Lip gloss, Pyromania and Emergency rooms

On our journey to absorption, adjustment, integration, whichever term fits we can now add another experience:  Home birthday party.  Wow, was that an experience.  Now is as good a time as any to recall the backyard obstacle course I built two years ago for N & L's birthday parties.  I love making creative home parties and I think our kids and their friends have generally rather enjoyed themselves.  A dear friend, B, once told me that she just loved watching Michael and me in party action.  Well, dear readers, ulpan doesn't really give you the vocab necessary to reign in thirteen 8-year olds.  It was a rather rowdy group and there were several little future criminals, lawyers in the group.  We had a lip gloss making dance party.  When it was time to break into small groups so that the girls could choreograph their performances the arguments began.  One group absolutely could not agree and when Michael went in to broker a peace deal so to speak, another girl came complaining to me "zeh lo fair, zeh lo fair" (does that really need translation?)  Apparently it offended her sense of fairness that an adult was helping another group and might give them an extra advantage in the final dance-off.  Or she didn't like the color of her lip gloss.  Beats me because she was talking so fast I didn't stand a chance.  The important part is that L had a great time and (I think) so did the rest of her class.  It has been rather remarkable to watch the transition as L has gone from new kid who doesn't speak the language to accepted girl with friends who speaks enough to participate.

Sunday Michael leaves for France for work.  Great timing for him as the kids don't have school on Sunday or Monday and apparently it will become bonfire city (countrywide) on Sunday night to celebrate Lag B'Omer  (Jewish holiday).  It's also great timing since the weather is projected to be over 90 degrees, perfect for dozens and dozens of gigantic bonfires consuming branches, discarded doors, and pretty much anything made out of wood that hasn't been nailed down.

Hopefully the hot day/cool night pattern will stick, because everyone is super excited.  The kids have been collecting wood with their friends for about two months for the huge group bonfires.  Will keep you posted.  N has an all day olympiad to participate in on Monday so I will get some downtime with just the girls.

Update on my medical licensing.  I received my license before Pesach which means I can now practice medicine in Israel.  This is great.  Now, in order to receive specialty recognition I need to work for 3 months in an emergency department (much less than what physicians from outside of North America need to do, and of note, foreign docs who want to get licensed in U.S. have to redo their entire training).  I met yesterday with the director of Shaarei Tzedek, which houses the busiest ED in Jerusalem.  Looks like a great place to do my histaklut as soon as I can find 3 months in a row which will likely be next Fall.  In the meantime I am hoping to start working at an urgi-care this summer, so that I can LEARN HEBREW and start to get the sense of how medicine is practiced here.

Vicissitudes

What a crazy week this has been.  It seems that the world is raging around us.  In the U.S., the horrible attack in Boston, poison sent to a U.S. Senator, and the fertilizer plant tragedy in Oklahoma seem to have come as a one-two-three punch to all of us.
On the Israeli end, terrorists fired rockets from the Sinai into Eilat.  Thank God everyone got to safety before the rockets landed.

It seems strange to blog about "everyday life" in light of these events, but everyday life must go on.  In fact, affirming everyday life may be among the best tools we have to deal with tragedy.  To that end:

Last week was Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) which is followed by Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day).  It is a difficult transition to go from a very sad day to a very happy day and L actually asked me as we were headed out for a Memorial Ceremony before beginning the Independence day celebration how people could go from being so sad to so happy.  The night Memorial Day started N went to a program with a friend.  I stayed home with the girls because A is too young to understand and I wasn't sure how much L would understand (especially as it is of course in Hebrew).   When N got home I sat down to talk about it with him.  He told me it was very sad because many young soldiers had died when they had their whole lives ahead of them.  He also told me that he felt scared because "when they were reading the names from the list I realized that my name could be on that list one day, and I don't want it to."  What could I say?   It's scary for all of us and something that I hope we never ever have to face.   The sirens sound for a moment of silence at night and once during the day.  It is a very powerful sound and emotion as an entire nation of people stops to recognize, remember and mourn those killed in action.

