This morning I picked up Foster with Keren.  Ben decided to stay home and Talia stayed with him.  The kids were ready early so I took advantage of it and walked to school with them.  We usually walk to school but on Thursdays we have to drive b/c there usually isn’t enough time to get through in the morning and then get Talia to school on time if we walk.  Ben would not let me leave. He didn’t want to stay there.  He’s been giving me more and more of a hard time.  I’ve asked him why but he won’t tell me.  He just doesn’t want to go.  It makes me so sad!!   I am just not thrilled with his teachers this year and I am glad we are moving b/c if we stayed and I decided not to send him on to first grade next year, then he would have the same lousy teacher.

This morning was another beautiful day so Keren, Eric and I went to the park by the bagel store.  We got bagels and ate outside in the park.  We stayed for a long time b/c Foster was cleaning and only came home at 12.

This evening after everyone came home from swim and survival chugim, we went to the Purim carnival that the Yeshiva was having.  It turned out to be a DISASTER!  Keren and Talia had a good time but Ben was impossible.  We brought Eitan with us and after a few games the boys decided they were thirsty.  I bought them each a Coke and they were happy.  Then they asked for cotton candy and that’s when the fit started.  Robin had shown up by that time, thank goodness, b/c Ben would not stop crying that he wanted cotton candy.  I refused and I finally had to take him home.  He cried the whole way home.  He was acting nuts.  So he pretty much ruined the whole thing for me and for Keren.  I let Talia say and she came home happy a little while later.  I think in the end it was that he was starving and he couldn’t handle it.  It’s not the first time that we’ve seen him act crazy when he’s hungry.

In the end the kids were all home by 6:15.   They ate, I cooked a little with Ben and he snapped right out of his bad mood and then I showered them and put them to sleep.

Tomorrow it’s off to the beach!

The title of my post is kind of wishful thinking.  The weather is nice enough that we could have gone to the beach this afternoon.  The problem was that I had 2 appointments for Talia, one at the doctor to check out her ear and another at the optometrist to check out her eyes.  I also had a sick Keren.  Keren is not exactly sick, I am not sure what is wrong with her.  She has a very horse voice and she was in a lousy mood all day.  No fever or anything else, though.  So we didn’t go to the beach, again!  Maybe Friday…

This morning I did my shopping and the came home and gave Keren breakfast.  Eric went to ulpan, he only has about 3 classes left, and then I thought I would take Keren to the park.  We lasted about 5 minutes at the park.  She cried the whole time.  In the end i took her home and we watched The Wiggles and then i put her to sleep.

This afternoon, after getting 2 calls from Talia that she wanted to come home b/c her ear hurt her, I took Talia to the doctor to have him check out her ear.  It turns out that he didn’t see anything wrong with it.  So he told me to give her a decongestant and come back on Sunday if it’s no better.

Talia went to play at a friend’s house and Ben, Keren and I hung out at home playing outside and making challot and dinner.  At 5:30 I took the kids to get Talia’s eyes checked out b/c her maniac teacher thought she might need glasses.  After 2 seconds we saw that her eyes are fine.  She was able to read the whole chart easily.  So, I’ll have to write a note to her teacher letting her know she is a moron.  I wonder how to say moron in Hebrew…

Eric is off to the gym as I write this for his night time workout and I am headed to do the dishes and to bed.

I should have been in bed 30 minutes ago but I am addicted to the show House and I can’t stop watching old episodes, one after another.  They are all new for me so they are exciting.

Anyway, another warm day here in Israel.  Ben rode his bike to school again and Talia got as far as the corner on her bike before she asked me to take it back home for her b/c her bag was too heavy and was throwing her off balance.

This morning I played tennis with a new friend from 10-11.  It was really, really hot on the courts and I was dying!!  I got nice color, actually.  A good base.  Back to the important stuff, the tennis was great.  I finally found someone to play with who is on my level and really good.  She hits as hard as I do, which is hard to find!  We are playing again next Tuesday.  Yay.  We just hit this time.  Next time I imagine we’ll try playing a real game. 

This afternoon after Ben came home from English and we dropped Talia off at English, Keren, Ben and I went to the park.  Ben had a couple of friends there and he was very happy.  I like going to the park in the evening with the kids b/c there are usually Israelis hanging out then and I get to practice my non-existent Hebrew.  It was cute b/c most of the kids in ganim had their faces painted for Adar.  I forgot that every day something goes on here during this crazy month.  Talia has to wear gold tomorrow (gold?!!?) and we are scrambling here trying to find her things that are gold.  Luckily, her friend’s mother is a teacher and has access to many resources in her school so she helped us out a bit.  Meanwhile, there is very little learning going on in school.

