I have often noticed that my kids behavior tends to mimic those of animals as much as they do kids. This is not to say that my kids have bad behavior, in fact when we are away from home we get nothing but compliments. We must be doing something right. But we can't help but notice that sometimes they sound like squirrels when the are laughing or chattering with each other. And sometimes they seem to act more like monkeys at the zoo when the get wound up. But when it comes to fruit, my kids are like fruit bats.
My sister's crew consists of a family of 4. 2 grown ups, a 2 yr. old and 5 yr. old. When she goes to the store they buy fruits and veggies by the number of items they need mostly. 5 carrots or 4 bananas, etc. When we go to the store we measure fruit in kilos, (2.2 1bs. to 1 kilo). And even if we buy 2 kilos of apples, a kilo of Clementinas and so on, there is never enough fruits and veggies in our house. This extends to carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes as well.
The advantage to this is that we have discovered that people LOVE to bring our kids fruit because the kids actually get excited about it. Not to say the kids won't eat nosh when offered, but fruit is equally as good. This happened again last night when we had friends drop in. We got a call from our friends saying that they were at the store next door. "What do your kids eat fruit wise?" (They already know our kids can't 3/4 of the junk out there.) My answer, "let me tell you what they don't eat,it will be faster." I was taken aback by the amount of fruit that walk through our door last night and when I asked what the occasion was, the answer was " I love buying fruit for you kids, because they love it!" This is something we have heard over and over again from different people. We have a few friends that are between kids now, meaning, their kids are grown and no grand kids in sight. They get a kick out of playing with our very imaginative kids and when they come they love bringing them fruit because the kids consider it a treat. I seem to take for granted the fact that from about birth my kids have always loved fruit, because I hear from so many people the problems they have with their kids not eating it. For the most part we do OK with veggies too except for S. His idea of veggies are carrots, corn and french fries. But to give him credit he keeps trying to like them. Last week he asked for salad which was a shock! He did not eat the lettuce, but he did eat some of the other stuff and that's pretty good. I am impressed by his maturity.
Anyway, I guess my point is that I am often chagrined at the number of people who appreciate my kids healthy eating habits. Which I guess makes me wonder, what is the rest of the world eating?! Yikes.
And as a side note, I always thought I would have pets over kids, now I see I have a compromise. My kids have the inclination to be monkeys, squirrels,bears, and there was a temporary thing with pretending one was a dog that the others would "take for a walk and feed"...So now I realize I have a whole zoo plus kids and they all come in one complete package! Kids are truly an amazing creation of G-d, what would we do with out them!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
6 Years and Counting!
This week marks our 6th anniversary in Israel. I don't use a particular day in general because our journey began on the night of Dec. 25 when we left Portland, Oregon. It was beginning of a 4 day trip with 2 full days in New York in between. Leaving was hard, we left the night of my mom's 60th birthday and when we made the reservations I forgot to figure in travel and pre-check in time, so we missed most of her party. That has always been a big regret and was a huge mistake on our part. D, S (who was one yr. at the time), and I left with 2 suitcases and a carry on each and that was all we brought to Israel. No lift would be coming after us as that plan got canceled at the last minute. We arrived in Israel on Dec. 28, 2004, our official aliyah date, around 6:00am I think; and we spent our first New Year's Eve with friends already living here.
Rosh Hashana is supposed to be our time of reflection, what we are doing right, what we need to improve upon. However, while I do use Rosh Hashana for my personal transgressions, December is my time of reflection about my life. It marks the separation from my family which difficult for all of us and it also marks each passing year that I become more ingrained into Israeli society.
Having been here 6 years I look around and wonder have I "successfully" integrated into Israeli society or I am an outsider looking in? Are my kids Israeli or are they hanging onto the culture of their American parents? Each day I have a different answer and it is a question I have been thinking about this month a lot. It is a thought that truly weighs on me every year and each year I think about it more and more.
When I think about 6 years ago, we lived in an immigrant apartment that was 2 rooms (bigger than what we left behind) but truly spartan. We had sleeping bags, but no blankets or sheets, not even plates or pots I think...I spoke NO Hebrew save about 10 words, I could recognize letters, but not really read them. We had one child who was a year old. We had NO clue how to get health care, pay bills, travel around the country, get a job, heck we barely knew how to connect with the outside world or even go shopping.
Now I look at our family and we are 5 not 3, our oldest is seven and we have twins that are 4 & 1/2. We had them at home with a doctor in attendance (our choice and much to the horror of our entire neighborhood, this is UNHEARD of in Israel, or mostly). We have a very spacious 4 bedroom apartment. We can pay our bills, we now live in a different community where we have been for almost 3 years. I am still behind the curve in Hebrew, but I can read and I can communicate. Not to say I wont switch to English 9 times out of 10 if the option is available. So maybe I am not bi-lingual in a fluent sense, but each year I make progress. Our kids are in school and doing pretty well. They have some issues, but I suspect they may have had them in America too. But I believe that they are more Israeli than American and I am glad. We have friends, we go places and do things when we can afford it and in a lot of ways we can see where we have become Israeli and left our American mentality behind. I now work from home and D keeps busy with free lance writing and learning Torah and dispensing copious amounts of bike and computer advice as well as a few other things. We still rely on a lot of things from America, such as shoes.... I love Bass (thank you mom for sending me two brand new pairs of Bass Weejuns!!!! I LOVE THEM and You TOO!) and my husband and the boys have wide feet. We have a hard time shopping for them here. Plus candy and snacks, and a few other things that are cheaper to get there than here. But over all I think we have come a long way.
Most people label "success" as whether or not we are financially secure. In that regard, I suppose we are considered failures. We live on a very tight budget and we rent, we don't own our apartment. But I have come to disagree with that assessment. Given our background and my husband's injuries from being a fire fighter we would probably be in pretty much the same circumstances. I can't imagine being able to work full time away from home any more than I can now, child care would be too expensive. The cost of Jewish education would be around $3,000 a month, not $300. Not to mention the socialized medical care here is much cheaper here and we get amazing medical care. The list goes on. We have figured costs on paper and it just is not practical for us to move to America. We know people who have moved back because they were in the medical field or sciences and for them I see it. They DO make more in America. And I guess with my current job I could make more, but not enough to make it worth our while to move back.
Had it just been us, I don't know if I would stay during those times when the going gets tough. But when it is just two people it is easy to try new things, to move to new places. However, with kids, as everyone knows, it is not that easy. Mostly for all the reasons above, but also simply because no matter how much the kids may sound or act American, they are Israeli and it would be an adjustment for them to move to America. Not only the mix of cultures and religions, but the fact that there would be no traveling about the country and still be able to go out to eat or to walk into a store and just buy something. My kids know a thing or two about other cultures and people. We read National Geographic and we talk about our non-Jewish friends and so on, but to live it would be another deal altogether.
