It has arrived! (after the chagim that is)

Basically, everything in Israel begins acharei hachagim, AKA after the holidays.  That means basically that noting happens here from about mid August until sometime in October. At least nothing administrative happens, nothing with school is set, etc..

Yes, that is a sukkah at the beach

And I was so excited that on the Tuesday after the holidays, the kids would go back to school and I would be able to start getting into a better routine with work, family and puppy.  But oh no.  Even though the holidays here ended Monday night, school does not begin until Wednesday.  Sigh. One more day....  Currently my kids are fighting over laundry or something similar, whatever teens like to fight about.

Although technically, one child goes back to school at 3am tonight, aka he has a school trip that leaves from school at 3am.  Well, once I heard that time, I pulled an Israeli move.  I asked him to text his teacher (who lives on the street next to us) and ask him for a ride at 3am to school.  So he did and hopefully that all works out.  Because I am not a pleasant taxi driver at that time of night.  I can pretty confidently say that

#1 - in our old schools in America, you don't text the teacher.
 #2 you don't ask the teacher for a ride

Update, since I have been working on this blog for a while.  The teacher then decided to walk to school at 2am, and told Eli they could walk together.  But because my son is more Israeli than I will ever be, went on his class Whatsapp group to ask for a ride.  And he got one.

Sukkot:
As usual I had big plans for all of the fun stuff we would do over the holiday break.  But then real life got in the way, such as work, needing to cook, etc..  We did manage one day at the beach.  Except the waves were the biggest I have ever seen in Israel, the black flags were out all day (no swimming) and everyone near us was smoking on the beach.  The fun highlights were:

#1 intense frisbee game
#2 a random dog joining that game

#3 eavesdropping on a conversation where they said the word Jachnun (type of food) about 20 times in one minute
#4 hearing the lifeguards repeatedly getting on the speakers yelling to get out of the water
#5 why do people think underwear is a bathing suit?

Even though we did not have many sukkot adventures, we still had fun.  My girls have been teaching the hubby how to cook.  Now that I am working and my hours are always weird, they have all had to step up and take over for me sometimes.  We also hosted a kiddush in our sukkah because we did it last year and it was fun, so why not?

And we also kicked off the girls' birthday month with a breakfast at a restaurant in a sukkah of course. 

School!!!

Have I mentioned yet how nice it is that school is back in session?  I can finally feel like my weird schedule at least gives me a bit of time alone.  Of course, what do I do on basically their first day back?  I schedule a meeting with their teachers since I cant make back to school night.  Oh well, eventually I will get some free time.

Extracurricular Activities AKA Chugim

Yes, every year I say, we are only going to do a few activities this year, let's keep it low key.  And then somehow I get myself into a pickle.

Let me begin with a recap of our life in the USA:  Until we began homeschooling we did very few extras.  They all did baseball which was a few months once a week or so.  Once the girls took ballet at a community program, but it turned out that one just wanted to twirl in the back of the room alone and well, I let her do that for free at home.  So that was short lived.  Once we did swimming but that was a huge pain with all of the kids.  And finally, we settled on taekwondo.  Between their longer school hours and the cost of their schooling in the USA, we did not have time, money or energy for activities.

So this years schedule:

Boy #1 - scouts and guitar, but studying for a special school certificate in guitar so it will take up a lot more time I assume (he already spends all of his free time with the guitar anyway)

Girl #1 - scouts, taekwondo x2, one class locally and one on the team in Jerusalem.  Hopefully she gets to travel this year if she keeps working hard.  Remind me that I said hopefully when I come here to complain about her travelling.

Girl #2 - scouts and Netball and a special computer course

Boy #2 - this is apparently my activity addict
scouts, taekwondo, guitar and art classes and a once a week day away from school for some other classes run by the city

He also wanted to do gymnastics because apparently it is his lifelong dream to learn how to flip.  But all of the gymnastics classes are twice a week and we do not have the time.  I told him maybe next year?  Because I also thought art classes were his lifelong dream.  It is hard to keep up with the dreams.  Also, I wish he would just take Flamenco dancing because honestly I think he would do really well.  But oh well.  Maybe next year.