We came home and ate what I thought was going to be a yummy supper that I prepared this afternoon.  I made beef with scallions.  I don’t think I’ve made it in 2 years or maybe even more.  The kids were excited for it.  It bombed!!  Instead, I gave them chicken nuggets and rice with ketchup.  I could have made that in minutes!  Oh well!  I didn’t care for it much myself either.  Tomorrow is fish and Eric is making a new recipe.. chili…  I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Yesterday was a whopping 93 degrees, that’s the temperature that our car registered.  It was HOT.  Ben walks out of the house every morning and tells me that it’s just like Florida.  I wonder when he’ll stop and realize that it’s just like Israel!!

Eric woke up early with the kids b/c I couldn’t move after the night of dancing the night before.  He got the kids out to school and then he went to ulpan and I got my tuchus out of bed just in time to make it to playgroup.  Keren had a pretty good time.  I think I enjoy playgroup more than she does…

We got home at 10:30 and I gave Keren something to eat and before I knew it Ben was dropped off at 11 b/c his day was over!  He had a short day yesterday b/c last night he had his party for finishing בראשית .  Ben and I snuggled on the couch and watched a movie while Keren slept and Eric ran out to get some groceries.

We picked Talia up from school and went to eat some falaffel for lunch.  Then the kids did the usual rounds of English chug.  Talia could not learn how to spell the words for her spelling test no matter how many times we went over them.  Instead of her usual 100 she got 2/6 right!  I knew she wasn’t going to get it.  They were words like – What, When, Where.  She just couldn’t get it.  Oh well.

The kids played outside the rest of the afternoon and Eric finally threw out the pieces of the shed.  We sure did not get our money out of that purchase!!  We never followed up to the company when they told us they would sell replacement parts and now it’s too late.  Anyway, we play on building a real shed that will sit outside our new house in Even Shmuel, so we won’t have a need for this one.  Now the front of our house is nice and clean and so is the back.  I also cleaned up all of the toys in the back.  Spring cleaning in 90 degree weather in February.  Crazy!

At 6 we took the kids over to the shul to watch Ben in action.  He was adorable.  As usual, the thing went way too long and the kids were tired and hungry and forced to perform song after song!  I enjoyed it.  I love those things.  I’ll have to get Eric to put some video (there is tons of it!) on line and I’ll add a link another time.  Meanwhile, here are some stills:

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We got home at 7:30 and the kids were in bed by 8.

I just came back from dancing and it’s 11 pm so I am going to make this a short one.

Shabbat in Modiin was nice.  Neither of us slept but the kids slept so that was good.  In fact, Keren went right to sleep without even a peep!!  We were exhausted the rest of the day but we had a nice time despite it.

We booked as soon as Shabbat was over.  The kids were sooo tired from a whole day out at lunch and then at the park that we got them into bed at 7 and they went right to sleep.  We also went to sleep really early.

Today was your typical Sunday.  School, the park in Modiin and then a birthday party for Talia in the afternoon.  One for the 5thgrade girls came to play with Ben and Keren while Talia was at her party.

Tonight they had a dance thing at the shul for women only.  They had a great DJ there and we basically danced from 8:00-11:00. I am DEAD now.  We had such a great time!!  I am totally going to institute dance night at the new yishuv.

I can’t write anymore, I have to get into bed.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog that Keren finally agreed to sit on the back of my bike and wear her little helmet!  We went to the play in the evening yesterday and we all rode our bikes there together. It was so cute.  In the past she wouldn’t sit on the bike for more than one go around on the patio outside but yesterday she was giggling while I took her on the bike. 

This morning I went to Ben’s school and read the kids a story.  It was NOT easy.  They gave me something to read since I hadn’t brought anything of my own and I had about 3 minutes to look at it before I had to read it and explain it to the kids.  Oy.  I was glad that the teacher was there b/c she helped me a lot.  It was not my most favorite thing to do.  Ben was very happy, though, and really enjoyed sitting next to me.  Keren made trouble, as usual, and started pulling off the boys’ kippot.  The teacher grabbed her and she wasn’t so happy with that until the teacher gave her a chocolate waffle.  That worked!!

We came home and I had to make another dessert for the people we are eating by on Shabbat b/c my other dessert kind of fell apart (I am not sure why) and I am going to bring it b/c it tastes good but I don’t want them to have to serve it if they don’t want to.  I think we are going to be 40 people at lunch on Shabbat!

Next Keren and I went to get flowers for the people we are sleeping at.