I suppose the other thing that makes it easier on us, is that we did not leave high paying jobs behind. My husband was in the middle of going back to school and I was working part-time and trying to juggle a new baby. So the financial draw for us to come back is not big.
For us it is the family and friends. Or at least for me. My husband's parents come twice a year and he has never been close to his sister. So this arrangement works well for him. For me however, it is a challenge and a half. I come from a very close knit family and it is hard to know that I missing out on my nephews and my friends children growing up too. We have missed, births, weddings, serious illnesses and other times of happiness and challenges. I miss those things. Plus I miss watching Duck Football! We have no T.V. here, which I don't mind, except for about 3 months out of the year during football season. Although who am I kidding, I could never stay up to watch the games, I would be asleep in the first quarter....
It is a general consensus that it takes about 10 years to fully integrate into Israeli society. I don't know where we will be in another 4 years. But from the perspective of someone who has been here for 0-2 years, we are wise old owls. Compared to those who have been here 10 years or more, we are still on the green side and it will take more time to get settled; so no rush and no worries. And as for Israelis, a lot of them thought we should have known what was flying and how to speak the language the minute we got off the plane. I can't really blame them. I remember running into non-English speakers in America and it was really hard to be non-judgmental about their lack of English. G-d has a way of making us pay for judging other people's short comings....
So I guess over all, I feel like we are holding our own here and that in the coming year, experiences can only give us more wisdom not less. Even the pit falls here are an opportunity to learn..... I will be curious to see where we are in another year, but for now I will just take it as it comes. One day at a time.
Rosh Hashana is supposed to be our time of reflection, what we are doing right, what we need to improve upon. However, while I do use Rosh Hashana for my personal transgressions, December is my time of reflection about my life. It marks the separation from my family which difficult for all of us and it also marks each passing year that I become more ingrained into Israeli society.
Having been here 6 years I look around and wonder have I "successfully" integrated into Israeli society or I am an outsider looking in? Are my kids Israeli or are they hanging onto the culture of their American parents? Each day I have a different answer and it is a question I have been thinking about this month a lot. It is a thought that truly weighs on me every year and each year I think about it more and more.
When I think about 6 years ago, we lived in an immigrant apartment that was 2 rooms (bigger than what we left behind) but truly spartan. We had sleeping bags, but no blankets or sheets, not even plates or pots I think...I spoke NO Hebrew save about 10 words, I could recognize letters, but not really read them. We had one child who was a year old. We had NO clue how to get health care, pay bills, travel around the country, get a job, heck we barely knew how to connect with the outside world or even go shopping.
Now I look at our family and we are 5 not 3, our oldest is seven and we have twins that are 4 & 1/2. We had them at home with a doctor in attendance (our choice and much to the horror of our entire neighborhood, this is UNHEARD of in Israel, or mostly). We have a very spacious 4 bedroom apartment. We can pay our bills, we now live in a different community where we have been for almost 3 years. I am still behind the curve in Hebrew, but I can read and I can communicate. Not to say I wont switch to English 9 times out of 10 if the option is available. So maybe I am not bi-lingual in a fluent sense, but each year I make progress. Our kids are in school and doing pretty well. They have some issues, but I suspect they may have had them in America too. But I believe that they are more Israeli than American and I am glad. We have friends, we go places and do things when we can afford it and in a lot of ways we can see where we have become Israeli and left our American mentality behind. I now work from home and D keeps busy with free lance writing and learning Torah and dispensing copious amounts of bike and computer advice as well as a few other things. We still rely on a lot of things from America, such as shoes.... I love Bass (thank you mom for sending me two brand new pairs of Bass Weejuns!!!! I LOVE THEM and You TOO!) and my husband and the boys have wide feet. We have a hard time shopping for them here. Plus candy and snacks, and a few other things that are cheaper to get there than here. But over all I think we have come a long way.
Most people label "success" as whether or not we are financially secure. In that regard, I suppose we are considered failures. We live on a very tight budget and we rent, we don't own our apartment. But I have come to disagree with that assessment. Given our background and my husband's injuries from being a fire fighter we would probably be in pretty much the same circumstances. I can't imagine being able to work full time away from home any more than I can now, child care would be too expensive. The cost of Jewish education would be around $3,000 a month, not $300. Not to mention the socialized medical care here is much cheaper here and we get amazing medical care. The list goes on. We have figured costs on paper and it just is not practical for us to move to America. We know people who have moved back because they were in the medical field or sciences and for them I see it. They DO make more in America. And I guess with my current job I could make more, but not enough to make it worth our while to move back.
Had it just been us, I don't know if I would stay during those times when the going gets tough. But when it is just two people it is easy to try new things, to move to new places. However, with kids, as everyone knows, it is not that easy. Mostly for all the reasons above, but also simply because no matter how much the kids may sound or act American, they are Israeli and it would be an adjustment for them to move to America. Not only the mix of cultures and religions, but the fact that there would be no traveling about the country and still be able to go out to eat or to walk into a store and just buy something. My kids know a thing or two about other cultures and people. We read National Geographic and we talk about our non-Jewish friends and so on, but to live it would be another deal altogether.
I suppose the other thing that makes it easier on us, is that we did not leave high paying jobs behind. My husband was in the middle of going back to school and I was working part-time and trying to juggle a new baby. So the financial draw for us to come back is not big.
For us it is the family and friends. Or at least for me. My husband's parents come twice a year and he has never been close to his sister. So this arrangement works well for him. For me however, it is a challenge and a half. I come from a very close knit family and it is hard to know that I missing out on my nephews and my friends children growing up too. We have missed, births, weddings, serious illnesses and other times of happiness and challenges. I miss those things. Plus I miss watching Duck Football! We have no T.V. here, which I don't mind, except for about 3 months out of the year during football season. Although who am I kidding, I could never stay up to watch the games, I would be asleep in the first quarter....
It is a general consensus that it takes about 10 years to fully integrate into Israeli society. I don't know where we will be in another 4 years. But from the perspective of someone who has been here for 0-2 years, we are wise old owls. Compared to those who have been here 10 years or more, we are still on the green side and it will take more time to get settled; so no rush and no worries. And as for Israelis, a lot of them thought we should have known what was flying and how to speak the language the minute we got off the plane. I can't really blame them. I remember running into non-English speakers in America and it was really hard to be non-judgmental about their lack of English. G-d has a way of making us pay for judging other people's short comings....
So I guess over all, I feel like we are holding our own here and that in the coming year, experiences can only give us more wisdom not less. Even the pit falls here are an opportunity to learn..... I will be curious to see where we are in another year, but for now I will just take it as it comes. One day at a time.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Party of the Year!
