Time is flying here in Moshava.  Trying to figure out where I left off and update what we’ve done since we’ve come.  Keren is still having a hard time and not loving the whole gan thing.  She did much better at Camp Ma-Tov.  Today they asked her if she wanted to go with the bigger kids (the 2 yr. olds) to music class and she said no so they didn’t take her.  I think she would have enjoyed something like that and they just have to force her to go and then she’ll have more fun, rather than sitting inside with babies all day.  I told them next time to just take her hand and say, we are going.

Talia passed the deep water test.  Not only that, the lifeguard put her in a group with Eidah Bet girls!!  So she is thrilled to be swimming with the big girls.  Actually, she is BEYOND thrilled.   She went from not wanting to swim at all to swimming every day with quite a bit of enthusiasm.  She is not loving gan but she is looking forward to joining the kaytana on Sunday, where she will be in a real bunk with kids her age. 

Benjamin is having a great time!  I was so worried about him leaving Ma-Tov b/c he had such a fantastic month last moth.   Here  he is doing great also.  He has a great group of boys that he plays with and I hardly see him at all in between gan and meals.

As for me, I am loving camp as usual!  At night we hang out with friends and I am enjoying the office work during the day.  One night we actually got a huge screen put up in front of our bunk and showed a movie there for a bunch of us.  It was so much fun.

Otherwise, it’s the same thing every year.

So today is the second day at Camp Moshava.  On Tuesday we spent the morning in Riverdale packing up the car and saying goodbye.  We left after lunch and made really good timing to camp.  I think it took us two hours and ten minutes to get here.  The kids were nuts in the car for the first hour or so but once they settled in and relaxed I put a movie on for them on my computer and they watched it until my battery died. 

We got to camp and my friends here were really helpful when we got here.  I was able to pull the car all the way up to the bunk and my friends helped me unload the suitcases and move the beds around.  Talia was amazingly helpful with Keren and she also unpacked her clothing and hung up the skirts and dresses with me. 

Yesterday the kids went to gan.  Keren was a DISASTER!!  Talia and Ben were fine but Talia was a little sad that her two good friends moved into a real bunk this year.  Since then she’s made other friends and I’ve signed her up for kaytana, where she will be in a bunk for 2 weeks, so she’s content. 

Today Keren screamed her head off the entire way down to gan. Yesterday afternoon was a complete disaster where she stayed in her stroller all afternoon and didn’t talk to anyone!!  Today, however, after screaming all the way down to gan and screaming in gan, this nice girl who works there took her for a walk around the basketball courts and talked to her and told her that she had to be good and have fun for mommy so that mommy would be happy.  They said that when she came back she was a different person altogether and socialized and didn’t cry and was amazing.  She left happily for lunch with promises to return for a fun filled afternoon after lunch.  Anyway, she screamed when I took her back to gan in the afternoon but when I went to pick her up they said that she was great and she hardly cried at all.  Talia and Ben both had great days today in camp and are so happy here, it’s crazy. 

 Tonight Eric came up for the weekend.  He was originally supposed to come up tomorrow but his closing was pushed off to next week so he was able to come up a day earlier, which is nice since he has to leave on Sunday for his uncle’s birthday party.  Right now Keren is waiting for me to soap her up in her tupperware bathtub and the kids are at opening tochnit with Eric.  It’s really late but we are letting them stay up this year for the first time.  Off to soap Keren up and put her to sleep now.

That’s it!  I am finished with Camp Ma-Tov!!  So glad it is finally over.  That was hard work on my end and a lot of sweat.  It ended on a good note, though.  It was a beautiful day today and all the kids had such a nice last day.  Ben didn’t want to leave and I would seriously consider having him stay because he had such an amazing month.  His counselors both came up to me separately and told me how much they are going to miss him.  They wrote very nice notes to him.  Talia is glad that camp is over but she had a nice time in the end also.  Keren had a blast and I hope that she has a good time as well at Moshava.

