Milestone and thrilling events...

This is a tender moment for us all here in Israel...


We've had a few firsts:


Elan willingly and of his own accord ordered salad for breakfast.

We joined a CSA!!! Now a huge box of organic and locally grown veggies comes our way every Wednesday night! Even the kids marveled at the dirt (we are easily pleased!), and Elan said, "Guys! Come eat these cucumbers!!! They were picked today!"

Mira walked Amalya to school by herself when Elan took a personal day. She got to take the kids' cell phone with her and kept track of it the whole day!!! Yes, we gave in. This was after one evening when I was with the girls and their chumash tutor, and Elan was supposed to meet Loren after coming home from a friend's house. They got mixed up in where they were supposed to meet, and everyone was a little confused and overwhelmed. Fortunately, Elan kept his wits about him and was able to get home safely, even stopping for two slices of pizza and a sprite (for just 19 shekels!!). Those are some well-developed survival skills!


Loren finally started his program!!! Tuesday was his first day of school! He bought a new backpack! He took the bus!!! He forgot to take a lunch!!! Just like a real student!!!

I used up my first bus pass!!!

Amalya told me about her dance class, and used Hebrew to describe it!!!!

All the kids are entering into a new level of accountability with our new family "JOB AGREEMENT!!"

I got two coffee places to agree to let me use my own coffee cup instead of a paper one! What an eco-thrill!

We are getting ready to welcome our first visitors in November...my mom and sister! We will be going around Jerusalem (my sis hasn't been here in over 15 years!) eating, shopping and having fun!!! You too can take advantage of our "Hachnassat Orchim" special we are running right now. We'll get all the visitor kinks out with these two, and your visit will be a breeze! Come see us soon!

We had our first stomach virus!!! (No photo, aren't you disappointed?) Elan was the winning vomiter. He's feeling better, so we're just hoping to avoid a puking domino-effect where one by one we all get it.

And on that note,

Shabbat Shalom!

More sukkot fun!

Loren and our friend Scott took our collective kids to Ne'ot Kedumim. This is a Biblical Landscape Preserve with amazing activities! There are gardens grown according to their description in the Bible, as well as other agricultural and biblical experiences...sans Sodom of course. They were shown around by another Ramah Wisconsin friend. Simcha was a great educator when I was a camper there, and he is still going strong here in Israel and at camp!
He developed the educational setting in this biblical garden. During Sukkot, there are models of all of the strange and possible sukkot mentioned in the mishnah.
Everyone was allowed to pick an Etrog...they were as big as Amalya's head! The preserve holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest Etrog: about 15 lbs! Elan also discovered the delicious taste of carob right off the tree! That boy is on his way to healthy eating whether he wants it or not! It is his destiny!!!
The kids spent the day here and only got to do about 10% of the activities. Next time we rent a car...gotta go back!


Because herding goats and sheep is fun!

Sukkot was abundantly fun!

The kids had all of Sukkot off, so that means fun, fun, fun!! And some craziness; I'm not going to lie. Especially so soon after YK. The next few posts will be about all that fun. And craziness.

With Sukkot comes a lot of great tiyulim (trips) and events around Jerusalem. Fortunately, most of them involve food. Because you might not be eating enough during the chaggim (even now, I know not to complain...no three day yomtov here! I'll also try not to gloat.), and because food in Israel is fun!

Tis the season for a delicious treat involving chocolate, marshmallow fluff and a cookie buried beneath the goo. These are such fragile delights, they are made only during the late fall through the winter. Sunshine and Crembo's are completely incompatible. They require a cool touch as well as an eating preference.
The first order of business is choosing your Crembo at the makolet. Clearly some did not survive through transport. They look genetically challenged, or at least squeezed by some passing child. Or it looks like it tried unsuccessfully to back out of my garage in Atlanta and hit the garbage bin even though it was warned that it would be a tight fit requiring better navigation than the Titanic. Like my car, that I miss (especially with winter rain coming…but I digress). Back to choosing your gooey goodness.
You want an upright Crembo, standing tall as a cylinder with a gently curved top. This enables you to eat it the way you want. While the possibilities are endless, here are the ways we do it:
With abandon: just bite in and finish it off. While one bite is possible, you mom will probably only buy you one. What’s the use of finishing it so quickly? And is that enough kavanah and kavod for the sugar rush coming your way?

Thank you, dear Lord, for this chocolate we are about to receive. Amen.

By layers: eat off the entire chocolate shell without disturbing the cookie foundation or, (extreme Crembo challenge) the marshmallow inside. For this procedure to be considered a success, the original shape must be retained.
Cookie first: this approach is usually taken by those who psychotically eat the bottom of an ice cream cone first, but without the drips. There may not be drips, but trust me, the goo will get you.

Crembo innerds...

Did I mention these are pareve, so can be eaten anytime?
Crembo, I will digest you!