Well at least here. S turned 7 on the Dec. 9 and has been seriously campaigning for a birthday party. I of course tried to put this off. Being as we celebrate Hebrew and English dates, I started procrastinating on Nov. 21 Or the 14th of Kislev and finally on Dec. 9 I had not choice but to follow through. So on Thursday morning, Dec. 9, I agreed to see if we could pull off a birthday party that afternoon; because I had said we would do something during Channukah and that was the last day! Yikes!
After trying to juggle work and other mommy duties in the morning I took M (who was on vacation) to pick up Y and went to buy party favors for 8 kids, 5 of whom I had no idea if they could even come. Party favors were balloons, markers and little baggies to put it all in. Total cost, $5.50. Then it was home to guest proof and clean the house and make the phone calls. All 5 guests were able to come. Wow! Now we had 4 Hebrew only speaking kids coming, one new American with questionable Hebrew and my 3 with fair Hebrew skills but that can clam up with new faces. We had only met 2 of the kids. The others I knew their parents, but wanted to get them introduced to my kids. I thought this was for sure going to be disaster in the making... And I spent most of the afternoon wondering "What WAS I thinking when I agreed to this?! I must be crazy!" And of course that is true. But at about 5;15p we had our first guests arrive with their mom and shortly there after everyone one else.
The pens and balloons turned out to be great ice breakers and the gift from S's really good friend. He got S a remote control car. To see 5 boys stand around from all different backgrounds, discussing this car and what to do and how it worked was priceless. They looked like a bunch of teenagers around a real car. They all got to "drive" the car and made sure everyone had a turn. To see 5 boys just click like that when 1 kid knew NO ONE and two brothers only knew their mom and each other was just amazing! We also played a round of musical chairs which was fun because it was a new game for all the boys. My kids played it for the first time last year and the twins were really not into it then, so it was also more or less new to them as well.
For refreshments we had a homemade volcano cake which was a huge hit, complete with pink lava, and popcorn and juice. We rounded out the setting with a plastic Thomas Table cloth thanks to Grandma A. The total cost of the party was probably $10 total. The result, the best party ever! According to 8 kids in Israel. There is a statement we all know that says "fill in blank, is priceless, for everything else there is Visa." Pffftttt....... forget Visa. Its not visa that makes everything else possible, it is mommy ingenuity and Abba know how! And we do it all with out charging interest!
Suffice to say I am still beside myself with how well it went over. Of course now I will be required to do this again in 6 mo. for the twins. They have really only had one proper party when they turned 3 because of different circumstances. Fortunately it kind of has gotten by them. Years one and two are really blurry for them thankfully (because they are for us!) and the year they turned 4 Shmuely had not had a party either. This year they will remember however, soooo I guess in 6 months I will be putting my thinking cap on again. Hopefully a bit earlier.
In retrospect, I find that the things we either do on the cheap or on the fly seem to go over really well. Its a gift and a curse I think. A gift because we have pulled off the impossible more than once doing it this way; and a curse because just imagine what we could do and do it stress free if we planned ahead! Kind of like the kid who does OK in school but would be straight A's if only they would "Apply" themselves. I guess some of us are just lacking that "skill" set.
In the same line of thinking, for S's b-day D and I made him a stuffed dinosaur. We took an old flannel blue pillow case and I "drew" a dinosaur on it and D cut it out and sewed and stuffed it. It is probably the homeliest dinosaur ever, but really cute and he is S's new best buddy. His name is Elazar and he has his own bed and his own toys. The kids love stuffed animals, but this is the first one to get a real name and the royal treatment. Except maybe M's bunny foo. But Bunny Foo is a story for another day. Anyhow, Elazar is a kick and it is just totally cute to see S love this little guy soo much! Once again Eema and Abba ingenuity beat Visa any day of the week!
What we have discovered is, it is not the amount of money, it is the thought and follow through combined with a little creativity. Not only does it break the stereo type trap, but it also gets compliments. In Israel and maybe the U.S., the answer for treats and party favors are sacks of junk food. Whether it is bought as pre-done party gift packs or sandwich bags with 3 different kinds of candy. The two major problems with this are A) My kids are allergic to additives and preservatives. Seriously. Grocery shopping is just a joy.... and B) Its expensive and once its eaten, its gone. All that remains are hyper active bored kids. What kind of stupid combination is that?! I love non-food because it is useful. The pens and balloons were great ice breakers and we got to see everyone's talent. For M's Channukah party this year I did popcorn in sandwich bags with little hair bands to close the bag. It puts a spin on something that might seem boring and its practical. Part of the reason for this choice of treat is the fact that mine can't have processed food and another girl has Celia-cs. It eliminated my usual choice of pretzels. Plus M just switched schools and we now have 9 girls, not 33. So total cost, about $2.00 tops. But I have done larger projects for 33 girls too on about $5.00.(With that one I MADE little books from old wrapping paper, computer paper and ribbon, then took a little candy and crayon and combined it with a hair band. It took 6 hours, but M was the bell of the ball that day!) Thanks to the universal love of cheap "stuff" most party favors can be put together for just a few dollars and have the parents come out rock stars at the same time. And for us that's the name of the game! But the nicest thing is, our kids really appreciate too. And perhaps that's the best part of all.
After trying to juggle work and other mommy duties in the morning I took M (who was on vacation) to pick up Y and went to buy party favors for 8 kids, 5 of whom I had no idea if they could even come. Party favors were balloons, markers and little baggies to put it all in. Total cost, $5.50. Then it was home to guest proof and clean the house and make the phone calls. All 5 guests were able to come. Wow! Now we had 4 Hebrew only speaking kids coming, one new American with questionable Hebrew and my 3 with fair Hebrew skills but that can clam up with new faces. We had only met 2 of the kids. The others I knew their parents, but wanted to get them introduced to my kids. I thought this was for sure going to be disaster in the making... And I spent most of the afternoon wondering "What WAS I thinking when I agreed to this?! I must be crazy!" And of course that is true. But at about 5;15p we had our first guests arrive with their mom and shortly there after everyone one else.
The pens and balloons turned out to be great ice breakers and the gift from S's really good friend. He got S a remote control car. To see 5 boys stand around from all different backgrounds, discussing this car and what to do and how it worked was priceless. They looked like a bunch of teenagers around a real car. They all got to "drive" the car and made sure everyone had a turn. To see 5 boys just click like that when 1 kid knew NO ONE and two brothers only knew their mom and each other was just amazing! We also played a round of musical chairs which was fun because it was a new game for all the boys. My kids played it for the first time last year and the twins were really not into it then, so it was also more or less new to them as well.
For refreshments we had a homemade volcano cake which was a huge hit, complete with pink lava, and popcorn and juice. We rounded out the setting with a plastic Thomas Table cloth thanks to Grandma A. The total cost of the party was probably $10 total. The result, the best party ever! According to 8 kids in Israel. There is a statement we all know that says "fill in blank, is priceless, for everything else there is Visa." Pffftttt....... forget Visa. Its not visa that makes everything else possible, it is mommy ingenuity and Abba know how! And we do it all with out charging interest!
