Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

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!