This is all followed by a huge celebration that marks Israeli Independence Day.  I had heard about how amazing Yom Haatzmaut is in Israel so I was sort of prepared to be disappointed.  I figured that reports had likely been exaggerated.  Boy was I wrong.  First we went to a Memorial ceremony at our local congregation.   I didn't understand all of it but they did a good job, remembering and mourning.  They read names from a list of people who had relatives in our congregation.  Unfortunately, with Israel being such a small country and so surrounded by enemies, many families had a loved one whose name was read. There was a drum roll and the raising of the Israeli flag from half mast.  Afterwards we all sang the national anthem and then the kids performed some songs and dances and we all joined in for some traditional folk dancing.  Next we headed to the main drag in our town "Rothschild Street."  It is hard to describe the scene.  What a feast for the senses.  It was like one long street fair/carnival.  There was music and dancing and street performers, fire eaters, jugglers, people on stilts, people as statues, balloons, kids carnival games.  And of course tons of street fair food.  I had no idea cotton candy was so delicious.  The excitement and celebration was unbelievable (and Tricia if you're reading---not like that.)  I don't think I have ever been to a party like that.  Our little town did an amazing job.  Savta Joanie and Saba Paul also had a thrilling time (Joan could have been hired as the town photographer).  We even met the mayor and told him that we were new immigrants to the town and had our picture taken with him.  We dragged the kids away at midnight but they were still going strong. 

Also, my dad who had been in the hospital a few days after his first chemo gained his independence and went home on Yom Haatzmaut.  Hooray!

The next day we went to an air force base across the street.  Five thousand of our closest friends had the same idea so it took about an hour to get to the base once we exited our town (normally perhaps a 7 minute drive).   It was super duper windy but that did not stop the air force from doing an amazing Red Baron air show!  We had fun again looking at all the different air crafts and exhibits (and of course eating the ice cream, popcorn and cotton candy!).  Interestingly, N proclaimed that he would wait to leave Israel for the major leagues until after his army service.  He even turned to L and told her "hey, we'll be in the army at the same time." 

A few days later marked the end of the visit from grandparents.  They took us out for a last night celebration dinner.  Funnily, the restaurant was called "Breishit" (beginnings).  But to be so cliche, I suppose every ending is a beginning.  Anyway, the restaurant was in a nearby town which is rather artsy and fun.  It was a very quaint, rustic setting and after a fabulous meal (who knew Israelis had so mastered fish and chips!) we went out to the courtyard where N filmed his first movie "Chicken and the Roosters."  It is about a man who is called Chicken because he is afraid of so much.  He must get an egg from the roosters in order to have a perfect breakfast.  It's a comedy.   He wanted me to post it to the blog but since Michael was the main actor and Saba Paul had a large role I'll need to get their permission.   L and A did some song and dance performances for us and then we went back to Mazkeret to have cake as a belated birthday celebration for N and L.  Was really a perfect evening.  It was hard to say goodbye.

Yesterday, we got back into some routine.  The kids took my ipad and were trying to get Siri (who can be addressed even when the ipad is locked) to give them the password for the parental lock.  At a certain point I think A was highly confused.  Wait a minute, she wondered, "how does it talk without a mouth?"  She was clearly recalling some theological questions she has been asking about how God can "speak", although incorporeal.   Is Siri. . . ?

It's my party and I'll sit out if I want to

Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day) celebrations have begun.  Israeli flags and blue/white banners are popping up everywhere and the spirit of pride and excitement is contagious.   This morning we went with Paul and Joan to a celebration at the community center with all of our town's pre-K schools.  There were apparently 720 kids.  It was quite a moving production with singing and dancing and lots of blue and white crepe paper.   Ariella participated for about half and then decided to join us.  I was more of a ham myself so it's different to have a child who prefers to observe and absorb than stand in the spotlight.   The mayor even came and after making a speech he released some blue and white balloons (to the ceiling--we were indoors so don't worry about the environment!)

After a few minutes, Ariella turned to Michael and asked "Whose party is this?"   Oy, I felt for her.  I don't think she has really wrapped her head around the idea of nations and independence.