Suffice to say I am still beside myself with how well it went over. Of course now I will be required to do this again in 6 mo. for the twins. They have really only had one proper party when they turned 3 because of different circumstances. Fortunately it kind of has gotten by them. Years one and two are really blurry for them thankfully (because they are for us!) and the year they turned 4 Shmuely had not had a party either. This year they will remember however, soooo I guess in 6 months I will be putting my thinking cap on again. Hopefully a bit earlier.
In retrospect, I find that the things we either do on the cheap or on the fly seem to go over really well. Its a gift and a curse I think. A gift because we have pulled off the impossible more than once doing it this way; and a curse because just imagine what we could do and do it stress free if we planned ahead! Kind of like the kid who does OK in school but would be straight A's if only they would "Apply" themselves. I guess some of us are just lacking that "skill" set.
In the same line of thinking, for S's b-day D and I made him a stuffed dinosaur. We took an old flannel blue pillow case and I "drew" a dinosaur on it and D cut it out and sewed and stuffed it. It is probably the homeliest dinosaur ever, but really cute and he is S's new best buddy. His name is Elazar and he has his own bed and his own toys. The kids love stuffed animals, but this is the first one to get a real name and the royal treatment. Except maybe M's bunny foo. But Bunny Foo is a story for another day. Anyhow, Elazar is a kick and it is just totally cute to see S love this little guy soo much! Once again Eema and Abba ingenuity beat Visa any day of the week!
What we have discovered is, it is not the amount of money, it is the thought and follow through combined with a little creativity. Not only does it break the stereo type trap, but it also gets compliments. In Israel and maybe the U.S., the answer for treats and party favors are sacks of junk food. Whether it is bought as pre-done party gift packs or sandwich bags with 3 different kinds of candy. The two major problems with this are A) My kids are allergic to additives and preservatives. Seriously. Grocery shopping is just a joy.... and B) Its expensive and once its eaten, its gone. All that remains are hyper active bored kids. What kind of stupid combination is that?! I love non-food because it is useful. The pens and balloons were great ice breakers and we got to see everyone's talent. For M's Channukah party this year I did popcorn in sandwich bags with little hair bands to close the bag. It puts a spin on something that might seem boring and its practical. Part of the reason for this choice of treat is the fact that mine can't have processed food and another girl has Celia-cs. It eliminated my usual choice of pretzels. Plus M just switched schools and we now have 9 girls, not 33. So total cost, about $2.00 tops. But I have done larger projects for 33 girls too on about $5.00.(With that one I MADE little books from old wrapping paper, computer paper and ribbon, then took a little candy and crayon and combined it with a hair band. It took 6 hours, but M was the bell of the ball that day!) Thanks to the universal love of cheap "stuff" most party favors can be put together for just a few dollars and have the parents come out rock stars at the same time. And for us that's the name of the game! But the nicest thing is, our kids really appreciate too. And perhaps that's the best part of all.
Monday, November 29, 2010
New Background
OK just a quickie. Since there was dissension in the ranks about my background, and you know who you are, I changed it again. Obviously. And if you look to the left side of the layout you will see why this is the perfect background for us. You can just barely see the word Jerusalem on the map. So enjoy the new background and TTFN!
My Friends, My Friends Are Good For Me.....!
This is the beginning of an old Girl Scout Camp song that probably my sister is the only who would recognize, unless anyone went to Camp Arrowhead. It so incredibly true and I realized it is the one thing I left off of my Thanksgiving list. I really cannot imagine how I would get along in life with out them. For those of us who have good families, we are truly lucky, but nonetheless, even good family becomes annoying family some days and that is why we have friends! True friends will tell you how great you are and how stupid you are and they still love you just because. No obligations, they just do. Most of my friends live across the pond, but it is nice to pick up the phone or the e-mail and still be able to talk, complain and or just explode and they know what I mean. One of my biggest regrets about being here is that I know my kids are missing out by not being able to hang with theirs.
Friends are what get through grade school embarrassment, high school trauma and nearly failed classes, ex-boyfriends and they even save us from psychopathic roommates. I am and will forever be the Sofa Queen thanks to the last one. The great thing about friends is that you can accumulate them and never have enough. I have some really dear friends that have helped me survive my formative years in Israel and I love that I have friends who I am close enough too that their kids consider us family. So to all my friends, both new and really old, THANK YOU! I would never have survived with out you.
Friends are what get through grade school embarrassment, high school trauma and nearly failed classes, ex-boyfriends and they even save us from psychopathic roommates. I am and will forever be the Sofa Queen thanks to the last one. The great thing about friends is that you can accumulate them and never have enough. I have some really dear friends that have helped me survive my formative years in Israel and I love that I have friends who I am close enough too that their kids consider us family. So to all my friends, both new and really old, THANK YOU! I would never have survived with out you.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
In Honor Of Thanksgiving
Today in America it is Thanksgiving Day. The first couple of years we kept the tradition up with friends but it got to be too complicated here with kids and so on. In fact we actually gave up doing much for Thanksgiving when I got pregnant with S while we were in America still. Not because of religious reasons particularly, but logistical reasons. Thanksgiving is always on Thursday, followed by Shabbat. That means cooking two major meals in a row. Being 9 mo. pregnant does not inspire one to want to either A) cook two large meals or B) go anywhere that might require too much effort. Incidentally we met my in-laws and crew for drinks at a near by restaurant and then went home to watch movies on the DVD. Now that's Thanksgiving! My parents came for brunch the next AM.
So now here it is 7 years later and in honor of Thanksgiving I am counting my blessings and listening/ watching Operation Petticoat while I blog and then start work. And for those of you who GASP! don't know....Operation Petticoat is a 1959 movie with the suave Cary Grant and the handsome Tony Curtis. My kids have a vague idea of what Thanksgiving is, which in their case includes cards and goodies from America and the notion that is an American holiday. But they certainly are "grateful for the goodies.
As for the grown ups, I don't speak for my husband, but I have fond memories of Thanksgiving. We used to go skiing a lot. No crowds and lines, my mom had peace and quiet, she doesn't share the kitchen well.. and my sister, dad and I had an amazing dinner when we got home. I have a lot of other good memories too, but those are some of my favorites. Now I am a grown up and I understand even more that there is plenty to be grateful for. So here is my list of things to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.
First, that we have all that we need. While our budget is tight, we do have all the basic necessities and as hokey as it sounds, we are grateful that we have lights, running water, food to eat and work to do. We read about the tsunamis, earthquakes and the dire situations here and all over the world and know that we are blessed by just having the basics in life. I include my job with this as the unemployment rate world wide is a scary thing right now. But not only do I work, but it is the most ideal situation ever.
