Welcome Back to me! Now, where is that Bomb Shelter?

The family is back at the ranch so to speak. But not the ranch in the photo!

If you have been following this blog for any time now, you may have noticed that our stays in New York are usually colored by unwarranted, unseasonal and unexpected occurrences such as hurricanes, super storms, blizzards, hospital stays, gas shortages and other events that have been known to even shut down the indomitable New York City for several days on end. So why should coming home be any different?

No sooner were we back in Jerusalem on Friday evening, not even 30 minutes, when air raid sirens sounded across the city warning us not to run to our beds, which we really wanted to, but to a shelter instead.

Shabbat shalom to you too!

After a few booms heard in the distance, which resulted in no injuries about 10 kilometers south of us, we were safe to go back inside where Lucas and I set to work reacquainting ourselves with our toys, finding new things in the apartment that haven't been properly child proofed and dealing with jet lag - particularly between midnight and 5 a.m.

After that all was peaceful. Until midnight on Saturday when Lucas and I awoke from our naps only to play around and blog for another few hours. Ah, the joys of jet lag!

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The Flight of the Bumble Ba-Bies

Would these innocent little faces cause angst or concern
on a 12-hour trans-Atlantic flight? Nay!

A long time ago, coming from a land far far away, mommy embarked upon the biggest challenge of her life. Was it worse than giving birth to Lucas and I? No. But it did take longer, which made it comparable. On Oct. 24, mommy got duped into taking not one but two babies on a flight across the Atlantic all by herself.

That was more to blame on the IRS not sending abba's passport back in time, but that's a long story. Mommy was due to come to New York for work on behalf of Shalva, but she is not allowed into the country - according to official grandparental and great-grandparental law - sans Lucas and I. That is the unpardonable sin.

Thus we accompanied her on her journey to provide entertainment and to keep her ever sharp and on her toes. We are already leaving tomorrow for the return trip so I don't have time to recount the flight in all of its glory, including the tale of the sleeping woman who got nailed in the head with a coffee cup. Or the nap that I never took, for 13 hours. The delay of flight in which we sat on the runway for an hour. Or the thrown bottles and pacifiers that went missing. Or mommy's new skills that even tested the flexibility of yoga moves in order to retrieve said bottles and pacifiers from under the airplane seats.

We are having our Last Supper (of this New York trip) this evening, yet another appropriate and electrifying Italian meal. As for dessert, please enjoy these videos taken during some sane moments before and during the flight:

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Its Beginning to Look a lot like ...CHRISTMAS??

Lucas exhilarates at his first glimpse of snow

Another week, another storm. Thus our holiday in New York unfolds.

When Hurricane Sandy came through and wiped out our week along with trees, homes and electricity, mommy comforted abba with these words about his failed vacation: "Well, at least you won't have to shovel on this trip."

Oh mommy, when are you going to learn to not tempt fate?

With the effects of Sandy still very real in our region and then the election yesterday, this "little" nor'easter sort of snuck up the coast while weathermen and the news promised rain and wind - but not 12 inches of snow! On November 7th!

Now the trees that survived Sandy are bowing under the heavy snow or succumbing to the nor'easter winds. And we have broken out the shovels. I even touched snow and just wasn't sure what to make of it. So I threw it. Naturally.

And the only one in this house who appreciates this sudden display of a blizzard is Lucas who has never seen snow before in his life.

The snow at 4 p.m.

Lucas couldn't contain his excitement

He wouldn't be smiling this big if he had to shovel!

Snow at 4 p.m. by the tree I stood under for photos in my previous post

Snow at 8 p.m.

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Post Hurricane Holiday

I inspected the damage done by Hurricane Sandy
in Mimi and GongGong's neighborhood

The hurricane is over but its effects are still all around us. From long lines at the gas pumps to downed trees to continued horror stories about all of our nearby neighbors who have no electricity, no heat and even worse, no homes.

Welcome to NY, Daniel!

Zia Em and I in front of a downed tree

The root is taller than me!

And all that has meant that the babies are stuck inside except for the occasional walk around the block. With the cold weather settling in and no gasoline to drive anywhere, Lucas and I have had to stick close to home.

Of course we are using the time wisely. I have cleaned out Mimi's shoe closet and learned to use the vacuum cleaner. And Lucas has enabled us to watch Veggie Tales with surround sound by figuring out how to turn on the stereo!

Lucas has also learned to walk. And I also taught him how to sign for "more" and say "bye-bye" in sign language. And, now he is even learning how to unload the dishwasher!

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