Back to the grind

Well, with the end of vacation inevitably comes the let down and the laundry. We were all pretty much wiped out by the "rest and relaxation," and everyone fell into bed very early. All except for me, who caught a second wind after two giant loads of laundry, and ended up chatting late into the night with my friend Suzanne, who had just returned from Chu"l, but would not be home for Shabbat. After catching each other up on all the latest, I finally headed to sleep.

This weekend brought some excitement - some kind of elevated level of bacteria was discovered in the local reservoir, and then in a broader water supply, so we spent the first part of Friday morning boiling water. We had brought home several extra bottles of water from our trip, so that was helpful, as well. We have finally been given the all clear (I am typing this Monday evening), so we are no longer brushing our teeth with Diet Coke. Kidding - really, I am, even though I know it seems plausible!

This week I have NO COOKIE PHOTOS for you! I am klopping al chet - sorry! In deference to the Rotter family vacation, Dvora's Cookie Creations also took a week off. But never fear, we will be back at the hot oven for this week. Last Shabbat was rather simple. Soup from the freezer, bare minimum of food, lots of napping. A family from the neighborhood made a l'chaim for their newly engaged son and his kallah, held on Shabbat afternoon, so we headed over there for a mazal tov and then to the park, so Lola could fill her shoes with sand.

Sunday brought a trip to Rami Levi, as we were all but out of food, and we will return there on Tuesday, as it is the only available morning remaining. We also headed to Kiryat Sefer for passport pictures - the kids and I all need to renew our US passports. We got Shana some Israeli sized photos, as well, as she is nearing 16 and the time to get her own Teudat Zehut. Wow. time really does fly.

Today was a big day for Ariella! She recently became obsessed with the idea of getting her ears pierced, which obsession became more and more acute until the first words out her mouth this morning were "Can I get my ears pierced today?" After a brief parental conference, we decided to make today the day. With all the kids in tow (they all wanted to witness the big event), we headed to a jewelry store in Modi'in Center with a good reputation for ear piercing. The woman was lovely - very professional and personable. Of course, she was out of the least expensive earrings, so we had to go a step up to CZ's set in gold for the little princess. She behaved perfectly! Not a whimper or whine! And she looks beautiful and happy. The truth is, she is older than either Shana or Ayelet when they had their ears pierced, so I guess it was time. I had been waiting for her to ask, and ask she did.

Try not to focus on the abject lack of upper teeth, but look instead at the tiny points of light on the earlobes!

And as one last highlight, because Shabbat was so simple, and because there was no baking, we had time for a family picture before lighting candles.

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Dvora