Broasters

 Today we took all 4 grandchildren to the Gymboree at the mall. Let me just say, it is good we got there when we did, because as we were leaving, it started to get packed. It is a really nice play area for kids at that age.

Once we were almost done, Tata and E. both wanted Broaster Chicken. I didn't think  my kids would eat it, so I was more inclined to push for McDonalds happy meals. Well, turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. They both tore through their bucket of nuggets and fries (Eitan even took some of my onion rings). At the end E said "I love this chicken Daddy", and H nodded in agreement.  

Undefeated

This weekend I played football and volleyball. I ended up going a combined 7-0 in the sports, played with mostly soldiers who are in better shape than me. But I wanted it more. Also - excited for first softball game later this week. As you can tell, loving the opportunities Modiin is giving me. 

As far as shabbat, was a really nice one. Had a teen minyan takeover downstairs (E can not come when we don't make early shab), and got to spend time with all the family and the future potential extensions. 

Yom Kippur Mincha

 This year, I will be doing something I have never done before, and that is leading Yom Kippur Mincha. I have done Shacharit, Mussaf, Neila, and Kol Nidrei before, but this will complete the set. I am very honored and excited to do it in the shul i greew up in, where I learned to be a Chazzan. I will also be doing Neilah in the rooftop minyan after. So thankful that I recorded myself last year and wrote in my new Machzors my parents bought for me. 

The best year, and I hope it happens again one day, was going back to back with Fry throughout all the davenings during the first year of Covid. It was so special, and it is such a pleasure to listen to him sing and lead. One of my absolute covid highlights. 

Football and Softball

 Super excited to announce that I have now signed up for flag football and fast pitch softball for the winter seasons. I have only played flag football in a league for one year, and never played fast pitch softball, so I am looking forward to the challenge and excitement of being on teams again (in my favorite sports). Football I at least have gotten to play recently, as we just played pick up two hand touch on Friday a couple weeks back. I was one of the best players on the field again, and it felt good. 

Worth the price of admission

 This Shabbat, after our Teens Kiddush at our home (which was very nice to hang out with the teens in a smaller group), we had lunch. As we were clearing up from lunch, and deciding who would get the priviledge of telling Eitan he needed to nap, my mom came over and said "You guys can go to sleep, I'll play with the kids". We must have looked at her like she was an angel. Worth the price of Modiin. 

I used that energy to go to Raanana on Motzash and play slow pitch softball. I needed to redeem myself after playing just okay at the Howie memorial game. First time up - ground ball base hit. Second time up - line drive into left. Third time up - line drive into center. Fourth time up - fielders choice, knocked in the game winning RBI for a clean 3-4 day. I also made a couple catches in the field, though there is one I dropped on a slide and another I took a bad route on - will need to practice those. I signed up for fast pitch, and hopefully made the right free agency decision for myself. 

After the game, I went home, and was lucky enough to watch the Lions beat the Colts here in preseason. I think they are going to be around .500 this year and really fun to watch. Hard Knocks has been awesome as well. 

Kedem

 Kedem. The place we thought our future would take us. We bopught an apartment there on paper with our wedding money, things we saved, a nd a little bit of borrowed money, thinking we would have a permanent place to live. It did not end up working out that way, for reasons discussed earlier on this blog, but it was still exciting to (after only one year delay) receive our apartment keys. It is very cool to see our dreams and everything we had on paper, standing up in a real building. (Beautiful apartment btw, it will be 5 rooms, with a garden). Amazing to think about all we have been through since we signed there, and about the two very little kids who signed the contract. I hope one day in the not too long future to have the same experience in our actual (hopefully) permanent home in Ganei. 

P.S. We already rented it out for the next two years, and then hopefully we will be able to sell it for a nice gain. 

What about our kids' naps?

Sometime around noon today, my wife and I ran upstairs. We needed to wake our kids from their nap, due to an incoming siren telling us that Islamic Jihad in Gaza picked our city to shoot a rocket at and try to kill civilians. Still, no place I'd rather be in the world. 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱

We calmly walked up the stairs, as we both knew our task. I was to pick up Eitan, Shiff was to pick up Hadar. My parents had balloons in the Mamad as a distraction, and it worked well. 

Bonus: after lunch, a very tired Eitan said "I'm going upstairs to rest". This was a bonus because it meant that I also got to, and we both had very good 2 hour naps on shabbat afternoon.