Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Snowed Inn.


First time we shoveled snow this year. Yuval went out with my dad and they did most of the hard work. I was asleep in our cozy bed so I couldn't take a photo of them - sorry.
It snowed before but not to the extent of actually shoveling it. This time it started snowing Saturday afternoon and in the morning we found ourselves looking at about two inches of fluff covering the grounds completely! First the snow is like dipping in whipped cream - very impressive and VERY COLD. My son said today that he is positively sure he's turning into an icicle. Me too.

So here's how it looks like:


This snow cake waited for us on the deck


Let me slide across these stairs...


The back yard


Best Shoveler


Best shoveler taking a rest


Shoveling helper at work


Proud shoveling helper


The front yard, fluffed to perfection

Stay warm and happy,
Sarit.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Friendly Disappointments

Some say a true friendship is when you feel comfortable enough with your people, to be yourself. Well, being myself I let my friends know at the last minute that due to my parents' visit, my sick husband, my kids sleep-over plans, the snow and the tchulent we ate not so long ago, I will not be coming to her after-Hanukkah gathering. My friend was very understanding and a minute after I hang up I couldn't resist and asked myself the following questions:
Does she really mean it?
Is this the true friendship where you feel at home enough to disappoint someone but than, in some way, make it up to them?
Maybe they felt relieved we are not coming?
Was she polite in saying it was OK? (I loved the 'you'll be missed' bit).

What do you think? Ever been in that situation? what did you do? How was it resolved?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My Parents are Here

There's something amazing about growing up. Suddenly you have grown your own family and you find yourself saying the same things, doing the same things, caring for some of the same issues your parents did. At first you pinch yourself - how did I become such an old person? Than you start getting it, the WHY. Why they did it, said it, cared for you in that way. What were they thinking then and there... You understand the thought process behind those routines/sayings/ceremonies. Congrats, my friend, you have just joined the old parents league, and you can't go back.

That stage happened for me a while ago, I'm half way into 'veteran parent' now. Soon I'll grow even older (and wiser?) and become an honorary member of the Parent to an Adolescent Child. Believe me, those need all the honoraries they can get, they don't get much of anything else from the adolescent side of the deal.

So now I see things through multi lens: my old young self, my parent self, and my new older self. Confusing? yes, sometimes, yet I gained more appreciation for my parents. The way they brought me up, their concern, advice, and wisdom.

These coming two weeks, as we plow the celebratory streets of New York (i.e "The City") and, of course the one street of down town Smallville, I aim to show them what I like, what I do when they are not here, what their grandchildren daily routine looks like, creating a scene of sorts, so they can picture us in that scenery when they're back and far away from us, lessen their concerns, creating a backdrop to our adventures.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Our First Snow

It snowed yesterday. Four hours of snow and my carbs craving is aiming to hit the roof. I started a list of 'what else do we need to make it through the winter' and it gets longer and longer...
Here are some photos from this morning:

Icicles on the few bushes that managed to still have their leaves on

The girls made snow balls

Donald tries to figure out what is this white stuff and where the heck did his bathroom spot gone to?