Second, I am grateful for my kids. They are a challenge, a blessing, my joy and my undoing as I told my aunt recently. Today M started her new school FINALLY! And although she was very nervous about a change and she did not really want to go, she was such a trooper. She jumped right in, participated in class and her teacher said she did great. Whew, what a relief. It is nice to know that even though they balk at home and can be stubborn and difficult and so on, when they are away from home they know how to behave. Grocery store moments not included........... My boys too get compliments frequently from school and friends' parents and so on. Nice to know we are doing something right.
Third, I have amazing in-laws. Most people dread visits from their in-laws and most women I know hold their breath in particular with their MILs'. I happen to adore my mother in law! She is just so thoughtful and caring and I really just enjoy talking to her. She calls nearly every night to talk to the kids and about once a week or so we catch up to find out what's what on the other side of the pond. My husband actually gives me a bad time (he's joking of course) about how much time I spend talking or on-line chatting with his mom.
Fourth, of course I am grateful for my own husband. We have very different ideas frequently and we have very heated debates, but I am grateful to have him in my life. With out him I would not have 3 wonderful children and I would not be where I am or what I am doing today.
Finally, I am grateful for my own family. I think my mom single handedly keeps her local post office in business with the amount of stuff she sends. Plus she is my mom and she has always been wonderful, so what more can I say? My sister and I are very lucky to have grown up in our family with our parents. We have a lot of good memories as a family,and despite my being over here away from the crew, we do keep up. In addition to fabulous parents and a lovely sister who has always been a challenge and a.... challenge, I have two wonderful Aunties and an Uncle. Between the three of them I have gotten to do some really cool things. Including living in Hawaii for 6 months. I also have an extensive knowledge of the California wine industry as well..also very handy and Yum!
So there you go, in a very long detailed blog, this is what Thanksgiving is to me. We may not be eating turkey or watching football, but I do have Cary Grant and I will be rooting for the Ducks tomorrow and I am truly thankful for all that G-d has given me and my family. So to all of you where ever you are, have a Happy Thanksgiving no matter where you are or what you are doing. And bundle up, because if you are not here, it is probably cold out there!
So now here it is 7 years later and in honor of Thanksgiving I am counting my blessings and listening/ watching Operation Petticoat while I blog and then start work. And for those of you who GASP! don't know....Operation Petticoat is a 1959 movie with the suave Cary Grant and the handsome Tony Curtis. My kids have a vague idea of what Thanksgiving is, which in their case includes cards and goodies from America and the notion that is an American holiday. But they certainly are "grateful for the goodies.
As for the grown ups, I don't speak for my husband, but I have fond memories of Thanksgiving. We used to go skiing a lot. No crowds and lines, my mom had peace and quiet, she doesn't share the kitchen well.. and my sister, dad and I had an amazing dinner when we got home. I have a lot of other good memories too, but those are some of my favorites. Now I am a grown up and I understand even more that there is plenty to be grateful for. So here is my list of things to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.
First, that we have all that we need. While our budget is tight, we do have all the basic necessities and as hokey as it sounds, we are grateful that we have lights, running water, food to eat and work to do. We read about the tsunamis, earthquakes and the dire situations here and all over the world and know that we are blessed by just having the basics in life. I include my job with this as the unemployment rate world wide is a scary thing right now. But not only do I work, but it is the most ideal situation ever.
Second, I am grateful for my kids. They are a challenge, a blessing, my joy and my undoing as I told my aunt recently. Today M started her new school FINALLY! And although she was very nervous about a change and she did not really want to go, she was such a trooper. She jumped right in, participated in class and her teacher said she did great. Whew, what a relief. It is nice to know that even though they balk at home and can be stubborn and difficult and so on, when they are away from home they know how to behave. Grocery store moments not included........... My boys too get compliments frequently from school and friends' parents and so on. Nice to know we are doing something right.
Third, I have amazing in-laws. Most people dread visits from their in-laws and most women I know hold their breath in particular with their MILs'. I happen to adore my mother in law! She is just so thoughtful and caring and I really just enjoy talking to her. She calls nearly every night to talk to the kids and about once a week or so we catch up to find out what's what on the other side of the pond. My husband actually gives me a bad time (he's joking of course) about how much time I spend talking or on-line chatting with his mom.
Fourth, of course I am grateful for my own husband. We have very different ideas frequently and we have very heated debates, but I am grateful to have him in my life. With out him I would not have 3 wonderful children and I would not be where I am or what I am doing today.
Finally, I am grateful for my own family. I think my mom single handedly keeps her local post office in business with the amount of stuff she sends. Plus she is my mom and she has always been wonderful, so what more can I say? My sister and I are very lucky to have grown up in our family with our parents. We have a lot of good memories as a family,and despite my being over here away from the crew, we do keep up. In addition to fabulous parents and a lovely sister who has always been a challenge and a.... challenge, I have two wonderful Aunties and an Uncle. Between the three of them I have gotten to do some really cool things. Including living in Hawaii for 6 months. I also have an extensive knowledge of the California wine industry as well..also very handy and Yum!
So there you go, in a very long detailed blog, this is what Thanksgiving is to me. We may not be eating turkey or watching football, but I do have Cary Grant and I will be rooting for the Ducks tomorrow and I am truly thankful for all that G-d has given me and my family. So to all of you where ever you are, have a Happy Thanksgiving no matter where you are or what you are doing. And bundle up, because if you are not here, it is probably cold out there!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Just a Quickie!
I mostly blog inside my head and I have lots to say, but little time. Or maybe I don't make the time... it is all point of view. But I will get to that some other time, here is a quick glimpse into the workings of my kids. All three of the kids have inherited my love of stuffed animals and they are bound and determined to have a stuffed animal of every creature that ever lived and two if it can be arranged, because Noah and the flood is one of their all time favorite stories. Fortunately even though I have been required to thin my own herd, I have lots of material for this goal. Over the years we have acquired elephants, including 2 that are heffalumps, if you don't know what they are, you are not a Pooh Bear fan like our family. Anyhow so this morning S commented that we had 4 elephants and we needed one more, after momentary stupidity on my part I of course realized this was due to 5 people in our own family. So I commented that I had a blue one somewhere in America (very common statement in our house, because I still have stuff stored there) and S looks at me and goes, " A real one?!" Of course he realizes there are no blue elephants and after a short discussion including, "Does our zoo have blue elephants?" he realized this was not possible, but I think hope springs eternal! Because a few minutes later there was a little voice next me saying, "What about a light blue one?"