Now Talia is home and we are going to do some homework that she has to do on the computer.  Her computer keeps giving us a blue screen so I am going to let her use my computer to do her homework. 

I assume that I will have to get Eric at some point today.  He didn’t e-mail me to let me know that he is on the flight lie he usually does so I hope he is actually on the flight.  I’ll wait for him to call me and see what he says.  Wonder what happened…

Have to pack us all up too. Uch, I hate that.

Shabbat Shalom.

Yesterday was beautiful and warm so after Keren and I did the grocery shopping we came home and ate breakfast and then went back out to the park in Modiin, where we hadn’t been for a while.

In the afternoon the kids came home, ate lunch and made cards to bring to my grandfather in the hospital.  We met my grandmother at her apartment and then went from there to the hospital.  We saw my grandfather, who was very, very happy to see the kids.  Instead of sitting inside, this time we sat outside and the kids played hide and go seek and other games that we came up with for them.  There is a really pretty area in the back of the hospital with grass where they were able to run around.  My grandfather enjoyed watching them. 

We left him and we went out to eat with my grandmother and great aunt.  We went to the same place we’ve gone the last few weeks.  I think next week we might try another place b/c Ben is getting sick of it and I think my grandmother might be as well.

Today we picked up Foster bright and early.  Ben threw a bit of a fit b/c Talia wanted to come with us, whereas it’s usually just the 2 of us or sometimes Keren comes with the 2 of us also.  He didn’t want Talia to come.  While he was crying he announced that I don’t care about him just like his teachers don’t care about him. It’s not the first time he’s said something like this about his teachers.  I took him to school today and told his assistant teacher what he said and she said that i should really speak to the real teacher (who was not there today).  So tomorrow I am going to discuss it with his main teacher. This might be the reason that he tells me he doesn’t want to go to school often.  I don’t know.

Anyway, today was WARM.  I think it might have hit 80 here.  So we walked to school today and then I came home with Keren and we watched some TV and had some breakfast and then went to run some errands.  Ben told me this morning that tomorrow he is going to be the אבא של שבת in school and I had to run out and get him some candies to hand out.  Luckily, I already had the grape juice and cups, I did not want to have to run out and get that stuff on a Thurs.  We also had to exchange money b/c I was out of it!

I got a call on the way home that Ben’s swim was cancelled today due to a broken pump in the pool.  So I had to arrange for Ben to get home with Robin b/c Keren would still be asleep when he gets out b/c she only starts her nap after Foster leaves at 12.  I knew he was going to be very upset when he found out so I was glad not to have to be the one to tell him!  Ha!  Better Robin than me

So Keren and I dropped the candies and the car at home and walked to pay a shiva call.  A friend of mine from Ulpan last year just lost her husband to cancer.  It was very quick.  It was his third marriage (they are much older) and his children were sitting shiva somewhere else and she decided to sit here by herself.  So someone organized hours for people to go during the day so she wouldn’t be alone.  So I brought Keren with me and I was so happy to see Robin there when I got there b/c when she saw me, she and the other woman left and it was my turn to sit there and Robin took Keren home with her.  So that was great.

In the afternoon Talia had her chug and I took Ben and Keren to the park.  At 4:30 we all met at the Moadon Noar and went to the performance that was put on there.  Talia and Ben said it was great.  I, unfortunately, had to stay outside with a very noisy Keren who kept trying to get up to the stage.  She was adorable, however, in the beginning when they were just playing music and she was dancing!!  I bought the kids slushies and everyone was happy. 

I have to go check the weather report b/c if it stays this warm we’ll have to pack short sleeves for Shabbat.  We are going to Shefa and Aharon’s house for Shabbat.

My day started pretty early.  Ben came up at 5 to tell me that he was sweaty and it was my fault b/c he hadn’t taken a shower the night before.  It was my fault b/c I left the heat on for them, bad mother that I am, and so he woke up all sweaty at 5.  At 5:30 Keren woke up, probably from the noise Ben was making in is room now that he had decided that it was morning.  I went down to get Keren and told Ben to go back to sleep (he was playing with the Leapster in his bed).  Of course the 2 of us didn’t go back to sleep!!

At 7:15 Talia came up and climbed into bed with us.  Ben came up shortly after.  I decided it was going to be a lazy morning and I stayed in bed a little while longer before getting up and getting them dressed and out.  By the time we got to school it was close to 9!

Keren and I hung out at home this morning.  I was too tired to move and so was she.  We watched TV and played with toys and then I fed her and put her in for an early nap.  I dragged myself into bed and slept for a little while too, though not as long as I had hoped. 

