Never a dull moment...

Wow has it really been that long since my last post?? LOL Yeah I can see it!

We had a wonderful time in Germany! It was soooo good to be back for a visit. The kids and I stayed in Grafenwohr at a friends house (THANK YOU Becky & Trevor and Lori & John!!) while Sebastian was in his course...once it was done he joined us in Graf and we went skiing in Garmisch with friends, hung out in Nurnberg, and just hung out in general. A very welcome relaxing vacation!! Thats the thing about vacations - they can be exciting, entertaining, an adventure - but too often they are NOT relaxing LOL This one was. The best part was getting to visit with good friends and see the kids all together again :-)

Tyler and her friends (P. & D.) got back together like they had not been seperated since last summer...doing loops, playing at Megaplay, hanging out together in the lil rocking chairs in front of the fireplace at the Garmisch resort.... She had soooo much fun. Alex, of course, just tried to follow what all the other kids were doing :)

It was a loooong flight home (stopover in Vienna) and by the time we made it home it was an 18 hour day...and 12 hours after landing Tyler got very very sick. Turned out to be a virus but for a while no one was certain. I think it was complicated by the extra-long travel day. Ahh our first visit via ambulance to an ER with one of the kids. They do have a great Childrens Hospital here but the way :) She is okay now - still coughing but much better. Alex and I both have it as well though without the high fever that Ty was hit with. (This would also be the reason for not posting here sooner!)

While in Germany we got our paperwork (RFO) for leaving this June. So now, back in Israel, we are doing the countdown! We have family visiting in April and between that and some doggie surgery (Riley has lumps that need to be removed) the time is going to fly!! I am looking forward to my Dad & Stepmom coming out - I think they are going to have a great time here :-)

There is more that I could write about our trip but the kids are calling LOL So I will post some pictures here for now....

3 muskateers doing loops

Ty hanging with her peeps D

Alex caught trying to toilet paper the bathroom!

Sitting around the fire (wish I could find those rocking chairs somewhere!)

Ty and P hanging out

Germany here we come :-D

Time flies - even when you are not having that much fun LOL The past couple weeks have been filled with same old-same old with a few exceptions. There is a "recreation center" here that is owned and run by the American Embassy that we used a great deal when we got here last year. Most times we just called it the pool as there is a larger one for adults & big kids and another little pool that is tarped off from the sun. With the summer and fall heat we made great use of it stopping only when the weather got a bit colder (the pools are not heated).

Well I had spoken with our community office about creating an open-ended playdate each week for people who have small kids that are not going to 'gan'. Gan is the pre-pre-school LOL for 2 year olds. Yes I said 2 year olds. Its not daycare, though it can substitute for it to a point. The upshot is that you do not run into many toddlers at the parks, etc - at least not during the day. I knew I was not the only one with kids not in gan and suggested this as a way for people old and new (esp new) to get to know some of the other Moms around and get hooked into some of their networks...After many months it has finally started :-) Luckily one of the other American moms is willing to come and cover me while we are in Germany (THANKS Justina!!) so we can finally say it's on each week and not confuse people with dates. So far its been great. Moms I met through other ways are coming and it has a great international flavour :)

Sebastian spent last week to Germany, the first week for the Rec Center playgroup, which is probably why I was clenching my jaw a bit...by the time he came home I had full-on skull pounding pain UGHHH and with nursing cannot take anything by Tylenol and Motrin :( Which, of course, timed perfectly for the German virus accompanied Sebastian back with him creating 103 fevers in him and the girls for the weekend and beginning of this week!!! This is why I am posting stuff from last weeks opening playdate now!

In fact I am typing this as quickly as I can (pls excuse typo's :) as I have to coughing and sometimes feverish kids beside me at the moment! But I knew if I did not get this up this morning it would not get up before we leave, much less after.

Oh yeah. There is a picture or two of Sebastian skiing at Mt Hermon this week. Where are the girls and I? At home. Taking care of 2 little ones with fevers. DON'T ask....

I am SOOOOO looking forward to Germany tomorrow :-D Tchuss for now!!