Yesterday we went to "Mini Israel" with Joan and Paul.  It was pretty interesting and fun for the kids (who were particularly enthralled by a soccer match in a mini-Teddy Stadium).  After mini-Israel, N had a baseball game and according to Michael this one was actually pretty close.  His team (Gezer Bats) won 8-7 against the Bet Shemesh Predators.  First they were up, then the Predators tied it, and then they were up, and then the Predators tied it, etc., until the Predators were actually up 7-6 going into the bottom of the last inning.  Nehemiah handled himself admirably in the field as well as at the plate with a solid fly ball which was unfortunately caught.  Nonetheless, the Gezer Bats are actually undefeated this year.  I don't remember that happening with the Bad news bears but life doesn't always imitate t.v.

Meanwhile the last month has seen a real change with the kids.  I think we have gotten over the first hurdle (doesn't matter that there are so many hurdles still ahead).  Most of their friends from school live within a few blocks of us and now after school they are going to this one, that one.  In the US you might have called it "play dates" but here it seems more informal and is arranged by the children.  More like what I remember from my own childhood.   It is so nice to see them hanging out with their new friends and feeling included.  My Hebrew had better pick up fast or I will have no idea what they are talking about with their friends--though I must admit that this is already an issue!

We are currently in the time period between the Passover holiday and Shavuot holiday.  These two are very thematically linked and we actually count the days between the two each night.  Anyway, on the 33rd day there is a custom in Israel to have bonfires and I can not begin to describe the wood collecting that our children and all of their friends are involved in.  This is not the time of year to bring your wood working out because the kids collect any wood they find in anticipation of the bonfires.  It is commonplace to see gaggles of kids running around with tree branches,  door frames, beams.  Pretty much any piece of wood not nailed down is fair game.  You would need an elaborate court system to determine which wooden piles belong to which groups but the children's information network seems to do a pretty good job monitoring all of that.  Though just the other day we had to mediate a dispute where one group was collecting from a pile stashed by another group, and the object of the dispute was whether the hiding place was private property or not.  (We thought it was not, and Michael's brilliant counsel amounted to "stop involving us, work it out yourselves").

I'll post this now before it gets too late because as my dad used to say when we were kids "It's almost time to get up."

Here we are

Empty parkings lots and stores completely closed at 7 pm on a Sunday night even though we were at a major outdoor shopping mall.  That's because Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial day) was beginning.  Savta Joanie and Saba Paul (grandparents) are visiting us and had taken the kids to Toys 'r us to each pick out a gift.  With all the activity of the last few days we hadn't realized what day it was until we saw everything starting to close.  We had stopped at a little felafel stand at the mall and watched the place empty out.   It's hard to explain in words how that felt but as we drove home past closed stores and empty parking lots the feeling that we are in deed living in a Jewish country sunk in because the entire country is involved in the memorial.  We were told that tomorrow at 10am sirens will sound and everyone will stop what they are doing (to include apparently drivers on the road) and stand at attention for two minutes of silence in memory of all the murdered victims.

Also of note, today was a day that a group of cyber hackers who call themselves "anonymous"  (really?) vowed to "wipe Israel off the virtual map" and tried to bring all the servers down.  So of course I specifically wanted to post my blog today as a way to say, be it eating felafel in our land or posting about it virtually----still here.

Oys and Joys

Sorry for the long hiatus.  So much has been going on--we found out recently that my father has pancreatic cancer and that has been quite the oy.  Rather took the blog out of my blogging spirit.  My dad really is one in a million so it is hard news to get.  At the same time he and my mom raised us as part of a long tradition that celebrates life and so. . .

I don't even know where to begin.  Since I last blogged, I have received my license to practice medicine in Israel.  Yaaay.  There were so many calls back and forth to cross this "t" and dot that "i" that I had begun to think I would never get a license.  Then one day, I was standing at the bus stop and got a call from my notary/translator/lawyer who said my license was in, but the Ministry of Health was moving offices so either pick it up that day or wait another month.  So I ventured out to their offices and they happened to be right across the street from the Goldstein Youth Village which is where I stayed the first time I was ever in Israel as a teenager with Camp Ramah.  Great memories, and from a time in my life when I never would have dreamed that I would one day live here.

