Who's gunna win this color war?

Beitar, my once apolitical and unified abode has recently become "The City of Torah (and politics!) in the Judean hills". The details are irrelevant for the purposes of this post, specifically because I am not interested in this blog becoming a venue for my personal political commentary, not to mention the potential lashon hara transgressions......

BUT, suffice it to say that when the lines become blurred between what is correct and what is most advantageous for one's political aggrandizement, MANY will suffer as a result.

In America, and even in Yerushalayim, there's politics and there's life outside of politics.

But when a small town becomes infected with politics.........it can get VERY personal. These are our friends and neighbors we're voting (or not voting) for!

We know that whatever happens is the will of Hashem. We hope that after today's elections, people will be able to (finally) set their political beliefs aside and unite again in an effort to restore the peace and perhaps recapture the unity that once so characterized Beitar.

A city that's prized for its cleanliness, this street is generally immaculate. Today it was literally trashed with paraphernalia from the various parties. One of my friends sighed and noted that they could have skipped all of the posters and signs and just sent every family in Beitar a pie of Pizza. Appetizing though the idea did sound........I'm not voting for someone just because they sent me Pizza. Now, if it was schwarma, that's another story.

Lucky Mommy

Aw, don't we look cute? Our smiles so innocent, our eyes so bright and gay? Trouble? Us? We would NEVER finger paint with carob spread nor would we ever dream of taking apart a (new) stapler. We are always careful when we play with glue especially when we use it on our Mommy's carpet (uh-oh, did we just incriminate ourselves?). We always do what we're told, never fight, never wake the neighbors. We only eat fruits and veggies. Candy? Not for our teeth and tummies! We're so easy, our Mommy is bored silly. She's very rested too because we always sleep the whole night through. We have no idea how the Cheerios scattered all over the house. Even so, we'll gladly clean it up. If only other children would learn from our exemplary behavior...........

Home and attitude Improvement

So I came back from America last month and started feeling a little down in the dumps, a bit blue, a shtikel sad, you might say. The holidays were quickly approaching and I'd just left my family back in the states! Please do NOT misunderstand me- We are SO happy to live in Eretz Yisroel and feel so privileged to be able to do so (we live in YESHA for crying out loud!). Its just that the lack of grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. close by can can be a drag sometimes.
This would have been (eventually) fine and well except that the husband - being that great husband that he is- does NOT like to see me melancholy. Not even a little bit.

"Shir, WHAT can we do for you?" he asked.
"Let's move to Lakewood." I answered.

He winced.

"How 'bout a different idea."
"Passaic?" I offered.
"I meant a more local idea."
"Buy me a car?"
"A cheaper idea."
"Let me put shelves in my shed to the tune of 1600 NIS so that I can maximize what little space I have since REALLY I could use a house with a basement......"
"There isn't anything cheap that will make you happy? A book or something?"

pout.

"OK, shelves it is! But nothing else, promise?"
"Fine. Shelves in the shed.......and in the playroom. And then that's it."
"You said that $30,000 ago!"

Truth is, I let him off easy. I could also use shelves in the broom closet, the baby's room, etc. etc.

And so.........
the shelves in the shed are a work in progress but here are my play-room shelves:
I LOVE having places to put things! My mind feels less cluttered when my things have places. (My husband may take issue with that statement!) He often wonders why I buy the things in the first place. What can I say? I'm a woman. I need things. I need things and I need shelves,closets, and drawers for my things.

note: many of the toys are to high for the kids to reach. that was not a mistake. Remember last winter when I left an ailing husband alone with my boys?

Speaking of home improvement, this isn't new but I don't think I've shared my new"ish" area rug. its already old enough to need a good cleaning but that's the thing- its modular! I can pick up each square individually and hand-wash it. Now I just have to find the time to make it happen. Fun, no?

I can think of so many more things to add/change in my apartment but for now I'll just enjoy and take care of what I have. (Those shelves are helping alleviate my sadness........)
How long do you think this couch is going to last?

Family or no family, stuff storage or bursting balagan, we continue to have good times at the Svei's!

Until next time........

I didn't give up the blog!

I wonder how many people will actually see this blog........everyone has probably given up hope, moved on to greener pastures, laughing over someone else's kid's antics. Sigh. Do we get credit for good intentions? I wanted to blog, really I did. My boys didn't stop being fun/crazy/lovable/nutty/exhausting, we've just been very busy.





First I accidentally put my memory card into the washing machine, then we went to America for Tanta Leeba's wedding, then came the chagim, and work is CRAZY (though that doesn't stop my illustrious boss from regaling us with the latest from her princess- long may she reign- both the boss and the princess) (Now can I have my raise?)





So here I sit at 12:50am, ignoring the dishes and my delivery from the grocery store (why is it so much esaier to pull the stuff off the shelf in the store than to put it back onto the shelf in my kitchen?) because, despite the fact that I may be the meanest mommy in less that 5 hours from now (yikes!), I simply cannot be remiss any longer. They are 2 months older, bigger, crazier! 2 months more practiced at taking my house apart! 2 months more adept at terrorizing little kids in the park (a terrorizer? not my kid.)......2 months more proficient at climbing up the walls (I exagerate not. I'll video it for y'all some time)



But they are also 2 months wiser, 2 months more sensitive to the world around them. Yisroel Meir's continued development is constantly clear but even the big boys surprise me- sometimes the differences are day to day. The 2 big boys slept in the sukkah this year. They also went with their Abba to dance in a few different shuls on Simchas Torah, bedeked in their yontif (nee wedding) finery. I kvelled. Yitzchok Zevi continues learning how to read and Aryeh Leib.....well, he continues to like chocolate.

The other day we played a word game that encouraged the boys to identify parts of an object that are intrinsic to it.

"Have you ever seen a chair without legs?" I said.
Yitzchok Zevi responded, "Have you ever seen a table without legs?"
"Well, have you ever seen an airplane without a wing?" I countered.
Yitzchok Zevi replied, "Have you ever seen a house without a door?"
Then Aryeh Leib piped up, "Have you ever seen a cake without sprinkles?"

Some things never change........

And other things really do..........

Our big change of the week: Yisroel Meir started going to gan! He's only going 2 mornings a week since- quite frankly- I'm not ready to give up my baby just yet. I have a parenting class once a week in the morning (babies are not invited) and I figured I'd send him one more day just to give him a sense of continuity. I got emotional when he came home with fingerpaint on his hand. My baby is doing art! So far he's doing fantastic. He loves the ganenet and is having a party with kids his own size. (And, of course, I don't have a complex about this issue at all.......I feel no need whatsoever to justify sending my baby to a sitter.)

And look what he can do now!

Oh yeah, I'm in trouble.

I'm off to get some shut-eye. More adventures to follow iy"h. (bli neder!)