Obviously the dog needs a selfie at well

Work:

Work is good and I am still enjoying the job.  But I think I have lost my understanding about the size of a normal baby.  The other day I picked up a baby who was about 7 lbs and I was like, whoa, chubby, slow down on the milk intake!  It will be another shift for me when they start training me for the more acute unit,.  SO far the smallest baby I have held is probably 2.5 lbs +.  But eventually I will work with the smaller and sicker babies.  For now though, I am very happy with my job and I am so glad I decided to pursue my dream here in Israel.

Every day I speak Hebrew basically for 8.5 hours at work, but yet I still fear making phone calls in Hebrew.  I have no idea why.  I assume I will get over that one eventually.  Please say yes.

Well, that is all for now.  I guess it is good that nothing too crazy has happened to us recently.  I am sure it will not be long until something strange occurs.

Bar Mitzvah

And in case you haven't heard from my mother, my youngest son's bar mitzvah is coming up.  Let me know if you'll be in Israel just before Chanukah.  Or just let me know if you will be in Israel at all.  Flights go in and out every day of the week (ElAl only six days a week)We would love to see you and probably will try and convince you why you should live here. 

Summer has come and gone

I would love to say that I have not had time to write because we were busy being Israeli and vacationing all of August.  I mean, you are welcome to think that. But...

The reality was that we were busy being crazy people this summer and while we did sneak in a few short trips, we were mostly working, staying out of the heat, sending kids to various camps, working and occasionally, sleeping.  In the air conditioning of course.  It is still really hot here.

Work Update:

Well, I am still so happy that I switched jobs.  I really love working in the NICU.  I finished my training, so now I usually only ask approximately 20 questions per shift instead of my previous 50.  I love the work that I do, even when every baby is crying and I am trying my best to keep up with what everyone needs.  I love dressing the babies in the stash of preemie clothing we keep there.  And I love it when the parents come in and they see their babies in real baby clothing and not naked in an incubator or in the hospital issued baby clothing.  I still struggle with the language a lot.  But the parents are almost always very understanding and helpful.  Hopefully my Hebrew will continue to improve because next, I want to study Arabic.

What I don't love: I don't love the part of my job which involves caring for babies that are born with fatal conditions.  It was not really an aspect I thought about.  I knew there would be babies that would not make it because of their size or they were born too early.  But so far I am only working on the step-down unit so I have not dealt with the teeny babies yet.  It is hard not to get too attached to babies that we have for months and months, especially if they do not have any visitors.  So I just do my best to give them and their parents the best care that I can while we can. But that is definitely hard.

Summer plans:

Everyone had a different schedule this summer. One worked at a Judaica Store.  He has learned the lesson that work can be really boring and you have to work a lot to make money.

One child was home all summer aside from the week at tzofim camp and the week of netball Maccabiah.  She learned that she likes to pass her time with baking.

One child was at Hacker camp, tzofim camp and then two weeks of surf camp.  Israel is cool.

One child was at Hacker camp for most of the summer, save one week of tzofim camp and two weeks of being at home bored camp.

Both boys had a guitar concert which was really fun.  But the funniest picture I got was when I was taking a picture of the vice mayor, sort of on the sly.  One child was less than pleased.

Family Trips:

One day, I had the brilliant idea that we should all go camping on the night of this huge meteor shower.  And we should take the dog.  And we should do all of this at the beach.  So we did.  It was basically a comedy.  First, the dog was having too much fun.  Our puppy is kind of overly friendly and wants to lick everyone.  She is offended if you don't come over and give her belly rubs.  So while she loved the beach, she couldn't chill.  So after a few frantic texts, hubby drover her back to a friend to keep for the night.

