Pesach has just passed...incredibly quickly. We decided to take our friends' advice here and jam-pack our holiday full of activities to keep the kids busy and and to avoid the dreaded "I'm booooored" pronouncements. It totally worked. We all had so much fun and were so busy running ourselves ragged that there was no time for boredom.
First of all, before Pesach even started, the kids' days were full of activities. All the schools have vacation starting the week before Pesach and just as I was starting to freak out about how was I going to clean and prepare with 3 kids hanging around, out came the coveted little scraps of paper sent home in their backpacks. Each one, a different advertisement for pre-Pesach day-camps ("kaytanot") run by pre-teen girls clearly sent directly from Heaven.
We chose one to be run by an older sister of a boy in Gali's class that would meet across the street from us in the B'nei Akiva building. Ami and Gali both went and had a blast. They went to the park every day for picnics and did arts and crafts out the wazoo, even painted their faces, as seen in the pic. Then, when that was over at 1 pm, they came home, ate, and left for kaytana #2. Our neighbor's 9 yr old daughter ran a mini-kaytana for her 3 yr old sister (the cute little one hugging Ami in the previous post), our kids, and one other one in the building. (Devra and Gidon, if I've said it once, I've said it a million times, S.R.'s the absolute best.)
So the cleaning got done.
In fact, this yr, for some reason, things seemed to fall into place much easier than in the past. There's such a different feeling here than we used to have in Balt. It just seemed calmer. When we went back to visit Balt. in the beginning of March, the supermarket had a huge Passover food section set up and people were stocking up! When we came back, there wasn't a matza to be found until maybe 2 weeks before Pesach. We read a few pre-Pesach dvar-Torah's (articles) and went to a few shiurim (speeches) and the common theme seemed to be "Relax! It's not spring-cleaning time. This is supposed to be a happy time and don't drive yourselves crazy!"
I'll take it!
It felt very fluid...like this is life- it's no big deal.
We had our seder (by the way, having one was AWESOME!) with friends who have kids around the same ages as ours. We had a great time. They did a lot of role-playing and made it fun for the kids. At one point, the father disappeared and there was a knock at the door. The kids opened it and it was "Moshe" who ran in all dressed up, telling everyone to pack quickly and leave Egypt. Other than Hila, who found that terrifying, everyone loved it.
Though it was a bit bittersweet because it was the first time we were away from family and we missed everyone and the yearly routine we're used to.
Hopefully, we can host family next year! (Hint, hint!)
Chol Hamoed, as I said earlier, was jam-packed with activity.
Monday we went to a nature reserve near the Dead Sea with natural springs for swimming and we took two of our neighbors along for the ride. Unfortunately, the ride there didn't go too smoothly...we had a fender-bender on our way. Cars were stopping suddenly around a bend and we stopped in time but the car behind us didn't and bumped us. It was a very slight bump but the car's back bumper was pretty banged up. The guy who bumped us (Moti, who else??) seemed like a mentch at the time and he'll hopefully continue to be one when he has to pay.
We continued on our way and the kids had a blast swimming and walking along some streams.
Next day, Tuesday, we drove to Hebron. They host a music festival twice a yr and all of Ma´arat HaMachpela is open to Jews...usually some parts are restricted and Arab-controlled. Rich went in with Gali and Ami while Hila and I listened to the music festival and then we all walked around the city with the thousands of other party-goers. The security was pretty high and soldiers in camouflage lying by the side of the road with guns pointed to the hills was a pretty common sight. So the area was pretty well-protected. The kids played in a playground in the Jewish Quarter and we watched families unload huge baskets with 5 course meals they packed for lunch. We were a little jealous watching them eat while we munched our soggy matza sandwiches.
I was struck by the scene of the playground and took a pic of the kids playing with a huge cement barricaded wall behind them and a camouflaged army lookout on top of the building behind it. I can't imagine living there and having that become a normal sight. The people living there are so strong and brave and I don't think I could ever even imagine being in their shoes. What strong faith.
The next day, Wed, we went to a part of Nahal Pratt in a reserve about a 10 min drive from our house. The drive was a little scary, as it was along a very narrow road winding down the mountain. Maybe a half a foot of land between the road and the steep drop- and no guardrail. Thank G-d no cars were coming the other way (we had a very early start) but we weren't so lucky on the way out. As I write this, I still have the sinking feeling in my stomach thinking about the 2 times cars passed us on our way up and out of the reserve. I think a few more inches and our car would have tipped over the side.
Anyway, the reserve, itself, was worth the terrifying drive. It was gorgeous. Friends from our neighborhood met us there and showed us where they usually set their stuff up away from the crowds. They have a daughter in Gali's class and they played together in the streams and pools. They were telling us that they go sometimes on Friday mornings. It never really occurred to me to do something like that... amazing to have that choice now! It's so close-by that it would be no big deal to take a quick little morning trip.
Thursday we went to my cousin's apt in Neve Yaakov for lunch. Our grandfathers were brothers. She grew up in Canada and is a little older than me so we never really knew each other before. It was nice getting to know her and her family. She has 6 kids and the youngest 2 are Ami and Hila's age. I have such a small family and almost no contact with any other cousins, so it was a great feeling to introduce the kids to their cousins and to know that we have family nearby.
Earlier in the week we met Rich's cousins for dinner in Jerusalem. His cousin Sheryl lives with her family in Ber Sheva and her brother was in from the States with his family. They all came to Jerusalem - Sheryl's newly married daughter lives there. Sheryl's grandparent was siblings with Rich's grandfather.
Everyone always asks if we have any family here and we say no but the answer is beginning to change as we meet "new" cousins. It feels more like home because of it.
Next day we were off again at the crack of dawn to Herzliya where we were invited to a Bat Mitzvah of friends who just made aliyah from Baltimore a well. We decided to leave really early and have time on the beach before going to the restaurant. We arrived so early that we found parking right next to the beach and had our pick of places to settle on the sand. We had a good two hrs of fun before changing in the car and walking over to the Bat Mitzvah. We were invited out for Shabbat lunch, so we took our time coming back, not having to cook much for Shabbat.
And then it was over! Pesach sped by for us.
Kids went back to school on Monday after playing at home with their friends on Sunday (no 2-day Yom tov's for us!)
No one had a hard transition back, thank G-d. All marched right in, ready to have fun. Hila was especially happy to go back to "my Bely" (Beverly, her daycare provider).
Bonus pics....
1 comment:
We also think Shira Rina is the greatest. We think that ALL of our kids are the greatest. Is that confusing? :)
Furthermore, YOUR kids are the greatest, too. Thank you for keeping Shira Rina busy, and thanks for taking the girls on your tiyul. Since we were a bit housebound this year, that was a special bonus.
Glad you enjoyed your Pesach, may you have many MANY more!
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