This afternoon I decided to give the kids a meat lunch.  My friend Ilana gives her kids meat lunches and then they don’t have a big dinner.  I decided to try it today b/c the kids have been coming home so famished and then they are eating the rest of the day or begging me to eat dinner really early.  So I made a big meat meal of sloppy joes and rice.  Ben came home and ate it.  Talia came home a little while later and said she wasn’t hungry b/c she ate 2 of her lunches at school today just before she came home b/c her teacher was absent, or something like that.  Of course! 

After Ben’s English and after I took Talia to her English, Keren, Ben and I went to the bagel store to pick up dinner and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the park next door.  Of course, while we were there,  Ben insisted that he was STARVING!!  So much for the meat for lunch theory of my friend.  We had a great time at the park despite the fact that I think we left Ben’s shirt there.  I’ll go back tomorrow and see if I can find it.

Side note about Keren:  I taught her last night to lay on her belly in the bath and she LOVES it!!  She is so cute.  Oy!  She hangs out in the bath now on her stomach and kicks her feet and is so content.

Today we had playgroup at our house!  Three other mommies and their children came to play.  Keren was really excited.  I took out a bunch of toys and put them all in the living room and all the kids played really nicely.  In fact, they all stayed until 10:30, rather than 10.  So we had our first successful mommie playtime at our house.

Talia got all of her spelling words right today at English as well as the bonus word!   I think it’s the first time that she’s gotten everything right.  She was so proud of herself. 

Nothing else out of the ordinary happened today.  Ben went to his friend Gili’s house after English and stayed there until 5.  Talia wanted to go to her friend’s house as well but she was rude to me and I punished her.  In the end it didn’t even matter b/c her friend never called.  She was pretty antsy tonight and after we picked Ben up from Gili’s house she asked if she could take a walk.  She and Ben wound up hanging out down the block on a bench.  They came home for dinner and went right back out until 7!  They had a piece of paper and a pen and they said they were writing down the names of flowers.  I was just happy they were getting along.

Oh, Keren counts.  Here is how she counts:  1, 2, 3, 6.  No mention of the numbers 4 and 5.   She is so funny!!

I forgot to write about Keren’s first time out on Friday night.  It was hysterical!  Eric was in shul and Keren kept biting the kids.  After the third time that I told Keren that if she bit one of the kids again that I would put her in a time out, she bit Ben again.  So I put her in a little chair and I made her face the sliding glass door and she started to cry.  She got back up and I put her back in her chair and she sat there crying.  When I turned around to go back to playing with the kids, I noticed that Ben was crying.  I asked Talia why he was crying and she told me that he felt bad for Keren.   After about 20 seconds Talia also burst into tears.  So I had the three of them hysterical crying.  I had to take Keren out of her time out b/c Ben and Talia couldn’t keep it together.  It was hysterical!!

This morning Keren and I met my friend for breakfast.  It was nice until Keren started melting down.  Oh well.   She was up pretty early this morning so I guess she had to nap a little earlier than usual.  She brought me 3 books to read, yay!  I was out of books and Eric is away for the week so this will give me something to do.

Robin called and asked me to take Eitan home with us and we wound up going to the park for a little while with Ben, Eitan and Gili (I asked her to come along to the great excitement of her mother).  We came home and I fed the kids lunch and they played nicely.  Talia came home and we did a little bit of homework  and then in jest I told her that I wished she was old enough to go to the makolet for me to which she replied that she is old enough to go and she wants to go for me!!   So I sent her to the makolet with a plastic sandwich bag full of coins and a list consisting of 2 potatoes and a bag of carrots.  She came back with the two things and said she would have been back sooner but she couldn’t find the area where they keep the vegetables until she decided to ask someone and then saw that they are kept by the door that she used to come into the store.  She was so cute.  She brought me the receipt and told me what the change was that she got and how much she spent, etc.  I think I might have to make up a few more makolet trips for her in the future b/c she had such a good time and felt so grown up. 

Eitan went home soon after that.  Talia had her “bayit cham” at her friend’s house so we hopped in the car and delivered a bunch of Bar Mitzvah presents and then I took her to her friend’s house in Lapid (neighboring town/yishuv).   Three 5th graders came over at 5 to play with the kids.  They come as part of some kind of school project or something like that.  It took a while for Ben and Keren to warm up to them.  At one point I even asked Ben if he wanted them to leave.  He said no and after about 20 minutes he was playing with them.   They got a kick out of Keren and enjoyed playing with her a lot.  Two of the girls were pretty outgoing and one was kind of quiet.  It was nice b/c I was able to finish making dinner and make lunch for the kids for tomorrow while they played and were happy!  I am looking forward to next Sunday when they come again.