I just finished all the packing and just have the last-minute things like toiletries, etc. to do tomorrow morning.  It took longer than I thought it would… or maybe it just felt like it did b/c I am so tired.  Tomorrow afternoon we make the big drive up to camp.  We are all so excited!!  I am, of course, nervous, but what else is new?  Until I get all the luggage out of the car and unpacked and get us settled with beds and stuff I’ll be on edge.  I already told Talia that she has to help me tomorrow and her answer, although I can’t remember it right now, wasn’t so encouraging.  I remember last year was  a disaster and I was ready to turn around and go home after trying for a while to get everyone settled in.  I hope it goes better tomorrow.

Anyway, going to get some sleep tonight in my nice comfy bed b/c tomorrow night it’s the plastic mattresses for us!

Just finished our second week at camp and I am wiped out!!!  It’s been hot as hell outside and humid!  I’ve been spending most of my time on the tennis courts which are scorching hot.  I keep joking that I am going to take some eggs to fry on the courts but I haven’t yet. 

Meanwhile, the kids are having a blast.  Ben is really enjoying it the most.  Today he passed one part of the deep water test and won a hakarat hatov award.  Keren took her time getting used to the gan there.  She has a really nice girl taking care of her and another boy named Noam who is also her age.  She cried the first week but now she complains that she doesn’t want to go to camp but once we get there she happily takes her counselor’s hand and walks in the door.  The only thing is that she can’t see me during the day or she’ll freak out.  So I hide behind people and trees so she doesn’t see me.   All the working moms in camp kind of do the same thing.  Talia is having a nice time.  I don’t know that she’s having a great time but she’s having a nice time.  She likes her counselors and she’s made some new friends.  She also has tennis this year for the first time and I’ve taught her a few times and she seems to be a natural at it!!   I wonder where she gets it from!?!

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on here.  I’m getting bigger and rounder as the weeks go by but I can still squeeze into some of my regular sized t-shirts.

The reason I write “last days of vacation” is because on Monday we start camp!!  The real work starts for me and the fun continues for the kids.  The last few days we’ve gone to the beach twice, the kids went fishing with Barry and Sara, we saw the movie Toy Story 3, and did some other things that I can’t seem to remember right now.

My mom and dad have been taking turns taking off from work and spending time with me and the kids.  Eric has been hard at work every day and has been traveling for at least an hour each day to and from work.  He’s been hitting a ton of traffic every day and is pretty miserable about his commute. 

It’s now a few minutes until Shabbat and the kids are watching TV and my mom and I just got back from getting manicures and pedicures (pedi for me, mani for her).  We are packing up again tomorrow night and moving to the Mandel house in Riverdale.  Another move!

I have to go help out now.

SO we are here, in America, and we’ve been crazy busy!  We arrived on Monday evening after a lonnng flight.  The kids were great on the flight but Keren insisted on being on top 0f me at all times.  I also threw up as we were going down, twice, and Eric accidentally packed the toothbrushes under the plane instead of in his hand luggage.  Ewwww. 

Tuesday I got the kids the shoes that they needed for the wedding as well as a bunch of other shoes.  In the afternoon we hung out and then went to Barry and Sara’s house to see the house and to see my new nieces!  I forgot my camera, though, so I took some pics with my phone but I am not able to put them up here.  Oh well.

Wednesday I took the kids, along with my parents to Adventureland.  They had a BLAST!!  We weren’t sure if we should buy a bracelet for Keren so she could go on the rides.  We didn’t know if she would enjoy the rides.  In the end we had to b/c she went on all of the rides that she could possibly go on.  In fact, as the day went on and she got a little tired, she would cry when the ride stopped and the man/woman wanted to take her off of it.  It was nice and empty there in the afternoon so she was able to go on ride after ride without getting off.  Ben was actually persuaded to go on a few big rides that he doesn’t usually go on and he LOVED them.  Talia was her usual crazy self going on all the huge rides.

Thursday was the wedding.  It was a crazy day.  We got ready in the morning and Talia and I went to get our hair and makeup done.  Then we went to the wedding and we had a great time.  It was beautiful. 

Shabbat we were at the Mandel house for shevah brachot.  We ate out on Shabbat day by Eric’s aunt.  The whole family was together and it was really very nice.