Part of that springs I believe for the desperate need to have a pet or a new baby in the house. Yes, you read correctly. Pets, babies, what's the difference?......... I have to say at this point in my life I actually agree with them. Which is why we currently have neither! In way of short explanation we live in Israel, one of the highest birth rates in the world, we live a religious neighborhood, almost everyone has at least 5 kids and a new baby.... The pet desire comes from their love of animals. We have discussed horses, dinosaurs and a myriad of other animals as pets. Fortunately dinosaurs are extinct and after a visit to the horse stables this summer the kids realized a horse was never going to fit on our mirpeset (deck) no matter how hard we tried. Whew!
Part of that springs I believe for the desperate need to have a pet or a new baby in the house. Yes, you read correctly. Pets, babies, what's the difference?......... I have to say at this point in my life I actually agree with them. Which is why we currently have neither! In way of short explanation we live in Israel, one of the highest birth rates in the world, we live a religious neighborhood, almost everyone has at least 5 kids and a new baby.... The pet desire comes from their love of animals. We have discussed horses, dinosaurs and a myriad of other animals as pets. Fortunately dinosaurs are extinct and after a visit to the horse stables this summer the kids realized a horse was never going to fit on our mirpeset (deck) no matter how hard we tried. Whew!
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Its a Small World and More!
First off, so much for the weekly blog. Life is hectic and seems determined to remain so despite my crystal ball telling me otherwise. Last month I thought I saw light at the end of the tunnel, turns out it was train coming down the track to try and run me over. But we are persevering with a little fortitude and a lot of help for a week and a half when Grammy and Grandpa came. Grammy and Grandpa belong to my husband, but I probably look forward to their visits more than he does. For nearly two weeks I get help taking kids to and from school, getting them ready, get lunches together, laundry done and so on and the kids get one on one time with the grands. It is like the extra set of hands I was supposed to get when I had twins. Plus the kids think they can get away with anything and the grands think the kids can do no wrong, so it is a winning combination.
In other news I have since turned another year older, ugghhhh, I want to be forever 25. I have an indisputable theory that 25 is the perfect age. At 25 you are an adult in every way. Bars are legal, cars can be rented with out additional insurance and nothing is off limits. Plus you get the benefit of being young enough to not have real responsibility and if you are not settled it is OK because you are still young! I have explained this theory to many and some even agree with my logic, the others, well what can I do? Guess they like being over 25.
Work continues to go well. While I am seriously grateful, I continue to be amazed by it. Getting hours out can be like pulling teeth. Between, writers block, kid appts and kids in general and a husband who seem to think they actually need to be taken care of, go figure, it is all quite challenging. However, for some strange reason the people I work with continue to like me and my writing. I am learning to let go of the nit picky points a little which is helping a lot.
The kids are doing great in school, and turns out our big one is the bell of the ball at school. We have had teachers meetings with 2 out of 3 kids and so far so good. Our big one is in a "special education" program. Meaning he just can't keep up with the rest of the kids because he has English speaking parents who are terrible at helping with homework. So he is in a program with a total of 12 boys and he has 5 different teachers. One for each subject. I like that he gets the one on one, which he responds well too, but we are trying to work the math at home as that would be the one subject that he is just really way more advanced on. But I am not pushing that issue at school. When he is ready they will integrate that part of his day into the regular class. All his teachers say the same thing, "Our kid is great, he is such a calm boy and so good!" Of course I am thrilled, which leads to the next question, "Why doesn't he do that at home?" Of course mostly he is a good kid, but we have our moments. Most of the teachers are Israeli but we have one that can speak fairly decent English and one teacher that is English, meaning British. I am surprised that S has not picked up his British accent again. He had one for a long time that would sneak out after living in Jerusalem where almost all our friends were British. And yeah for me, because now I can get by with more crappy Hebrew! Our middle angel gets help once a week from an outside tutor in reading and Hebrew, while the reading seems to be going really well, the Hebrew is questionable. My next step is to speak with the tutor and get a full report. M we are in the middle of switching schools. We are working to get her into a "special ed." program as well. She understands Hebrew great but won't talk. So we want to get her talking in school and we think have a class size that is under 33 girls will help a lot. Plus she has some speech patterns in both languages that need correcting. Same thing goes here, as she improves, we can move her back into a regular class, either this year or next. The truth is, every child should go through school with small class sizes. It is a shame that only the "problem" children have such a great opportunity. But moving on....
Our heat wave has finally broken after three very long months. We are down to the 70's during the day and we are all wondering if we need sweaters or not! I went to a lecture tonight on kids and education, and actually took a sweater with me and it actually got chilly! It is at least 68. Brrrrr........... :) Yeah, I know you NW people want to kick my.... for saying 68 is chilly, but hey, there's where you are; and there is here! However, we did get rain on Shabbat and the truth is, if we don't get more, I worry we are going to be completely out of water. 7 months of no rain is a little disturbing and comes too close to a story I read in 6th grade.....
And finally speaking of this lecture I went to...I now embark upon the topic of its a small world. I met someone from Seattle. Now to meet ONE person who actually knows WHERE Oregon is, is pretty amazing. Finding someone from the West Coast is astounding, but someone who is from the PNW is down right earth shattering! But this is where it gets really bizarre. We had a family move in earlier this year, also from Seattle, we knew about this. We did not know them personally, but knew the name and we have mutual friends. Turns out our Seattle friends also knew someone else from Seattle who lives here, not so far from us. AND the kicker is... this new person I met tonight knows all the people we know from Seattle. OK the Seattle and PDX Jewsih Communities combined are not that big, but to have 4 PNW families living in Beitar Illit, Israel all random and unplanned...just reminds me of how small our world really is. Plus there is a rumor that another family lives here that spent a couple of years in Portland and just moved back here. I am reminded that nothing is random and hey, it is just nice to have people from home. And not have every last person be from NEW YORK! Not that have a problem with that, but they don't all know where Oregon is........ Oh and for those of you who want to know all the Seattle names, I bet some of them you could guess, because you might be related and you would probably be able to guess the other names, but if you can't guess them all, you will just have to e-mail! :)
As it is after midnight here, that wraps up my weekly, daily and maybe yearly update depending on how things go. And besides now you can read this in 2 parts, since it is so long! TTFN!
In other news I have since turned another year older, ugghhhh, I want to be forever 25. I have an indisputable theory that 25 is the perfect age. At 25 you are an adult in every way. Bars are legal, cars can be rented with out additional insurance and nothing is off limits. Plus you get the benefit of being young enough to not have real responsibility and if you are not settled it is OK because you are still young! I have explained this theory to many and some even agree with my logic, the others, well what can I do? Guess they like being over 25.
Work continues to go well. While I am seriously grateful, I continue to be amazed by it. Getting hours out can be like pulling teeth. Between, writers block, kid appts and kids in general and a husband who seem to think they actually need to be taken care of, go figure, it is all quite challenging. However, for some strange reason the people I work with continue to like me and my writing. I am learning to let go of the nit picky points a little which is helping a lot.
