Busy Day

Ok, I may have to give up on a day by day update. But I do have to get better at following through on my blogging. When something happens, I often think, oh I should blog this. But I don't. So I 'll work on that too keep you all in the loop.
Things have just gotten really busy that there isn't time to sit and write. At least not the Megillot that I was writing. But I will try to post a snippet or two here or there.
For example today. The kids were up around 6:30. Ready and raring to go. I tried to stay in bed as long as possible since Shu had gotten up but it only lasted so long. I got up and Shu gave the kids breakfast and got them dressed. 2 points right there! Jonah wanted to be the first kid at Gan (yes, it's quite a change since last week) so Shu left with him at around 7:30. He can be dropped off anytime between 7:30 and 8:30. Nice leeway but certainly earlier than we are used to!
Sammy was very sad after they left so I had to keep telling him that we were going to go ByeBye too. I said this again and again as I got ready to leave. Then at about quarter to 8, I left with Sammy to get him to daycare. As soon as we were in sight of his daycare, he started climbing out of the stroller and crying. Oy. The closer we got, the louder he cried. We finally got there and I brought him into his room. He was holding soo tightly to my neck! We finally detached him and one of his teachers tooK him and held him while I said goodbye and left.
Yes, that was heartwrenching!!! I don't know if it's more traumatic for Sammy or for me!!!
Then I came home and Shu and I loaded up our rental car (which we just got yesterday) and headed to the Caylim Mikvah. Oh! I probably haven't mentioned this - because I think it happened last week when I didn't write. :)

Funny story - our tenants in America, who were brought in from Israel through Bnei Akiva, heard that we still hadn't received our lift. The husband called us up and wanted to know what we needed and how are we doing, etc. We mentioned that we still really need to get a dining room table and chairs and kitchen items (we're tired of frozen food). I think those were the two biggies. So he said he would make some phone calls and get back to us. Within 5 minutes we hear from his friend who lives on a very nearby kibbutz and has some things for us. Luckily, our friend here even had borrowed his father-in-law's jeep and Shu and he were able to go there the next day to pick up the furniture. There was a dining room table and chairs and even a couch!! We do have couches on our lift but it's awfully difficult to sit and hang out in a room with nowhere to sit. So that was GREAT! Yes, they are old and not in the best condition but the couch will be fine with a cover on it and the table is a table. I wasn't crazy about the thought of buying a new table anyway because of the kids. So that was the highlight!!! The guy said that we can keep them and when we are done with them, pass them along to someone else. Wow, such generosity.
A few days later, our friend called us and said this guy called (who had given us the furniture) and said he has a friend who works in a Pottery factory (or something like that) and could we use a set of new dishes. We said sure, because we are just going through the plastic stuff like crazy! He was going to try and have his wife drop it off or something because she works in Ariel. It didn't work out that day but we get a call from our friend a couple days ago and their car is full of stuff for us! So much stuff, they don't have room to pick up their kids. So she came by and Shu brought boxes and boxes of stuff upstairs! It was craaaaazy!!!
Apparently this guy works at or owns or something a company called Naaman which has dishes, pots and pans, serving utensils, etc. Obviously things get broken at the factory and then they can't sell them. So I don't know what they normally do with them but we became the lucky recipients of brand new pots, pans, dishes for 12, serving pieces, serving bowls, etc. It was SO kind and SOO generous!! And he said whatever we don't want or don't use, we should just pass along.
So I thought that was pretty cool and pretty generous!! And THAT's why we ended up at the mikvah. Toyveling and toyveling away!

Back to the busy day.....we came home and I started to get some work (Billing) done and Shu had to leave for Ramle to meet with someone from our shipping company to sign off on the lift. Supposedly it is actually supposed to arrive today but will not be released until after Sukkot because customs does not work on Chol Hamoed. Grrrr.
I picked Jonah up at 1:30 and was home with him, attempting to keep him happy and get work done. Shu got home and a little later it was time to get Sammy. We picked Sammy up from daycare at 4:00 (it is SUCH a looooooong day). He was very happy to see us. Although they claim that he does fine during the day, he plays well, eats well, naps well, just cries when we drop him off and when we pick him up. I wish I could spy on him! And just make sure he is happy.
So the boys were home and Shu was going to take them to the park. But I asked him to go pick up a microwave. Here's another story!! Ariel has a city website and one of the pages is Classified ads. It's all in Hebrew so I don't understand a lot of it but I check it out every once in awhile. We called a woman selling a microwave and asked her about it but I told her I would just have to call her the next day because we had people over. And then I would let her know if I was interested. I also mentioned we were Olim Chadashim and were trying to buy stuff for our apartment. 5 minutes after I hung up, she called back and said she wanted to give us the microwave as their present to us!! However, we didn't have a car at the time and hadn't been able to pick it up. But now that we had the rental, we called her up and Shu ran over there to get it. He came back a little later with not only a microwave but also a TV!!!!! Wow, it was so kind and generous - and they didn't even know us!
The busy day continues.
Shu returns and I get my stuff together to head over to Ulpan which we started the day before. It is going to be 4 evenings a week for a little over 3 hours a night. Since not only can we not afford to pay a babysitter for all that time, it is NOT fair to the kids!! So today we decided to split it. I went for the first half and Shu went for the second half. This works nicely while we have a car but when we don't - we'll have to see. After Shu got home at around 9:00, then I headed out again to this parlor meeting the mayer of the city was having with the Anglo's. It is election time and he wanted to meet with us to talk about his plans, etc. I was there from about 9:15ish until after 11:00!

And perhaps that story (with the police escort for me) will be posted another time.....

But as you can see, we have some busy days! And we haven't even gotten our lift yet!!!