We also made it to Holon to get the "extra stamping" on our driver's license conversion paperwork.  Had to chuckle when the clerk told us we were lucky because the process for us is "chick chock" (super fast).  I guess compared to what the Israelis have to go through our 10-steps must seem small, but it's not what I would call super fast.  We have now had two driver's lessons and are waiting for the call that we can go take the test.  I think as part of the process it would be more informative to call it "deprogramming" as opposed to "lessons."  Our instructor was an older French Moroccan Jew who came to Israel when he was 10.  He had certainly seen a few things.  His job as I saw it was to undo all of the bad driving habits we've picked up after 20 odd years of driving.  I think the more defensive a driver you are, the less deprogramming you need.  Fortunately, it wasn't until December when Shira was here and taught me how to "drive like an Israeli" so I didn't have a lot of deprogramming to go through.  We did almost get in a car accident b/c I was driving following the rules and the car behind couldn't handle it.  Michael needs just a wee bit more deprogramming, and hopefully we will both pass the test.

The week before Passover is vacation and we have already taken the kids on a few outings.  We went to the zoo last week and N mentioned to someone that he was an "oleh chadash" (new immigrant.)  "My Hebrew is surprisingly good", he said "compared to my mom's."  Actually, I will have you know that the latest medical ulpan (medical Hebrew language class) started and you have to take a test to get in.  Yours truly passed the test although the tester kept saying "I think you're being modest" in reference to my protests that I didn't think my Hebrew was good enough.   When I asked her what modest meant I think she saw I wasn't faking.  Nevertheless I did pass the written test and felt good about that but as the class is about two hours away each direction I have decided to study from the book at home.

In other news, N went on his first youth group overnight trip.  There is a national youth group movement here called Bnai Akiva, and when we first got here he insisted that he wouldn't join but his friends go, and as he warmed up more to Israel, he wanted to join.  I'm not sure most American parents would have been so comfortable b/c I don't think there is a lot (or maybe any) adult supervision on these trips.  The whole thing seems to have been run by teenagers.  But, if you're going for integration you have to be willing to have some sleepless nights.  Somewhere between the bonfires and the speech by Naftali Bennet (new Knesset member) N clearly had a great time and I think even started to take some pride in his being here.

Passover is here and what a wonderful time to be in Israel.  Everything is so different.  First of all your neighbors and friends are doing all the cleaning, prepping that you're doing and the stores are set up in a way to facilitate.  In years past it's always been "rush to the grocery and get the xxxxx before they run out."  Whatever that item may be.  Or order 750 of them from a coop just to have the 5 that you need.  Now we just go to the store and get the yogurt, margarine, cottage cheese, and whatever off the shelf.  Most food here is more expensive (except the produce and a few other things) but ironically Passover seems to be the one time of year that someone from visiting from the US who found themselves at the grocery store might think we were the ones with the good prices since we just continue buying the same things.    Old habits die hard so not to worry we still have way too much food in our house right now.  L: "we're going to eat all of that in one week?"  N:  "You'd be surprised."  I do love not having to ration the yogurt or Bisli or whatever.  We're doing seder with friends and we split up the cooking which is nice and makes everything more manageable.  M found all types of Shmurah (handmade) matzos to try--we'll even have soft matzos at our seder this year, and he even baked matzos himself with a group of friends who organized a matzo baking night.   And of course, only one seder!  We will miss the D family big time but traveling around Israel for an extra day is such a treat.  Since moving here I have several times heard the kids remark "Being Jewish is great---there's always something to celebrate."

Ahoy Matey!

Purim was such great fun.  We brought the kids to school in costumes on Friday and stayed for a few minutes just to soak in the atmosphere.  Kids were streaming all around in their costumes (some on roller blades--oh my!) and the music was pumping.  They had been told not to bring anything with them that day except for a mishloach manot (Purim gift basket).  Guess who ran out to buy the contents for said baskets late the night before?  But never mind that.  My parents, who love to send packages to the kids, sent all the costumes.  This was a stroke of genius on my mom's part when she realized she could buy post-Halloween costumes at a steal and send them here.  All the girls in L's class swarmed around to see her beautiful "Cleopatra" costume, and as soon as we brought A to the gan (pre-K) the teachers proclaimed of her pirate costume "that can't be from here...how cute."  N got the "Ironman" costume but instead decided to put a cowboy hat on and a bow tie and told people he was the "Lone Ranger."  I didn't know how to translate that name so we just hummed the theme song if anyone asked.

