Well, actually we got here Thursday morning already, but have been busy getting unpacked, settled and unjet-lagged. The flight was pretty smooth all things considered. The older 2 watched a million hours of DVD and movies and slept a bit so they were pretty easiy. Baby M on the other hand is at a terrible traveling age. He did not have his own seat and even if he did, he can't sit still anyway! He spent a lot of time walking up and down the aisles and being squirmy. Kudos to my husband who handled him for most of the flight and even got him to sleep for a bit.
We arrived at 7 30 am but it took us a while to get out of the airport. They had lost one of our carseats so we had to file a missing luggage claim. It actually was delivered to our apartment tonight so all is well again.
The apartment we are staying in, is perfect for our needs. It is cheap, in a great location and very kids friendly- lots of toys, very little to break and child-proof locks on everything. When I walked into their bathroom and saw the garbage can on the toilet, I just had to laugh because I have totally done that!
We have spent the last few days just getting acclimated, buying groceries and other essentials, and going for walks around town. And today of course was Shabbos, a quiet and relaxing day.
It is just so nice to be here. People ask me what I want to do while we are here but I don't really have a big agenda. Take walks, go to the Kotel, see people I know, spend time with family, sit in coffeeshops and write in my much-neglected journal. Just be here and pretend like I live here...and maybe blog about it too. First of hopefully many posts from the Holy Land. Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Quick travel story
We are heading to the airport soon so no time to post too long but wanted to share a funny apropos travel story. As an orthodox woman, I cover my hair with a wig. To secure my hair under the wig I use two big metal clips underneath it, that are not visible .
Whenever I travel, this causes trouble as I set off the metal detector and then have to do the whole song and dance check up on the side-lines. Not too much fun when you are traveling with kids and your husband has to watch all three and collect the stuff from the xray machine by himself!
Last time we were traveling, just as I was walking through the metal detector, I remembered the clips and must have made a face. The security guard noticed and said, "You look nervous, is something wrong?" I said "I am wearing a clip under my wig and am about to set off the metal detector!" The guard's eyes went wide and he said "You are wearing a wig? That's so awesome!" Sure enough, I set off the metal detector but at least I got a laugh out of his reaction!
Wish us luck on our journey!
Whenever I travel, this causes trouble as I set off the metal detector and then have to do the whole song and dance check up on the side-lines. Not too much fun when you are traveling with kids and your husband has to watch all three and collect the stuff from the xray machine by himself!
Last time we were traveling, just as I was walking through the metal detector, I remembered the clips and must have made a face. The security guard noticed and said, "You look nervous, is something wrong?" I said "I am wearing a clip under my wig and am about to set off the metal detector!" The guard's eyes went wide and he said "You are wearing a wig? That's so awesome!" Sure enough, I set off the metal detector but at least I got a laugh out of his reaction!
Wish us luck on our journey!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
And the winner is...
After much contemplation, I have decided that the winner of my little give away is... Melissa, my fellow doula and birth advocate. I was really flattered and gratified to get all the positive feedback from many of you. I know most of you thought I was nuts (and you may be right) but you were good sports and played along.I thank you for that.
Melissa is the only one of the posters who I don't actually know IRL (in real life, for those of you who dont do internet-speak) so I thought it was really cool that she participated and shared some of her interests as well! Plus she wins through sheer numbers- she left me three separate comments :)
To the anonymous poster with a special needs child- I would love if you got in touch with me privately. My email address is in my profile. I am always looking to meet new people in the SN world.
So Melissa, I have yet to check out your blog but I will, and I will also be in touch in the next week or so about finding a cute knitting project for you or your kiddos. Right now I am in knitting limbo because one is not allowed to knit during the Nine Days, a period of mourning we (Orthodox Jews, that is) now find ourselves in. I have to say, that I of all the restrictions of this time,and there are many (no swimming, doing laundry, eating meat, drinking alcohol, knitting, listening to music, getting haircuts), knitting is actually the thing I miss the most. I am so used to being busy with my hands that I really don't know what to do with myself at times.
Starting Wednesday though I will be back with my clicking needles. In fact I already have a few projects lined up to keep me busy in Israel...speaking of which, packing starts tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Melissa is the only one of the posters who I don't actually know IRL (in real life, for those of you who dont do internet-speak) so I thought it was really cool that she participated and shared some of her interests as well! Plus she wins through sheer numbers- she left me three separate comments :)
To the anonymous poster with a special needs child- I would love if you got in touch with me privately. My email address is in my profile. I am always looking to meet new people in the SN world.