Then all went really well.  Kids played in the water, I took fun pictures, we ate delicious food and we did some stargazing.  Or sort of searching for stars behind clouds, because during the big meteor shower night, it was cloudy and we saw basically nothing.  I saw one shooting star and one child saw two.  But anyway, we were having a fun family time...until it was time to go to sleep.

I was under the impression that once it got dark, it would cool off.  Umm, I am quite sure that it got hotter out.  I could not sleep at all.  Four family members were sort of sleeping and one daughter and I could not sleep at all.  So after a few hours of sweating and not sleeping, I woke up everyone at 2am and we packed everything up and came home.  Camping fail!!!


The next family trip was better.  This one was heading down south to Mizpe Ramon to do stargazing and see the Machtesh Ramon which is a giant crater, of a type that exists only in Israel.  This time I was smarter and made reservations at a youth hostel.  After a long drive down, where us generous parents let them buy whatever junk they wanted at the gas station, we arrived in time to watch the sunset in the Crater. 

My choice was ice cream and Arak

We asked for directions at the youth hostel and they sent us to a great space to take pictures.  But they also said, there is water there but do not go in, it has been standing already for four months.  No problem, we weren't about to go into water anyway.  We arrive at said spot, and what do we see?  Tons of Israelis not only in the water but with inner tubes and arm floaties for the kids. Guess no one warned them or they didn't care.  We were satisfied with looking around and taking pictures.  I learned while there, that I am too short and not skilled enough to take cool jumping pics like my kids and husband do.  I need to practice.

We finished off the night by attempting to see another stargazing event that night "downtown" in Mizpe Ramon.  But again it was too cloudy so we ended up just wandering around, having a few snacks (of course) and watching my eldest join a Wii Just Dance Party that was him and twenty pre-schoolers.

The next day included a decent youth hostel breakfast, a visit to the Ramon visitors center and more awesome pictures.  I have been to the visitors center before but now it is also based on the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.  The museum is really great and because it is a national park, it is reasonably priced.  Then rush back home because it was a Friday, buy shabbat food, get the dog and relax.  A great end to the summer.

Teenagers love early wakeups

Don't fall backwards kids

Alone:

Okay, the next week began with hubby flying off to NY for work.  He doesn't really travel for work but he had some sort of event, not 100% sure (okay to be honest, he has been at the same company for 18 years and I still don't really understand his job)  I just know that I love his company.  So he flies off while I am at at work.  The kids are home alone with the dog.  I am working overnight.  I get a text around 11pm, that one daughter went to the laundry porch (our laundry is outside) and a big fat mouse was staring at her.  But I shouldn't worry because she isn't afraid.  I just tell her to shut the door and I will investigate tomorrow.  No big deal.  Then I start getting texts at 1am that the same daughter thinks the dog has an ear infection because she wont stop barking and scratching her ear.  I come home from work at 8am, and take the dog to the vet, where yes, she does have an ear infection.  Fun times giving the dog ear drops.

Let me just say, I did come home and look for the mouse.  It wasn't hard to find since it was peering out at me.  Ugh.  Aren't there enough cats in this country??  We set a trap and just didn't do laundry while the hubby was away.  Because I didn't want that little guy getting into my house.  Fun times!  We survived, he came home and the mouse has not been spotted again.  Hopefully some cat enjoyed him.  We did however, name him Gus-Gus.