Today, Sunday, we had yet another crazy day.  We were back at my parents in the morning.  My parents took the kids to the pool and I went with Eric to Target to pick up a dress for today as well as some odds and ends.  This afternoon we had an engagement party for Sara’s sister Deena and then we came back to Riverdale for a really fun but hot and sticky Bat Mitzvah for Eric’s cousin Yarden.  It was beautiful but it was really hot and we were all dying.  The kids had a blast with all the shtick they gave out and I even danced a little with Talia to Cotton Eye Joe (she refused to dance at the wedding, she was tired and in a bad mood).

Anyway, another late night tonight but the kids are finally in bed and I am going to do the same.  That’s pretty much what we’ve been up to since we’ve been here.

Our last Shabbat here was nice.  It went by very quickly, as usual.  Friday night Eric and I ate quickly and then were sitting and talking downstairs when we heard the pitter patter of little feet and then a door opening.  The only one who sleeps with her door close is.. Keren!  It was around 10 and she was up and ready to NOT go back to sleep in her crib anytime soon.  Oy, what a disaster.  I can’t remember the sequence of events but she spent some time in her bed, not her crib, then back in her crib and then after we got into bed and I fell asleep she was found in Talia’s room asking her for a tissue b/c she was crying and her nose was running.  Eric eventually got her to stay in her crib and she slept there until the morning.

Shabbat was HOT!  It was warm and it was kind of damp outside as well, something we haven’t really seen yet this season.  By the time I got to shul it was time to turn around and go to Channah’s house for lunch.  Unfortunately, their air conditioning on the first floor was broken and boy was it a hot lunch!  The kids played mostly upstairs where the air was on so it wasn’t bad for them but we were pretty warm.  While we were there I was telling a friend who was also eating there of the problems we are having keeping Keren in the crib and getting her to sleep.  He gave us some tough love advice, basically keep putting her back in the crib and then walk out without talking to her, that he said worked for him and we said we’d try it. 

The kids stayed at Channah’s house until close to 5 while we went home and Eric and Keren napped (she stayed in her crib) and I read on the couch.  The kids came home and played with the neighbors until we called them in at 8 to take showers and go to sleep.  Keren stayed in her crib once again, all night long this time.  I think she sees that we mean business plus Eric put a pillow in her crib and she’s pretty excited about it.

Eric went to do his police volunteer thing last night after Shabbat.  He was supposed to be picked up at 10 but they were busy and didn’t come to get him until12.  So he was there with them from 12-3:45.  I had an early night in anticipation of not sleeping so well b/c of all the things on my mind, packing, etc.

This morning we started the actual packing.  I had put all of our stuff out that we are taking and left them in piles around the house but I also had to make one final wash and then pack some of that stuff too.  So we now need to do the last-minute things as well as cleaning up the house a little.

Tonight at 6 Ben has his graduation from gan chovah!!  We’ll probably switch off between the two of us who stays home with Keren and Talia and who goes.  They don’t want siblings there and it’s pretty hard anyway with Keren.   After that, at 8, I have parent orientation for Keren’s gan next year.  So it’s kind of going to be a busy evening and I am hoping to get all the last-minute packing in before 6 when things get crazy.

The next blog will probably be from America!

Got home a little while ago from Hod Hasharon.  We were by Aunt Yisraella and Uncle Moishe to celebrate Saba and Savta’s 79th birthdays.  We were supposed to meet in a park and do it there but it was a really hot day today so we all went there.  I felt kind of bad that she had to have all of us right before Shabbat and I also felt bad b/c it is kind of tight there and no place for the kids to run around in but everyone seemed to have had a good time.  I, of course, forgot my camera but Eric took pictures with his phone and posted them on Facebook.

This morning Ben was the אבא של שבת and Eric went in and did the parsha with the kids.  He said it went well but Ben told me that Eric’s Hebrew used to be good but now it’s just like mine.  Hmmmm…  Upon further questioning it turns out that he doesn’t like it when Eric talks with an American accent and prefers his fake Israeli one (that I can’t stand).  Talia also said she is completely embarrassed when I speak Hebrew

This morning at 5 Keren came up to my room and went back to sleep with me until I got up at 6:45.  She went back to sleep again and slept until 8 with Eric!  This is a much needed improvement from Thursday when she woke up at 4 something and Ben brought her downstairs to watch TV!!  Talia said she told him to bring her up to me but he ignored her.  Ben claims he was told no such thing.  Oy.  So at least when Talia told her to come to me this morning she listened and Talia went back to sleep!  We tried to monitor but I don’t hear her jump out of bed.

