Shabbat with my parents and grandparents

 Here are the Chanukah pictures we’ve taken so far:

So Shabbat was nice.  It was a full house!  Lucky for us, our house here in Israel is much bigger than the house in America and we have room for everyone as long as we put Talia and Ben in the same bedroom.

Anyway, Friday night was very nice.  We ate at our NEW dining room table and it sat all of us very comfortably, and the table was closed!!  Also, I was able to use my tablecloths that I haven’t been able to use in a long time b/c we were using the two folding tables together as a square and I only had 1 tablecloth that fit.  So it was nice to see another tablecloth for a change!

Shabbat they went to shul and wound up at a hashkama minyan, I think.  I am not sure what happened but when they got there they said that the minyan was taking out the Torah already so they were told to go downstairs where the minyan was starting.  Then when they finished davening they saw another minyan (probably the main minyan) davening upstairs.  I think they just got to shul too early.  SO they were home by 10:25 am!!!  Meanwhile, I had sent the kids there and they totally missed each other.  So I made my dad go back and find them.  Then the kids came home without my parents…  Eventually they all found each other!

We all relaxed and played with the kids for a while and then we ate around 12:30.  We played some more until 4, at which time we went to a friend of mine from camp who we were invited to for cake and tea.  We stayed there until Shabbat was over.

My grandparents left tonight and my parents did too!!  I thought that my aunt and uncle and cousins were all going to come here but then in the end my dad wanted to go there, I think, and “hit the town.”  He’s been at my house now since Thursday night and I didn’t want him to go stir crazy so I thought it was a good idea.  So I tucked the kids in and I cleaned up from Shabbat and threw in two loads of laundry, I gave the floors a quick wash and now Keren and I are hanging out and it’s nice and quiet!!  So I think that even though I felt kind of abandoned that in the end it was a good idea and I am enjoying my time. 

Last night Keren was up at 1, 3:30 and 6!!  I know that she is teething but it’s nuts!!  I think I might give her a banana to eat before she goes to sleep tonight.  I don’t know what else to do with her.