Back to School:

Finally, the first day of school rolled around.  I asked not to work that morning so that I could be around for it.  Everyone was groaning about the first day but I was doing a happy dance.  I took the usual pictures, made sure they had their bus passes and waved goodbye.  Then I sat alone with a sleeping dog and drank coffee. But with the Jewish holidays, they have had one week of school and now they are basically off for a month give or take.  In that one week, here is what has happened:

#1 went to the opening day ceremony and saw my favorite Mayor

#2 went to another opening day ceremony and was one of five parents there

#3 the five of us there received a blessing from the principal
#4 the boys school had a fire (everyone was fine)
#5 so my boys had a half day
#6 city bus full of high school girls got into an accident with another city bus (everyone was also fine)
#7 my girls were on that bus and called me like it was no big deal
#8 I took them for ice cream, because what else do you do when your girls call and tell you that?
#9 snagged lockers at the boys school.  if you've read my previous blogs you'll see that lockers are a key element of back to school
#10 and yes, the microwaves have arrived in school, phew.  All is right in the world

Finally:

Well, the chagim have arrived, earlier than usual.  I am thankful for so many things, but especially for being blessed to able to live where I live, for having a big family who keeps things exciting, for our health and safety and for the feeling of safety we have here.  I am thankful for my dream job even when it is hard.  And I am thankful for my husband who is awesome in every way and who keeps me calm, especially when I call him and inform him that when he comes home the first thing he needs to do is investigate a mouse situation.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a wonderful year ahead.  And if you made aliyah this year and joined us, well wouldn't that just be the cherry on top???

Who's on 1st?

Welcome to the latest and great version of my life in Israel.  

Let's begin with a laugh.

Hebrew and other assorted language errors of the past month (the ones I can remember)

Hebrew word for yes: Ken
Hebrew word for nest: Ken

Why is this relevant to my life?

Well, for all of the time (just over a month) that I have been in the NICU,  we make the babies these little nests out of cloth diapers. It helps then to feel more secure.  So a few weeks ago, I was being shown how to make this nest. I make one. Then the nurse I'm following comes over and asks me something and I say yes (ken).  I often just answer people without pausing to see if I understood everything.  So she asks me again. I say yes (ken). Finally I say, wait. What's this thing called? (Pointing to the nest). So she says Ken.

Haha. Then I explained my confusion. Hopefully I seemed less like a total idiot.  We both got a good chuckle out of that one.

Update, yesterday I was working, and I had prepared a nice little nest (ken) for a new baby.  A different nurse comes over and tells me that even though this particular baby is in an open crib and not the incubator, I can still put the Kees, into the crib.  I am thinking, hmm, kees means pocket, so what in the world is she referring to.  So I point to the nest and say, umm, is kees another word for ken.  She looks at me like I am loony and says, yes. (which ps, is also the same word for nest)

I cant make this stuff up people!

That is my biggest Hebrew funny of this past month.  I have plenty of other times where I start speaking and then completely blank.  Like, I cannot even pull out the words in English, so forget Hebrew.  I just stare at people until my brain reboots. Like, when I put a blood test into our machine, and wanted to tell my head nurse that, before I went out to grab some coffee, that yes, I had put it in there.  But I could not remember the word for machine or the word for this specific machine.  So after trying a few words, I say, I put it in the, whatever.  So she says in Hebrew, centifuga?  I'm like, dang, I cant even remember an English word.  Hello, centrifuge.

Then there was the time this week where I was speaking for a while to a few English speaking families at work (I love when I get them as patients) and then I walk over to my head nurse to ask a question and I asked her the entire question in English.  Now, I am sure she speaks English or at least understands it.  But it took me a few seconds to figure out why she was staring at me.  That must be what I look like most of the time.  Oops.  Switched to Hebrew and got an answer.


And then we have the language issue of patients families who neither speak Hebrew, nor English.  Sometimes one spouse speaks some Hebrew or understands some English.  But it is a lot of pantomiming or asking other staff members who speak their language.  Next language on my list is Arabic, maybe in a few years when my Hebrew is more solid.

KIDS
Well, the summer is officially here and the kids are all over the place.

Kid #1 - working at a Judaica store.  Not sure what he does, but he sold himself to the owner as someone who can help with anyone who doesn't speak Hebrew but wants to shop in the store.  Apparently the owner does not speak English.  I think he shleps boxes, sells stuff and sits around a lot.  But he is happy, his boss seems happy and I am just glad he is not working in food service.  (I have seen him in my kitchen.)  Then he will spend a few weeks at Tzofim camp, where his job is DJ.  And then he and his friends are planning to work on a farm/kibbutz somewhere way way way up north for a few days or a week.  Because they can!

