Before I begin, how fun are these? I love the little surprises that pop up here. I mean, I don't like that I saw an entire case of sheep heads at the market last week. Ick. But these are fun.
The kids went back to school. And I was so excited because, finally, freedom! And for anyone who thinks I'm just another parent who can't wait to pawn her kids off, remember that I homeschooled my kids for two years and spent five years as a stay at home mother. But back to the present. I couldn't wait to pawn my kids off. Everyone was hot and bored at home. Mostly because I was furiously trying to get them ready for school and study for my exam.
Finally, they went back, and instead of calm, chaos began. First, everyone needs books and supplies and shirts, and who knows what else for school. And I don't understand half of the instructions. I just told my kids to take pictures of their friends supplies and we will go on that.
And then my exam day arrives. No idea how I did. But the whole process was an experience. About two thousand potential nurses were there to take the exam. Nerve wracking. Especially because there were so many languages going on.. Hebrew, English, French, Arabic and Russian were the main ones that I heard. So now we wait. I would share a picture, but right after I snapped it, someone else got yelled at for taking a picture. So I'll keep it to myself.
My big plan after my exam was basically to lie on my sofa for a few months and watch Netflix. But being the school nerd that I am, I decided to go back to ulpan. This time level gimmel /daled. I basically talk a good game of wanting to relax, but when it comes down to it, I'm a major school nerd. So anyway, I'm back in ulpan while I wait for my exam results. Thankfully, so far, this ulpan has been really good. I've became a major dork about grammar, because it finally all makes sense. Did I mention that ulpan bestie and I are back together?
What else is going in here? Oh yes, chugim, aka after school activities, aka, omg why are there so many choices. Let's just say that I haven't exactly been economical about it yet. I am letting them try whatever they want and then we will adjust after the chagim. Nothing happens anyway until October here. So the new things we are trying; judo, guitar, electronics, running, netball, flag football. And the old things ; taekwondo, special taekwondo in Jerusalem, and guitar. So lots going on.
Holidays are coming! So the cooking has begun. In the USA, we always had two refrigerators and freezers. Here, I have one and it is somewhat smaller than the USA. Yet, we are still feeding the same number of people. I'll keep reminding myself that I am living in the land of miracles. The space will get bigger magically. Meanwhile I'll just be happy that I can afford to have this problem. We don't have family in Israel, although in the USA we also didn't do most chagim with our family. Luckily we have made some good friends and we will all be sharing the holidays together.
Victories of the Week!
#1 preteen dress shopping =success
#2 cranberry vodka, ordered
#3 pet shop owner and I had a good Hebrew conversation where he didn't switch to English at all
#4 insurance agent and I had a lovely Hebrew conversation as well. He is also an immigrant, except he came here the year I was born. I didn't share that info with him. Don't want him to feel old.
#5 finally, I feel like I can shop in Hebrew without making a total fool of myself
#6 except the butcher. I can't handle the butcher
#7 saw a show at the cultural center
#8 baked challah twice. Okay, that isn't exactly relevant to Israel, I just wanted you to know.
Funny moments of the week
#1 watching my son and husband move a bed. (child got too tall for his bed, so he now gets the giant guest bed) Pivot!
#2 me parking my car in my garage every single day. I just can't.
Back to School Night 2.0 x 4
Perhaps you recall my back to school night post from last year. I was so nervous because I barely understood a word. And I was so nervous for the part where parents ask questions. I have four kids and I've been to many many of these meetings. They are all similar. Parents ask about homework and the curriculum, etc... Well, not in Israel. Last year they asked only about the microwaves and the lockers.
Anyway, this year we had all four kids back to school nights on the same night. It was quite the adventure. First we head to the sixth grade. He has the same teacher and the same kids in his class as last year. I understood most of what was said, aside from the things I can't understand because I didn't grow up here. Basically, the boys shouldn't act like gangsters, just because they are the oldest in the school. They start crossing guard duty next week I think. I figured I would email his teacher with questions. I always have questions. Oh, we handed over 100 shekel to the PTA, etc... The usual. That I understood!
Then we race to the girls' high school. With twins, we've been running a man to man defense for many years. So we split up and each arrived late to the classrooms. Let's just say that man to man defense works so much better now than it did when they were infants. Those stories must be told in person though, for full effect. Anyway, we sit through those meetings. We have to go around and introduce ourselves. And guess who had to go first, in a class full of Israeli parents. That's right, yours truly! Thankfully, after my zillion hours of courses, I managed not to panic and I even remembered my name and the name of which child I was there for. Eventually I hope to meet the teacher of my other daughter. But we had to leave early to catch the very end of my eldest child's back to school night.
Luckily, the next school is next door to the one we had been at. So we hustle over there, and slip quietly into the classroom. Or not quietly, because as we walk in, the teacher says, whoever is last, has to sit next to the teacher. (my son had the same main teacher last year so we know him) I spy an empty chair on the other side of the room. So I make a beeline for that, while pointing to my husband and saying, he is last! So, hubby had to sit in the dunce chair. He said it didn't bother him at all. Personally, I would have died of embarrassment. Maybe because I spent a few years in after school care sitting in the 'bad chair.' Or because my 7th grade science teacher used to punish kids by drawing a circle on the board and you had to go and stand there with your nose in it. I'm not traumatized. Really. Some things never change.
Anyway, no one asked about lockers or microwaves or really much of anything. Some complaints about the high school schedule, but overall, a busy but easy night. And the good news is, now we are done. At least until mother daughter night next week, where I get to slice myself in half. Oh, and of course we forked over some more cash for whatever.
Only in Israel!!
And for the only in Israel moments. My youngest child's class went to a program at the big park in our town, on Friday morning. And by morning, I mean 5:30am, with his entire class and his teacher. And tonight, my girls class is headed to the same park from 8:30pm-midnight. You know, just the usual! I think next week or the week after my eldest is headed somewhere until about 3am. I'm waiting for the permission slip for that to come home.
Always something going on here.
Can't wait to update everyone after the first set of chagim. I'm planning a blog showing some of the similarities and differences between my life in NJ and my life in Israel. Stay tuned.
Until then: שנה טובה!
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