Michael found his Purim home this year.  On Shabbat morning a friend told us about the Yemenite custom which is to read the megillah (Book of Esther) with not one sound from the audience.  Not a peep.  It is customary to make a noise whenever Haman's (bad guy) name is read to drown out his name.  Add to that a public reading with kids running around and you can imagine that sometimes it can be hard to hear.   We have  a Yemenite minyan in our town that actually just uses one of the rooms in our synagogue.  Can you hear the heavenly choir now?  What a relief.  Michael went to that minyan and it was like landing in his own Nirvana.  It also took all the stress off our family having fun b/c I was able to go to a different reading and we traded watching the kids so I was also free to listen and concentrate.
In the final two minutes of Shabbat the kids started a countdown and then when the clock struck they literally started jumping up and down and shouting "it's Purim, it's Purim."  I don't entirely know what they were told would happen but they raced upstairs and changed into their costumes and ran to the synagogue for the Megilla reading.

I sat with a friend whose husband had just finished writing his own Megillat Esther.  What a meaningful experience it was to sit in Israel and listen to this ancient story of Jewish perseverance and follow along on a handwritten scroll that was written by a friend and citizen of modern Israel.  Wow.

The next day Michael went to a morning reading and then we traded places and I went to a women's only Megilla reading.  It was very special.  An all female audience and all female readers.  Some did a slightly dramatic reading but mostly they just chanted the traditional trop (musical motif).  I went back home and we put together our mishloach manot.  Meanwhile people kept coming to the door with baskets for us.  My parents sent a huge basket that was delivered by a company and the kids went crazy.  By early afternoon our dining room table was filled with enough junk to last us until next Purim.  People were quite creative with all kinds of homemade treats and even liquors and fine chocolates.  Needless to say we all indulged.  M put a tuxedo on for his costume and we went out to hand deliver a few baskets.  I have never been in an environment where everyone is participating in Purim.  People were delivering baskets, playing Purim music, hanging out in costume.  Someone even gave M some wine under the pretense of it being grape juice.  All day, A advised us to save some energy for the next day "shu-shu" Purim.  There is a holiday called "Shushan" Purim (Shushan being the capital of Persia at the time of the Purim story) but I guess she didn't quite hear it right. 

Later in the afternoon we joined friends at their house for a Purim Seudah (the festive meal).  Lord Grantham, a/k/a Michael had changed back into jeans but the kids stayed in costume so it was the 4 of us and a strung-out Pirate.  Our friends are quite creative and they had set up a beautiful meal plus the dad played "Purim Jeopardy" with the kids.   We had a really nice time.  And our pirate cheered up a bit after getting some real food (and not just junk) into her system.  That night we consolidated everything we hadn't eaten or opened and the candy alone was close to 10 pounds!

Today for shu-shu Purim (really only celebrated in walled cities--such as Jerusalem) we laid low.  L organized a family art contest in the morning and I'm so proud to announce that I took second place.  It was actually the first art contest I have ever won in my life --excluding the time in 5th grade when I painted a picture of the plaza lights and then accidentally dropped it on someone else's painting.  It was still wet so the streaky effect was mistaken for "art" and by the time my painting was being recognized it was way too late for me to correct the matter.  (Sorry Mrs. Phillips if you're reading now).   We took the kids to a local Purim fair put on by the youth group.  They did all the kid things that are fun when you're that age (including eating cotton candy the size of your head) and that night M took N for one of his baseball games, which they won 11-2.   Yes, they scored 11 runs, and their team got only one hit in the game.  Figure that out, baseball experts.  Also, N called a time-out during the game and ran to the pitcher to share some words.  One of the fathers commented that he never before saw a left fielder come to consult with the pitcher during game time.  Apparently, impressed by the previous strikeout, and inspired by a bit of boredom out in left field, N was curious about whether the pitcher could throw a "slider" (a pitch he tells me he learned about from Uncle Howie.) 