The kids are doing great in school, and turns out our big one is the bell of the ball at school. We have had teachers meetings with 2 out of 3 kids and so far so good. Our big one is in a "special education" program. Meaning he just can't keep up with the rest of the kids because he has English speaking parents who are terrible at helping with homework. So he is in a program with a total of 12 boys and he has 5 different teachers. One for each subject. I like that he gets the one on one, which he responds well too, but we are trying to work the math at home as that would be the one subject that he is just really way more advanced on. But I am not pushing that issue at school. When he is ready they will integrate that part of his day into the regular class. All his teachers say the same thing, "Our kid is great, he is such a calm boy and so good!" Of course I am thrilled, which leads to the next question, "Why doesn't he do that at home?" Of course mostly he is a good kid, but we have our moments. Most of the teachers are Israeli but we have one that can speak fairly decent English and one teacher that is English, meaning British. I am surprised that S has not picked up his British accent again. He had one for a long time that would sneak out after living in Jerusalem where almost all our friends were British. And yeah for me, because now I can get by with more crappy Hebrew! Our middle angel gets help once a week from an outside tutor in reading and Hebrew, while the reading seems to be going really well, the Hebrew is questionable. My next step is to speak with the tutor and get a full report. M we are in the middle of switching schools. We are working to get her into a "special ed." program as well. She understands Hebrew great but won't talk. So we want to get her talking in school and we think have a class size that is under 33 girls will help a lot. Plus she has some speech patterns in both languages that need correcting. Same thing goes here, as she improves, we can move her back into a regular class, either this year or next. The truth is, every child should go through school with small class sizes. It is a shame that only the "problem" children have such a great opportunity. But moving on....
Our heat wave has finally broken after three very long months. We are down to the 70's during the day and we are all wondering if we need sweaters or not! I went to a lecture tonight on kids and education, and actually took a sweater with me and it actually got chilly! It is at least 68. Brrrrr........... :) Yeah, I know you NW people want to kick my.... for saying 68 is chilly, but hey, there's where you are; and there is here! However, we did get rain on Shabbat and the truth is, if we don't get more, I worry we are going to be completely out of water. 7 months of no rain is a little disturbing and comes too close to a story I read in 6th grade.....
And finally speaking of this lecture I went to...I now embark upon the topic of its a small world. I met someone from Seattle. Now to meet ONE person who actually knows WHERE Oregon is, is pretty amazing. Finding someone from the West Coast is astounding, but someone who is from the PNW is down right earth shattering! But this is where it gets really bizarre. We had a family move in earlier this year, also from Seattle, we knew about this. We did not know them personally, but knew the name and we have mutual friends. Turns out our Seattle friends also knew someone else from Seattle who lives here, not so far from us. AND the kicker is... this new person I met tonight knows all the people we know from Seattle. OK the Seattle and PDX Jewsih Communities combined are not that big, but to have 4 PNW families living in Beitar Illit, Israel all random and unplanned...just reminds me of how small our world really is. Plus there is a rumor that another family lives here that spent a couple of years in Portland and just moved back here. I am reminded that nothing is random and hey, it is just nice to have people from home. And not have every last person be from NEW YORK! Not that have a problem with that, but they don't all know where Oregon is........ Oh and for those of you who want to know all the Seattle names, I bet some of them you could guess, because you might be related and you would probably be able to guess the other names, but if you can't guess them all, you will just have to e-mail! :)
As it is after midnight here, that wraps up my weekly, daily and maybe yearly update depending on how things go. And besides now you can read this in 2 parts, since it is so long! TTFN!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Hmmm.... A Whole Year Gone!
It is hard to believe another year has come and gone, both on the calendar and on my blog. To say the least it has been a whirl wind year with a lot going on. One of the reason for my lack of blog maintenance. The other reason would be that I now write for a living. Nothing glamorous, but still it is a living and I do enjoy it. I write for a hardware site enticing our buyers with everything from new cabinet knobs to new patio furniture and everything in between. I have redone my cabinets about a million times in my head now and have picked out new living room furniture and have found some fairly fabulous lights too. I am also learning all about the brass tacks of do it yourself hardware, such as hinges. Although it can get repetitive, I love my co-workers, my boss and my hours. I work from home, on my time, or sometimes not at home, when I am on the go. So my set up is really ideal. What I have discovered is, it makes we want to branch out in my writing. Which leads me back to my blog. Where I can write, but it doesn't have to be about cabinet knobs and kitchen organizers. So my goal is to get my blog going again and I hope that even the people who now use face book will take the time to read it.
In other news, our kids are doing well in school this year and after a very intense year long effort, two out of three are where they need to be. We are working on the third one. But we are seeing improvements in Hebrew, both in speech and reading, so that is good. We are also enjoying seeing the kids interests blossom. We are currently learning about dinosaurs, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. There is also a serious interest in every animal and bug out there, where it lives and what does it eat. I just ran across a book from Ntl. Geographic that is the Encyclopedia of Animals. It has 1,000 animals listed! It is my dream book! They also have great one on Dinosaurs that will be going on the wish list too. Oh we are also into geography. I have a world map up, courtesy Ntl Geographic at kid level and we are constantly pointing out different countries and states on the map. My kids are by no means geniuses, but they are really inquisitive and we are really learning a lot about our world.
As for us, the parents, we are trying to keep up with the kids, work, housework, and everything in between. It is challenging, exhausting and mind boggling all at once. Much of this could be said about any parents. I often exchange kid anecdotes with my friends and sister, all in America and find that things are pretty universal. Our biggest challenge is the language barrier here. Which can put the mind boggling aspect of parenting in the forefront! But with a LOT of help, we get through most days intact!
Much to the dismay of our friends and family, we love being here in Israel despite all the challenges. We have better health care here than we would in America, I love my job and the flexibility I have with it, we love being able to take our kids to the places they are learning about at school and just being here in general. There are also a lot of conveniences when it comes to keeping kosher and being religiously observant as well. Life is not simple or easy here, but I think that is true of anywhere. I don't find living in America to be some great panacea, particularly since our home state has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 12%! Although I do confess to missing my friends and family plus a few really nice conveniences. I think it is all about trade offs and we have given up some major things, but we have also gained some.
Despite what people may think, Israel is not some third world country. Living in the "West Bank" does not mean we live in a shanty, with no heat, electric or running water. We live in a 4 bedroom apartment four floors up basically right next to the full, well stocked, grocery store, very popular not just with us, but for the entire city and surrounding cities as well. Our HMO has a very good office next door with an array of Dr.'s, pediatric care, x-rays, dental and so on, plus other conveniences as well. M goes to school across the street, S is on the school bus and D takes Y to school on most days. We have finally gotten friendly with more of the families here in our area and although we have our bad days, we like to think we are getting along.
