I feel like a moron

Why, do you ask?
Well, it all started while I was getting my daughter ready for bed on the floor in our room. She was grabbing my face and my glasses, so I took my glasses off and set them aside, then continued to dress her. During this time, my son comes over and begins playing a little too rough with her, so both hubby and I tell him, "Get on your bed and leave your sister alone." Brother stays there for about 20 seconds, then proceeds to get off of his bed and move towards sister again. Hubby gets up and bounds after him, then I hear a crunch.
There go my glasses.
Oops.

Why No Easter Post?

Well, over here, most people (with the exception of the Western church, i.e. Roman Catholics and possibly Anglicans) celebrate the Eastern Orthodox Easter which, for reasons unknown to myself, is on a different date. Usually the two are not very far apart (a week, maybe two), but this year it's a whole month! And with all of our family and friends in the States having their Easter holiday this past weekend, we felt a little left out. However, some of our friends here decided to go to the Anglican church about an hour away from our house, so we accompanied them. It was all in Arabic, but who cares? We're both in a position in Arabic where we can understand most of it, and since it follows a set (written) liturgy, we can at least join in on things like the Apostle's Creed and Lord's Prayer.


Don't the kids beautiful in their Sunday best? Sorry the picture is blurry but I took it right as my son did something to make her laugh. I think it's a good picture because it shows the flurry of activity in our house. And how some days I feel like my life passes by in a blurry whirlwind of activity.

After that we had a WONDERFUL time at the beach! Our son was so excited to go swimming, and I was so jealous because I couldn't. (My swimsuit is in a warehouse in Jersey somewhere, waiting to be shipped).


Don't worry, he looks alone but he's not. My hubby is out there, just beyond the scope of the camera. It was super hot outside, so afterwards we went to a little cafe for cold, refreshing drinks.

So, Happy (belated) Easter to all my blog-buddies out there! May the Lord bless you as we celebrate His victory over the grave.

Games Girls Love

This is an interesting article I saw online today that talked about girls playing video games; more specifically, women over 35 that are gamers. As someone who grew up in the 80s (and early 90s), exposure to video games was rampant and I remember us fighting over who got to play Super Mario Bros. next (My mom, the smart cookie that she is, gave us time limits to ensure we all had a chance to play). But alas, I am only in my late 20s and don't fit the marketing profile. However, the girls who were teens in the video-arcade days of Ms. PacMan and Galaga are, so it only makes sense that this is an up-and-coming market. And the fact that these women are "casual" gamers (as opposed to those who like to play for hours on end, or "obsessed") doesn't surprise me either, as most of these women are probably moms who don't have 10 hours a day to play video games. Anyway, here's a clip from the article:

It turns out boomer women do play computer games.

And do they ever. The business of cranking out casual games--snack-sized alternatives to time-consuming fare like "World of Warcraft"--is mushrooming. Consumers paid $2.25 billion for such games last year, and the demand for titles like "Diner Dash" is growing 20% year-over-year, according to the Casual Gaming Association.

And another disturbing article about tweens, teens and gaming. Make sure to read the bottom story, Barbie is the Least of My Problems. What is this going to look like in 10 years, when my daughter is at this stage?

Six Months Old

TOP 5 THINGS...

you should NOT do when traveling or living in the Middle East!
Some of these are based on personal experience, and some of them (fortunately) I was warned about beforehand!

5. DON'T turn down an offer of coffee or tea while you're visiting someone at their house. Take it and drink at least a sip, just as a formality, if you're not inclined to drink whatever it is they serve you.

4. DON'T be offended when people ask you how much your furniture, clothes, etc. cost. They're not trying to insult you; they want to see how much more you pay as a foreigner, or if they can get you a better deal. More often than not, they're trying to be helpful.

3. DON'T show the bottom of your feet (or soles of your shoes) to another person. It's ... well, I'll just say it's a very rude gesture.

2. DON'T automatically back down if someone offers something for free. Sometimes it's genuine, and sometimes it's just part of the bargaining process. Insist on paying for whatever item or food it is they give you.

1. DON'T be afraid to speak in Arabic, even if you only know a few words. People will be touched that you are trying to communicate with them in their heart language!

I'm sure there are others, but that's all I can think of right now.
Have you ever made a cultural faux pas while visiting another country?

A trip to the sea

Monday was a great day for us. We got to go to the harbor! One of our friends had to get her car fixed in a neighboring town; we left around 9 am so we could be back by 2 pm. Unfortunately, once we got on the highway, we went north instead of south, and added an extra 40 minutes to our drive! The kids were sleeping in the backseat though, so it worked out OK. Once we got to Hertzaliyyah, she dropped us off at the mall there and agreed to meet us there after she dropped her car off. Well, we had some lunch at Cafe Hillel (the BEST Roasted Vegetable sandwich I've ever tasted!), then proceeded to the marina. There were some pretty spectacular-looking boats out there, including several yachts!


My son found a giant anchor in front of the yacht club. Who needs a playground when you have one of these?



After over an hour though, I had heard nothing from my friend, and she hadn't called me yet. So I gave her a call. She had gotten lost on her way over (very easy to do here!) and had just arrived at the repair shop; since the guys who were supposed to work on her car were starting to eat lunch, it was going to be a while. So, she met me at the marina about half an hour later, and we went to get her some lunch and a hot chocolate for my son (who had been an incredibly well-behaved boy all morning).


Remember how I said we planned on returning at 2 pm? We didn't get home til after 5pm. But, that's how things are here!

Primaries, Poppies and Progress

Wow, what an exciting day Tuesday was with the primaries! Now, since everyone and their dog has been trying to explain what it means for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I will spare you the amateur political commentary. But let me just point out something bizarre about the Texas primary system that I discovered yesterday. Apparently, there are caucuses AND primaries for the Democratic Party. About 1/3 of the delegates for the party are determined by the caucuses. NPR did a good job explaining it here. And I'm still flummoxed. Maybe my political science prof at UTSA explained it as well, but unfortunately, I didn't really pay a lot of attention. And since this "Texas Two-Step" system was just set up this way about 30 years ago, it will probably be a while (if ever) before it is fixed. I propose a national overhaul of the primaries.

Spring is in the air here in Israel. And out come the flowers. The almond trees are full of lovely white buds:


And the poppies are poking their little red heads out of the ground:


And finally, we are seeing progress on our apartment. We found one we liked, but the previous tenants really did a number on it (one of those nightmare families you always here about from landlords), and the owner of the place hasn't done anything about it until now. I guess he wanted to make sure someone wanted to rent it before he invested in repairs. Anyway, we've seen guys working there for the past few days, so hopefully all will be ready by the end of the month. I'm ready to have a place of our own!