 I stayed back with L & A and we had our own little dance party.  It was a great way to wrap up (what in our old lives would have been known as a long weekend) the holiday.   Favorite quote of the weekend came from N who has a special talent for turning things on their head.   "I think we should thank Haman b/c if it hadn't been for him we wouldn't have Purim."  I'm going to bottle up all that good feeling and save it for a rainy day.

1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2 Duh.

This week we had some sad but not unexpected news: Michael's grandma died on Tuesday.  The kids had a hard time with it, and they expressed pride in their Grandma Faye.  Life is full of these simultaneous peaks and valleys.  We have a loss like this intertwined with everything going on with our kids.  I wrote the post below the other day, a reflection of our experience before we heard the news.  I would like to dedicate it to Grandma Faye, a consummate lady.

This morning we were running a bit late for school (it's my blog so please grant me the indulgence of pretending that this is a rare occurrence).  Anyway, in our tardiness L told me not to worry "we're not learning anything anyway--it's Purim."  Just what every mother wants to hear about their kids and school.  Actually it is somewhat heartening to know that L can now tell the difference between holiday fun and learning.  Last week we met with her teacher who told us that L is like an Israeli who just finished 1st grade in terms of her reading comprehension, writing etc.  Considering she just finished her first semester as a second grader here we thought that was great news.  We had been told by others that in the first year it is mostly important that they stay up to date with math.  Her teacher said she is with the class in math--more good news.  It's a bit harder getting information from N's teacher.  Unfortunately she has been working all year under the theory that you don't need to know Hebrew to follow along in a Hebrew only classroom.  She feels this is especially true when it comes to math.  I tried to explain that I didn't think the kids would understand the math lesson if she gave it say in Chinese but my point was not understood.  I guess she feels that since the numbers look the same one should simply intuit the lesson from just looking at the numbers.  Of course taken to it's logical extreme there would be no need for a teacher in the classroom but I didn't think pointing that out to her would do much good.  Sigh.

So L might tell me they aren't learning anything but I can tell you the main thing they're learning right now is that Israel is a fabulous place to be in the weeks before Purim.  The kids are having the best time.  They actually look forward to school these days.  A & L come home with faces painted or some type of costume every day.  Between the 3 of them we have parties every night this week.  I was at a paper goods store today and there were so many choices for Purim themed fun.  Plus you can sing along to the overhead music and everyone else in the store is getting stuff for mishloach manot (Purim baskets given to friends) which is fun to watch and be part of.   This year I am learning new songs that I had never heard before courtesy of Ariella.  I think some of them might be her own creations but a few of them are clearly beyond her ability and thus I think the real deal.  Another thing I learned.  Israeli's don't call hamantschen (traditional Purim cookie) by that name--N had a friend over the other day and I offered him a homemade hamantschen and he just gave me a blank stare.  Here they are called Oznei Haman (Haman's---bad guy in Purim story--ears).

Apparently N & L are in an English play at school.  L of course has everyone's parts memorized but I don't think N who is supposed to be King Achashverosh has even looked at the script.  It is super cute though to think of the handful of English speakers doing this project on their own.  From what I understand it is not a school initiative but they are performing it for the school (might be interesting for those in attendance to see what it's like to not understand.)

It's also possible that a lot of the fun and happiness is prep for the news of what happens during Passover time.  Kids are home for 2 weeks.  Aaaack.  I mean I am totally looking forward to the week of Passover and traveling around with the kids.  But 2 weeks.  Hello.  Most of what makes being a "stay at home mom' right now so great is that the kids aren't home.  OK.  Deep breath.

Driver's license conversion update:  Last week I took my form to the Ministry of Licensing in Rehovot. For those of you interested in Aliyah in the future just make a note that the Ministry of Licensing in Rehovot can not stamp your green form.  They would if they could but they can't.  That can only be done in Holon, and only on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8-12.  The good news is, I don't mind heading to Holon now that I have Waze.  I actually enjoy driving around Israel.  The scenery is just so unbelievably gorgeous you can't help but feel inspired, as if anything is possible.   I feel almost as if I will ultimately convert my current license to an Israeli one.