Hanukah

Hanukah arrived with a great big present: a visit from Susie and David! They arrived the second day of Hanukah and have spent their time entertaining our kids and hanging out with us. Mim (often as not) was home with a fever on Thursday and recovering Friday. We've begun to realize that she really IS sick at least once a month...hmmm...maybe we should think about that?

Their first day, jet lagged and all, the rents took Silvie to the Israel Museum (while we stayed home with Mim) where Silvie made a dreidel and, sadly, was frightened by a puppet show. However, she apparently made up for it with a healthy appetite for lunch.

Friday the rents toured the Old City and then hung out with us until time for shul. I think the best part of the day for Silvie was that she got to use her new umbrella and rain boots and walk in the rain. For me, aside from the great ruach at synagogue that night, it was feeling like we had "made it" into the synagogue community: during the brief announcements and welcome at the end of the service, the synagogue President looked directly at us (and our kids building with/fighting over legos on the ground next to us!) and said, "I'd like to welcome the visitors in from out of town. It looks like we have some grandparents with us tonight, and we always welcome family in for the holidays!" We've made it! They have noticed us! Even the rabbi came up to Silvie afterwards and asked her what did she say when she "so seriously turned to her sister in the middle of services to ask her something"? I think he meant it in a cute way, not a "why were you talking in the middle of services way"...and one of these days he'll ask the kids to stop playing with legos on the floor in the middle of services, which I am dreading that day. Then what will I do to keep the kids occupied during services?

Anyway, today, Shabbat, was a mellow, quiet Shabbat. Not surprisingly, Silvie is running a fever today. The house of viral infection continues. And my mom, not surprisingly, refuses to touch anything our hands have touched and even pulled out latex gloves at one point for health reasons. Perhaps there is something to that, but we can't be bothered with two kids!

We hung out, did puzzles with the girls, read during the nap, played games, and took a long, leisurely walk to the promenade overlooking Jerusalem in the late afternoon. A nice shabbat.

This week's hopeful plans: the zoo, Caesaria, the Beit Juvrin caves, and even an archeological dig. But as the Yiddish expression goes, "man makes plans, and god laughs." So we will see what there is to be...