For those of you curious about the political situation, please DON'T encourage the !@#$!!!! building freeze! Our rent went up by $200 thanks to the brilliant minds in politics and lest you think you are doing some poor Arab a favor you are not. A majority of the construction workers are Arab. What do you think they did for 10 months? Also the same PA government that is trying to push for a building freeze is also trying to push for PA Arabs to not be allowed to work in Jewish areas. Meaning these people will punished. But there are no jobs to give them if they DO quit! Which just gives the PA more leverage to ask for international aid, meanwhile they have done NOTHING with the current money they have been given. Oh except bomb southern Israel. If you watch Jon Stewart, whom I mostly enjoy, you should be disgusted with his whole shtick on the fact that he is disappointed that Israel would not extend the building freeze. Easy for him to say, he is not being affected by the whole thing! No ever takes the time to speak to the actual people involved. We have plenty of Arab workers here in our community and everyone gets along just fine. In fact I will be forever grateful to the very nice Arab man who replaced my dozen broken eggs with a new carton, even though he was not obligated to even help me. I was not in the store, I had paid and was out in the driveway of the parking lot with all three kids of course, when they were a bit younger, and the eggs fell off the stroller and of course about half of them broke. This guy came out, helped me get things resettled, cross the street and then got me new eggs. He totally deserves a medal. We all know that people deserve to be judged on individual merit, so the story is and should be one person doing another person a favor. However, in media land it is all black and white. I wish they would focus on the everyday people who regardless of which side of the line they are on, just want to get on with their lives. The media never interviews the Israeli Arabs who WANT to be under Israeli rule, because it is much better than the PA. They never interview the Jews who live in the "West Bank" and ask why they are there. Most people move out there for the cheaper cost of living. It is the only way a person can afford a real house with a yard. Most cities don't have the space for that. Just like in America. Imagine that?! So the next time you read the tripe that Fox News or CNN are reporting, consider this; would you want some guy in China telling you where you can and cannot live in your own country? OK enough politics.
And probably enough about everything. I have been interrupted plenty since I started this and finally all the kids are in bed, so I guess it is my turn. Since the little cuties are up around 5:54am, I try to go to bed early too. I am off to watch The Big Bang Theory! Does anyone else watch this? We just got hooked onto it and it is by far my favorite show!
Signing off from sunny Israel! Please G-D Let it RAIN!
In other news, our kids are doing well in school this year and after a very intense year long effort, two out of three are where they need to be. We are working on the third one. But we are seeing improvements in Hebrew, both in speech and reading, so that is good. We are also enjoying seeing the kids interests blossom. We are currently learning about dinosaurs, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. There is also a serious interest in every animal and bug out there, where it lives and what does it eat. I just ran across a book from Ntl. Geographic that is the Encyclopedia of Animals. It has 1,000 animals listed! It is my dream book! They also have great one on Dinosaurs that will be going on the wish list too. Oh we are also into geography. I have a world map up, courtesy Ntl Geographic at kid level and we are constantly pointing out different countries and states on the map. My kids are by no means geniuses, but they are really inquisitive and we are really learning a lot about our world.
As for us, the parents, we are trying to keep up with the kids, work, housework, and everything in between. It is challenging, exhausting and mind boggling all at once. Much of this could be said about any parents. I often exchange kid anecdotes with my friends and sister, all in America and find that things are pretty universal. Our biggest challenge is the language barrier here. Which can put the mind boggling aspect of parenting in the forefront! But with a LOT of help, we get through most days intact!
Much to the dismay of our friends and family, we love being here in Israel despite all the challenges. We have better health care here than we would in America, I love my job and the flexibility I have with it, we love being able to take our kids to the places they are learning about at school and just being here in general. There are also a lot of conveniences when it comes to keeping kosher and being religiously observant as well. Life is not simple or easy here, but I think that is true of anywhere. I don't find living in America to be some great panacea, particularly since our home state has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 12%! Although I do confess to missing my friends and family plus a few really nice conveniences. I think it is all about trade offs and we have given up some major things, but we have also gained some.
Despite what people may think, Israel is not some third world country. Living in the "West Bank" does not mean we live in a shanty, with no heat, electric or running water. We live in a 4 bedroom apartment four floors up basically right next to the full, well stocked, grocery store, very popular not just with us, but for the entire city and surrounding cities as well. Our HMO has a very good office next door with an array of Dr.'s, pediatric care, x-rays, dental and so on, plus other conveniences as well. M goes to school across the street, S is on the school bus and D takes Y to school on most days. We have finally gotten friendly with more of the families here in our area and although we have our bad days, we like to think we are getting along.
For those of you curious about the political situation, please DON'T encourage the !@#$!!!! building freeze! Our rent went up by $200 thanks to the brilliant minds in politics and lest you think you are doing some poor Arab a favor you are not. A majority of the construction workers are Arab. What do you think they did for 10 months? Also the same PA government that is trying to push for a building freeze is also trying to push for PA Arabs to not be allowed to work in Jewish areas. Meaning these people will punished. But there are no jobs to give them if they DO quit! Which just gives the PA more leverage to ask for international aid, meanwhile they have done NOTHING with the current money they have been given. Oh except bomb southern Israel. If you watch Jon Stewart, whom I mostly enjoy, you should be disgusted with his whole shtick on the fact that he is disappointed that Israel would not extend the building freeze. Easy for him to say, he is not being affected by the whole thing! No ever takes the time to speak to the actual people involved. We have plenty of Arab workers here in our community and everyone gets along just fine. In fact I will be forever grateful to the very nice Arab man who replaced my dozen broken eggs with a new carton, even though he was not obligated to even help me. I was not in the store, I had paid and was out in the driveway of the parking lot with all three kids of course, when they were a bit younger, and the eggs fell off the stroller and of course about half of them broke. This guy came out, helped me get things resettled, cross the street and then got me new eggs. He totally deserves a medal. We all know that people deserve to be judged on individual merit, so the story is and should be one person doing another person a favor. However, in media land it is all black and white. I wish they would focus on the everyday people who regardless of which side of the line they are on, just want to get on with their lives. The media never interviews the Israeli Arabs who WANT to be under Israeli rule, because it is much better than the PA. They never interview the Jews who live in the "West Bank" and ask why they are there. Most people move out there for the cheaper cost of living. It is the only way a person can afford a real house with a yard. Most cities don't have the space for that. Just like in America. Imagine that?! So the next time you read the tripe that Fox News or CNN are reporting, consider this; would you want some guy in China telling you where you can and cannot live in your own country? OK enough politics.
And probably enough about everything. I have been interrupted plenty since I started this and finally all the kids are in bed, so I guess it is my turn. Since the little cuties are up around 5:54am, I try to go to bed early too. I am off to watch The Big Bang Theory! Does anyone else watch this? We just got hooked onto it and it is by far my favorite show!
Signing off from sunny Israel! Please G-D Let it RAIN!
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