It's been a crazy week so here's a round up...
1. We had a fruit and vegetable garden party at storytime in which we heard stories about fruit and veg and then we planted tomato plants to take home. See the pictures.
2. DD has day-camp until 2pm but already various friends have arranged play-dates so that we have someone home for lunch and play until 5pm twice a week and DD goes to a friend for the same twice a week. It works out even better than the 120GBP they wanted for the afternoon session from 2 - 4pm.
3. Since the Arab boy was found murdered last week there has been rioting in Jerusalem. We stay in our neighbourhood and surrounding suburbs mostly. I've just read that the rioting has spread to Israeli-Arab towns throughout Israel. They are protesting the murder although it has not been confirmed that it was in fact a revenge murder by Israelis (praying that it wasn't but waiting until making judgments). However, I don't understand how destroying their own towns is a punishment for us - seems a bit illogical.
4. Grandma has gifted us a pass to the pool for the month of August when there is no day-camp and DD's swimming lessons are finished.
5. A rocket from Gaza flew over my friend's house and landed in the garden next door. There is non-stop firing from Gaza over the border atm and we have many close friends in the south of Israel. There were two hits in Sderot over the weekend and one rocket intercepted on its way to Beer Sheba.
6. I finally took myself in hand and have lost 5lbs in weight this week.
7. My friends and I are around 50 years old so most of my friends have children in their 20s. This means that when we retaliate with any military action it's not just fighter planes hitting a target or ground troops arresting terrorists, it's my friends' sons who are the pilots and the soldiers. Not all of them obviously but enough to be nervous every time. It's lose-lose, sit and take it or send your sons in to fight back. It's crap actually.
8. DD has a swimming lesson on Thursday late afternoon and then she and friends stay to play in the pool for another hour or so. Then we get hot-dogs and chips, or pizza and ice-cream for supper. This week we arrived home to find that the moonlight movies have started in the open space behind our building (kids' movie projected onto a white wall, bring your own blanket and popcorn). And there are weekly music concerts at the Zoo. All great except that why does everything have to be on a Thursday night FFS?
9. We went to a delightful musical show of Disney songs on Friday. It was a Mama Mia-like original production whereby songs from different movies were written into a cute story of self discovery. DD hasn't stopped singing and dancing as if she is living in her own private musical since we left the theatre.
10. Whilst grading for Israel and seeing about 40 students for their final assessments, I don't actually have to prepare lessons and teach. That is a major drop in stress factors.
11. We have a lodger till the end of July. It all helps.
So that's week 1 in a nutshell. I hope everyone else is having a good one!
2. DD has day-camp until 2pm but already various friends have arranged play-dates so that we have someone home for lunch and play until 5pm twice a week and DD goes to a friend for the same twice a week. It works out even better than the 120GBP they wanted for the afternoon session from 2 - 4pm.
3. Since the Arab boy was found murdered last week there has been rioting in Jerusalem. We stay in our neighbourhood and surrounding suburbs mostly. I've just read that the rioting has spread to Israeli-Arab towns throughout Israel. They are protesting the murder although it has not been confirmed that it was in fact a revenge murder by Israelis (praying that it wasn't but waiting until making judgments). However, I don't understand how destroying their own towns is a punishment for us - seems a bit illogical.
4. Grandma has gifted us a pass to the pool for the month of August when there is no day-camp and DD's swimming lessons are finished.
6. I finally took myself in hand and have lost 5lbs in weight this week.
7. My friends and I are around 50 years old so most of my friends have children in their 20s. This means that when we retaliate with any military action it's not just fighter planes hitting a target or ground troops arresting terrorists, it's my friends' sons who are the pilots and the soldiers. Not all of them obviously but enough to be nervous every time. It's lose-lose, sit and take it or send your sons in to fight back. It's crap actually.
10. Whilst grading for Israel and seeing about 40 students for their final assessments, I don't actually have to prepare lessons and teach. That is a major drop in stress factors.
11. We have a lodger till the end of July. It all helps.
So that's week 1 in a nutshell. I hope everyone else is having a good one!
The 'Arab boy' was a Palestinian child, 16 years old, and apparently on his way to dawn prayers when he was taken and killed. His name was Muhammad Hussein Abu Kheider.
ReplyDelete(I'm not trying to be contentious here. I was moved by your posts about Naftali, Gilad and Eyal. I have a teenage son. I am moved by your description of the planes being flown by the sons of friends. I am no less moved by the death of 'the Arab boy').
I understand you point completely Caz. I didn't know his name because my friends don't know him personally. This doesn't mean his murder is any less tragic. With the other boys, many of my friends know Naftali's mother personally through the college where she teaches and other friends have sons studying at the same school. We have all hitched for lifts at the same hitching post where the boys were abducted. Like anything, the closer it is to home the more details you know.
DeleteOf course. Thank you for responding.
DeleteOne more point Caz, as you really made me think about what I've done here. If I were a newspaper I would have to apologise for the way I have covered the two separate incidents without balance and I would expect a re-write to illustrate my mistake. However, I'm not a newspaper but a private blogger, writing personally about how things affect me. Maybe this honesty tells things that are less than admirable to admit sometimes.
DeleteYou're right, and I agree with that,. This is your space and as long as you stay within the law you can write whatever you want. I practice it is the space I've claimed for myself online. But I suppose pushing the publish button (and leaving comments open) also implies a willingness to enter into a conversation maybe? Which you have, and I'm grateful for that. You could have written me off as having no understanding of the situation you're in - which would be true. I look forward to your posts. You describe a real life in what can feel like quite an alien, mythologised place.
DeleteAnd now, largely thanks to you, I'm feeling that I cannot ignore today's news that Muhammad's killers are in fact Jews who did it for revenge. I will write a post about this in a couple of days - once I have collected my thoughts.
DeleteHow on earth Did you lose 5 points in one week. I would like to lose 6 -8 kilo this summer but I can't follow diets. The more I first the more weight I gain.
ReplyDeleteBecause I was eating so much beforehand, all it took was being careful. This was the first week - it won't be that much next week.
DeleteGreat post Rachel. We at home have discovered a Pavlovian response, which I just noticed this minute after another missile alert...we all - whole family, together or one at a time - go straight to find something sweet). Very disturbing. Susan
DeleteOy, I know the feeling. Every time DD has a meltdown I find myself going for the carbs - toast or crisps mainly. I think about you constantly and hope you are safe.
DeleteHectic week, but mainly for good reasons?
ReplyDeleteA lot of the other stuff sounds terrifying. I don't know how you cope with it. I guess because you have to.
Yup. You tick you head firmly in the sand and carry on. Lots of bottoms in the air around here.
DeleteWow, week 1 sounds pretty darn buys, fab news about the weight loss, friend swap afternoon care and gifted pool pass but lots of scary stuff too. I'll keep you and Israel in my prayers. Mich x
ReplyDeleteThanks Mich, it is getting a bit scary now.
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