So Melissa, I have yet to check out your blog but I will, and I will also be in touch in the next week or so about finding a cute knitting project for you or your kiddos. Right now I am in knitting limbo because one is not allowed to knit during the Nine Days, a period of mourning we (Orthodox Jews, that is) now find ourselves in. I have to say, that I of all the restrictions of this time,and there are many (no swimming, doing laundry, eating meat, drinking alcohol, knitting, listening to music, getting haircuts), knitting is actually the thing I miss the most. I am so used to being busy with my hands that I really don't know what to do with myself at times.
Starting Wednesday though I will be back with my clicking needles. In fact I already have a few projects lined up to keep me busy in Israel...speaking of which, packing starts tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Our yearly trip
The countdown is on for our yearly summer trip. Every summer we try to spend a few weeks in Israel, as long as possible really :)
My husband and I started our married life in Jerusalem and feel a very strong connection to Israel. Most of our family lives there but I also really value the way of life there, the fact that the popular culture there is Jewish, the beauty of the country, the spirituality, I could go on and on. Our older two were born in Jerusalem and it was a very difficult decision to move back to the States almost four years ago. There are so many things I miss about it.
That is why it is so important for us to go back there whenever we can. It is definitely not cheap but that month can sustain me for the rest of the year so it is worth it.
The only problem is that in order to get there, we have to get on a plane, with 3 children and a ton of suitcases, strollers and carseats. And then entertain those children for 10-11 hours. And deal with the jet-lag when we get there. This year we are actually traveling on my birthday, this coming Wednesday. On the one hand it's a great gift to go to Israel for your birthday. On the other hand, traveling is not exactly conducive to a relaxing, fun day.
People sometimes ask us how we do it, how we travel with our crew. My answer is always that it it is hard, but it is totally worth the effort. After all, even the worst flight from hell ends eventually and then we get to spend 4 weeks in a place we love, spending time with people we love and don't see enough.
Of course it is easier to stay home but it is also really boring! That doesn't mean I take traveling lightly. I try to be over-prepared. I make sure to stack up on food, snacks, toys and books. I charge the DVD player and bring along our whole collection (don't get me started on children and DVD/TV. That is a post for another time). This usually works reasonably well, although at some point we will have exhausted all our play options and the kids will get antsy. And there will still be five hours left to the flight. And I will probably not get any sleep. But that's okay. This too shall pass is my mantra, that I repeat over and over again.
Just to be clear, I am not saying this is easy at all or that I stay cool and relaxed throughout our trip. Things like being late, delays or long lines really stress me out. Just ask my husband who has to deal with me when I get all tense and crazy :) But I still think it is worth it. I would not give this opportunity up for the world.
I have started making lists but have not packed or bought a single thing yet. I have a long way to go till we're ready. But I know we will get there. And I'm sure I will have some crazy story to share with you when we do.
My husband and I started our married life in Jerusalem and feel a very strong connection to Israel. Most of our family lives there but I also really value the way of life there, the fact that the popular culture there is Jewish, the beauty of the country, the spirituality, I could go on and on. Our older two were born in Jerusalem and it was a very difficult decision to move back to the States almost four years ago. There are so many things I miss about it.
That is why it is so important for us to go back there whenever we can. It is definitely not cheap but that month can sustain me for the rest of the year so it is worth it.
The only problem is that in order to get there, we have to get on a plane, with 3 children and a ton of suitcases, strollers and carseats. And then entertain those children for 10-11 hours. And deal with the jet-lag when we get there. This year we are actually traveling on my birthday, this coming Wednesday. On the one hand it's a great gift to go to Israel for your birthday. On the other hand, traveling is not exactly conducive to a relaxing, fun day.
People sometimes ask us how we do it, how we travel with our crew. My answer is always that it it is hard, but it is totally worth the effort. After all, even the worst flight from hell ends eventually and then we get to spend 4 weeks in a place we love, spending time with people we love and don't see enough.
Of course it is easier to stay home but it is also really boring! That doesn't mean I take traveling lightly. I try to be over-prepared. I make sure to stack up on food, snacks, toys and books. I charge the DVD player and bring along our whole collection (don't get me started on children and DVD/TV. That is a post for another time). This usually works reasonably well, although at some point we will have exhausted all our play options and the kids will get antsy. And there will still be five hours left to the flight. And I will probably not get any sleep. But that's okay. This too shall pass is my mantra, that I repeat over and over again.