Kid #2 - she is spending three weeks at Hacker Camp in Jerusalem.  I cannot even explain how cool it seems, so I will link you.  Then she will go to Tzofim camp and then two weeks of surf camp.  Because Israel!

Kid #3- she refused to do most things I suggested for the summer. So she is busy with netball practice a few times a week, piano lessons crash course for a few weeks, and then soon she heads up to Haifa for the junior Maccabiah games to play netball.  Then off to Tzofim camp and then back home to complain that she is bored.  At least she has conquered important tasks like organizing her knitting.

Kids #4 - he is doing 6 weeks of the same Hacker Camp as kid #2.  Then also Tzofim camp, and then a few weeks home.  Today Hacker Camp has taken my kids to Shuk Machane Yehuda for a scavenger hunt and food tasting and who knows what else.  Jealous!

WORK IN GENERAL
So, I am just over a month into my new job and I am about to be set off on my own.  I am so happy that I switched jobs and hospital units, but wow, NICU has so much to learn.  Here are a few things I have done to keep my sanity while I navigate this new world and job.

#1 - text with a friend in America who has been a NICU nurse for almost 20 years.  Also, she is almost always awake.
#2 - Facebook message a different friend, same story
#3 - take a coffee break every shift, I have learned form my last job to ASK, and they are very good here about making sure everyone gets a break. My hospital has a mall. Once I even went to it and got  a sandwich!  Big Day!

#4 - ask to do skills even when I am scared to do them.  Because I had better learn them now while I have supervision
#5 - after successfully placing a feeding tube, totally alone, on a brand new, 2.5lb baby, it is possible that I high-fived that baby's teeny hand.  Now I am wondering if anyone else saw me.
#6 - when I try and calm a baby while taking blood or something like that, I say, awww, you're okay, you're going to be okay, you're doing a good job.  I am not sure if I am talking to the baby or to myself most of the time.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
I am enjoying my new part time work schedule.  It gives me time for important things like laundry, eating Israeli breakfasts and even seeing my kids.  I even managed to spend a whole day with one teenager, do an art project, go shopping and eat lunch, and we are all alive to tell the tale.  It was even fun (I hope she agrees).  She has, gasp, asked to do it again!!!

DOG
Well, Goldie is still stuck in her puppy stage.  Someone remind me again why I got a dog? Should have just gone for having twins again! But seriously, she is a lot of fun when she is being normal.  We have finally braved the dog parks, and go only when they are empty.  She has discovered how much fun it is to run like a lunatic and then flop over.  She is also enjoying her occasional visits back to her homeland, the farm where she was born.  She goes for days where no one is home here and she gets to exhaust herself playing with her puppy friends.  Although last time we picked her up, it seemed like the puppies were bullying her and she was put with two big Golden Retrievers.  Perfect for my 8lb dog who thinks she is a big dog.

LIFE IN ISRAEL
Well, we continue to be very happy with our decision to move ourselves here.  I mean, sure, I still have not found where to shop for certain things, or how to be a bit pushier, but we love life here.  We feel less stressed, our kids have amazing opportunities that they would not have had in NJ, their education seems better and they seem happier.

My biggest fear about moving here was that I would never learn Hebrew.  And here I am, making embarrassing mistakes every single day, but working in an intense job, in Hebrew.  And ordering food in Hebrew, going to the doctor, speaking to the schools, all in Hebrew.  Sure, some people act like they cannot understand me,.  And I probably sound like a three year old with a bad accent.  But then there are the others who act like they understand me perfectly and promise me things will get easier. One day I might even conquer speaking to my neighbors in Hebrew, emphasis on the maybe.  I am really just helping them to practice their English.