Yesterday Ben was out all day at his friend Chaim’s house after school and Talia had her last survival chug for the year.  In the morning I was famished and Foster was cleaning so Eric and I went to the mall for breakfast with Keren.  It was beautiful outside and we sat outside and ate and it was really nice.  Our last hurrah before we leave.

Oh, forgot to mention the colony of ants I found in the kitchen and hallway when I came home from picking up Foster in the morning.  GROSS!!!  Luckily Foster was here to wash the floors and get them all out.  I bought this new floor cleaner that is supposed to be anti jukes an hopefully also will repel ants, etc.

Anyway, it’s close to 6 and I have to get these kids moving before Shabbat.  Last Shabbat before we go!!!

So it was 4:30 this morning when I heard Keren call out “Ben!”  I rushed downstairs so she wouldn’t wake anyone else up at that ridiculous hour and she wasn’t in her room.  Her door was open and she was standing in Talia’s room in the dark.  Talia was sitting up in her bed.  Keren has officially begun climbing out of her crib and we are in hell!!  This morning Talia told me that she was actually calling out “Talia!  Ben!”  and luckily Talia was able to go back to sleep after that lovely wake-up call from her sister.  I, unfortunately, had to bring Keren into bed with me for fear she would jump out again and I didn’t sleep so well the rest of the night, or early morning.

Today, Keren wouldn’t go into her crib for her nap and she also wouldn’t stay in her bed.  The result was a cranky Tammy and  a cranky Keren for the rest of the day.  I am dreading tomorrow’s nap time.  I don’t know what I’m going to get.

The other kids are great.  Ben has to learn a small part for his graduation on Sunday.  He has a pretty good memory and he’s doing a great job learning it.  Talia had her last art class today and she was sad b/c she loves art in school. 

We were supposed to go to the beach today in the afternoon but Talia wanted to go to her friend’s house and Ben didn’t want to go without Talia and I was just too tired so we didn’t go.  Keren was very disappointed!  She was looking forward to it.  I felt bad but I did tell her that if she didn’t sleep we wouldn’t go. I was bluffing at the time but then we really didn’t go.  Ben wound up going to a friend’s house and her mom took them to the park so he had a really nice afternoon.  I was stuck at home with Miss Cranky Keren, not as much fun.  While I was making dinner Jere came by and took Keren for a walk to the mailboxes. Talia was home by that time and tagged along.  Keren fell asleep and was out for the count.  She is lucky she is a cute kid!

Big day of packing tomorrow, yuck!

Yesterday when the kids came home from school we took them to yerushalayim.  They had been asking to go to the kotel for a while and we told them we would go when Eric came back from his trip.  We did a ton of walking and had a really nice time with them!!  Talia wrote a whole megillah (all in Hebrew, of course) to sick in the kotel.  She wouldn’t let me read it.  Ben wrote “no more bad guys” in English.  I helped him spell it out but he wrote it all himself.  He also thought of it himself.  Too funny.

We went out to dinner at the Mamilla Mall.  The weather was beautiful.  We sat outside.  I think Keren ate more than all of us put together. She just kept on going.  It was so funny.  We didn’t get home until after 8 and the kids went straight to bed.

Today was hot again. The days have been brutal here lately.  This morning we stayed in and played around the house.  Eric took Ben to the eye doctor to look at this thing that he’s had on his eye.  It is finally going away but our friend said he thought it needed antibiotics so we kept the appointment today and took him.  Actually, we took him yesterday b/c I made a mistake and then had to take him again today for his actual appointment.  What the hell is wrong with me?  Anyway, the doctor said it’s a sty and it might permanently leave a mark under his eye b/c it was a bad one.  So sad. I hope it goes away completely.

In the afternoon we were all kind of bored and there was nothing to do so I took the kids to the pool.  Half the Yishuv was there.  It was so nice. Eric BBQ’d before we left so we could take dinner with us.  The kids swam and then ate and then swam some more.  It was a lot of fun and a nice cool ending to a hot and sleepy day.