Just to be clear, I am not saying this is easy at all or that I stay cool and relaxed throughout our trip. Things like being late, delays or long lines really stress me out. Just ask my husband who has to deal with me when I get all tense and crazy :) But I still think it is worth it. I would not give this opportunity up for the world.
I have started making lists but have not packed or bought a single thing yet. I have a long way to go till we're ready. But I know we will get there. And I'm sure I will have some crazy story to share with you when we do.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Another Give-Away, Not Mine this Time
Ellen over at Love that Max is having a much cooler contest than I am. She is giving away a 100 dollar shopping spree at the website Fun and Function that sells toys and therapy products for children with special needs. Most of you don't need these things, but for those of us who do; you know how expensive these toys can be. I checked out the site and they have a nice selection- sensory stuff like chewies and weighted vests and also many language-based cards and games that I would love for Yedidya. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you are very lucky!!
If you do know what I am talking about and want in, all you have to do is go to Love that Max and leave a comment on what you would like to buy from the site. And while you are there, take some time to read Ellen's blog. As a fellow mother of a special needs child, I very much enjoy her take on things, especially her sense of humor.
If you do know what I am talking about and want in, all you have to do is go to Love that Max and leave a comment on what you would like to buy from the site. And while you are there, take some time to read Ellen's blog. As a fellow mother of a special needs child, I very much enjoy her take on things, especially her sense of humor.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Siyum
Tonight we had a special event in our home. My husband made a siyum, a celebration marking the completion of a tractate of Talmud. My husband has spent the last three years studying Kiddushin in depth. This was a long term project that he put a lot of energy into, and I am very proud of him.
So friends and family gathered as he finished the last few lines and recited the prayers customary at a siyum. Then we had a festive meal cooked by yours truly.
I love the wording of the tfillot said at a siyum. They speak of a longing to learn more, to return to this tractate and others and to have a part in the "yoshvei beis hamedrash," those who are fortunate to sit in a house of study.
When we were in seminary and learned about the importance of Torah-study in Judaism, it all made a lot of sense in theory. Of course we wanted our husbands to learn and grow, to become great Torah scholars. After all, Torah is the foundation we wanted to build our home on.
Once you are married, though, it is not always as easy and self-evident. It requires sacrifice on the part of the spouse. The time that he is learning is time he could be theoretically spending with you or the children- at night, on weekends, those long afternoons in the park.
I will be the first to admit that I did not always stand up to the challenge of giving my husband enough time to learn and of respecting the times he had set aside. I could be doing much more to encourage him. Yet I do take pride in how far he has come and feel like I have a small part in his success. And hopefully, with my renewed resolve to do better, he will continue on this path of growth and continue to bring Torah into our homes and lives.
So friends and family gathered as he finished the last few lines and recited the prayers customary at a siyum. Then we had a festive meal cooked by yours truly.
I love the wording of the tfillot said at a siyum. They speak of a longing to learn more, to return to this tractate and others and to have a part in the "yoshvei beis hamedrash," those who are fortunate to sit in a house of study.
When we were in seminary and learned about the importance of Torah-study in Judaism, it all made a lot of sense in theory. Of course we wanted our husbands to learn and grow, to become great Torah scholars. After all, Torah is the foundation we wanted to build our home on.
Once you are married, though, it is not always as easy and self-evident. It requires sacrifice on the part of the spouse. The time that he is learning is time he could be theoretically spending with you or the children- at night, on weekends, those long afternoons in the park.
I will be the first to admit that I did not always stand up to the challenge of giving my husband enough time to learn and of respecting the times he had set aside. I could be doing much more to encourage him. Yet I do take pride in how far he has come and feel like I have a small part in his success. And hopefully, with my renewed resolve to do better, he will continue on this path of growth and continue to bring Torah into our homes and lives.
Update on Contest
I am really serious about this contest, by the way and I do hope more of you will participate. I know you are all shy but do it for me, make my day :)
I am giving you all till Sunday to comment and am making it easier- you do not even have to comment on a specific post. Just comment to say hi and/or something nice.
As an incentive and to prove to you all that I actually do knit, here are some pics of my recent projects
This is a sweater I knit for myself, although I obviously will not be wearing it in this weather
Sweater for my newest niece in Israel. Again, for colder weather
Ok, now do you believe me?
I am giving you all till Sunday to comment and am making it easier- you do not even have to comment on a specific post. Just comment to say hi and/or something nice.
As an incentive and to prove to you all that I actually do knit, here are some pics of my recent projects
This is a sweater I knit for myself, although I obviously will not be wearing it in this weather
Sweater for my newest niece in Israel. Again, for colder weather
Ok, now do you believe me?
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