hurtful and embarrassing.

Baggage can be really heavy.
And painful to carry around.
And sometimes really hard to unpack.
Some stuff has been in that bag for a long time.
It's been pushed into the corners. Some of it is stuck.
And sometimes it starts to slip out and pops the bag open.
And sometimes it breaks the bag and you have to get the bag fixed.
And once you start unpacking, you have to figure out what to do with the stuff...

Relationships are like living in a landscape of hills and valleys. (That's not my original thought - Thank you Jamie E. via Rabbi K!)

Up and down you go.

My burning question is: What is really real? The ups or the downs?

But I can't sleep!

Call me whatever you want, but I'm really starting to lose my patience with my Arab neighbors!

They feel the need to call for prayer at 3, 4 and 5 AM AS LOUD AS THEIR SPEAKERS CAN GO!!!

I have now turned to sleeping with earplugs, but even they don't work!

It's too nice to have the air conditioning running, but with the windows open to catch the nice breeze...

I don't sleep!

WHY?? Why do they have to call SO LOUD?!?

Happy New year to you

I'm feeling the pressure to post something even though I really don't feel like it.

It was a quiet chag (holiday). Only five guests. No more than 11 place settings at a meal - and two of the girls left for Saturday night so there were only 9 of us! I think it's a record.

The company, though, was comfortable. Good friends make the best guests. It's really like having family over! (At least the family that you like and get along with!)

Didn't make too much food. At least not as much as I usually do!

No one starved...

Ari daavened (led the prayer service) the first day. As usual, it was beautiful.

The second day, one of the old timers from the yishuv daavened. I think I cried through the whole thing. Can't tell you why really? Nothing specific. There's alot going on and I also think it's PMS (too personal?)

I'm feeling a little confused with life these days. Overwhelmed with the immensity of it.
I'd rather eat chocolate.... or go to sleep!

Good night.

Another quick Ely story

Sitting on our breezy porch eating dinner with MB, NED and Ely.
NED and MB are yapping away about stuff going on for them and Ely is trying very hard to get my attention:
"I want to say something. I want to tell my story."
"OK, Ely, what's your story?"
"Um...I um... I...um...at school today we looked out the window and saw the boys. It was so funny..."

Very soon the big girls will be out of the house and Ely will have my full attention to yap about whatever she wants, without having to try to come up with something. That day will come very very fast!

A little bit of this and that

Ari is in the States again. Hopefully for a successful job interview. I want him to get the job, but I don't want him to do the traveling that it will entail. Can't afford to be too picky.

Ari and I went north this past weekend. A celebration of sorts for our 18th. We stayed in a very nice hotel right on the Kinneret Sea. Relaxing. Bountiful and tasty food. Quiet. AWAY!

I asked Ari why he thought I needed get aways like this more than other people I know. His response was validating, "Not everyone lives life as seriously and intensely as you do. You need to get away from reality more." He wasn't complaining. And he's right.

So I plan the next getaway in 3 -4 months...

I blew off parent-teacher night at NED and MB's school tonight. I wasn't home last night and will not be home the next three nights. I haven't put Ely to bed in over a week. I needed to stay home and be Mommy.

So I did.

Made and ate dinner with my girls (DB was off to Jerusalem). Took a walk, hand-in-hand, with Ely, to deliver some checks I owed to various people on the yishuv. When we returned, Ely and MB and I went down to my office/studio and colored/painted for a half hour and then bed time. It was all worth it!

Had my first client in my new office/studio today. It's not completely set up yet, but usable enough. I need to get a desk and organize my files. I need to unpack more of the arts and crafts boxes that have been packed away for 3 years. And I need to get a sink and cabinets. And I need to decorate the walls more.
Otherwise, it's a great space! As of right now I am calling it: Express Yourself: Creative Space and Office.

I'm not very creative with names. Any ideas?

Tomorrow is a very full day. I see clients at the clinic from 10 AM until 3 PM. Then I have a private client in Jerusalem and then I have supervision.

There is a NAOT shoe sale on the yishuv tomorrow evening. I want to try to make it back for that.

I'm rambling.

Sleep calls in my big empty bed. Ari returns on Wednesday, please G-d.

Good night.
Smile.

Weekend away

Maybe my fun will start with a weekend away with my husband.

We are off today for a weekend in the North. I hate leaving the kids - always feel so irresponsible.

But I need it - more often.

Ari leaves for the States on Sunday - job interview. Let's hope for the best!

Shabbat Shalom

Hope you have some fun too this weekend!

More humor needed

BB#2 says I need more humor.

I agree!

I need to have more FUN in my life.

Now where do I start?

Married 18 years

It's official. Tonight is the hebrew date of our 18th wedding anniversary.

I have been married to the same man, for real now, for 18 years.

On our English anniversary date, I recieved a comment from an anonymous commentor (I think I might know who you are. Not too many people call me SB.)

The commentor wanted to know my secret.

I wish I could answer you.

I have no idea how I got this far. It just happened.

I guess the good outway the bad. Life just carries me along. Sometimes I stop and think and other times I just keep going.

Sure, I would like somethings to be different. And I will continue to work on them - alone and with Ari.

But I am very thankful today. One man has put up with me this long!

That is no easy feat!

Feeling at home

It's been almost a week since I returned.

It's been a crazy week. Running here and there, dealing with this and that.

I come home everyday and look around.

I recognize my things, but the building is strange. The walls aren't recognizable.

When will it feel like home? When will I feel more settled?

and a 30,000 hit question

My sister-in-law wants to go to Hawaii for her 40th birthday. I'm still waiting for my trip to Hawaii (which was "promised" to me about 15 years ago, when I lost 10 pounds!)

Where are you waiting to travel to? Your dream vacation?

Dream on...

So Happy to be Home

Thank G-d I'm home.
Home in Israel.
This is my home.
My house doesn't YET feel like my home, but all my things are here and more importantly, my husband and children are here.

It's a strange building with my furniture in it.

But I'll get used to it.

And although it's so hard to leave my family and friends, Israel feels like home.

Back to Life.

Back to chaos and stress.

Back to decisions.

Back to parenting and discipline.

Back to relationships.

Back to Life.

Love

Leaving (again) on a jet plane

I leave tomorrow morning for the airport.
I drive alone - quiet
Flight departs at 2 pm, I land on Monday at 7 am, please G-d.

Life takes off from there.

Will try to remember to breathe (thanks Uncle!).

I hate leaving my family.

Saying goodbye, not knowing when I will see my grandparents again.

I am blessed.

I'll check in again on the other side of the ocean.

Is it time for a question?

Could someone let me know how many hits I'm up to, please.

The counter doesn't show up on my Dad's computer.

I seem to remember being almost up to something, but I can't remember exactly what.

Thank you!