Is Anyone Out There?

hi! it's 2:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. i just got back from the little supermarket. i heard that they're predicting snow tomorrow, so i ran to buy some veggies for shabbat. i think the kids will be home. i also started 'selecting' dried fruit for the tu b'shvat sedar. i bought apricots, guava, figs, and prunes. i also bought packaged chestnuts to make my gourmet soup. i already have almonds and walnuts so i'm 23 types shy of the 30 types of nuts and fruits.

yesterday, i walked over to sahar's daycare to pick him up. it was a lovely, warm and sunny day. i had fantasies of the two of us strolling hand-in-hand to the kids' park and then later over to the bus stop. i thought that i would treat sahar to some pizza, while i had a coffee. i had to buy some things at the pharmacy for the new baby. i thought that sahar and i would have some 'quality' time, for a change.

we all heard about the fantasies. right? in reality, what i had, was an overtired, wild and hysterical little 2 year old. first, he ran over to me in the gan, and wanted to be held. once outside, he ran wildly down the street and almost into the traffic. he wanted to 'search' for puddles and happily ran until he found some. i absolutely, refused to let him jump in any. i know, what a kill joy!

we made it over to a small park and spent about an entire 5 minutes there. he wouldn't hold my hand and persisted in running down the next street by himself. he wanted to cross a large street alone, too. i thought that at least, he would sit patiently at the bus stop for a short while. fantasy #2! he squirmed and wiggled out of my lap and started to cry. he didn't want a busride. he wanted a taxi. he wanted to go home. he wanted his mother. he wanted my money. he wanted to hold my purse. he wanted my keys. he wanted to run down the street. he wanted to run across the street and touch a flag that was painted on a car. he wanted his independence.

i thought about calling a cab and bringing him home and then going back out alone, to the pharmacy. the bus finally came and he started screaming and crying that his shoe had fallen off. i barely made it to a seat and retrieved the shoe before the bus went racing off. he wanted to play with the bell. he wanted his mom. he wanted to go home. he wanted a present. i wanted to hide and get off that bus as soon as possible. the price had recently gone up and i was short about 20 cents, but the driver took pity on me. my talking to this little brat in english was a bit of a novelty act, i must admit.

we made it off the bus and in front of the pharmacy. he saw a dora book and wanted it. normally, i would have just purchased it, but i thought that we had already bought this book last week. he started screaming and crying and threw himself onto the sidewalk. semi mortified, i scooped him up and carried him over to the large supermarket. he wouldn't sit in a shopping cart. what little child doesn't love to sit in the shopping cart? he didn't want to run up and down the aisles, either. he, simply, didn't want to be in the supermarket. he wanted to go to sleep. he had missed his nap at daycare and was exhausted.

i bought him a small toy. it was a small plastic frying pan with a few plastic food items. he was finally quiet. he was finally appeased. he was also hungry. he saw packaged cake and suddenly wanted cake. he of course, started screaming and crying for cake. i ran to the bakery section to find a pastry. now he wanted a roll. he grabbed a whole wheat roll and started to eat it. i bought some milk and went to pay for it with him, still in my arms. he didn't want to stand. i carried him back to the pharmacy and he refused once again, to sit in a shopping cart. he ate his roll and held onto his toy.

he tried to fall asleep in my arms. i tried desparately, to place him onto a chair. he was rather heavy. he refused to sit. he told me in hebrew, that it was dangerous to sit in that chair. i tried to reason with him and when that didn't go anywhere, i simply, sat down, myself. i somehow, managed to get the prescription filled, buy diapers, and a remedy for colic. i even paid the bill, while he was still in my arms, hanging on for dear life. i grabbed all of the bags and made a mad exit. i saw a cab and got in. he fell asleep. it was 5:00 p.m. no time to nap. it was pretty much, a disaster. i took him downstairs and woke him up with the help of his mom. he played cheerfully, with his new toy frying pan.

i have to go again and pick him up now. it is cold and raining. i think i'll just cab it all the way. when in doubt, throw money at it, right? i bought him another set of toy plastic kitchenware and a plastic strawberry shortcake that breaks into 6pieces. it even came with a mini stove top. he'll have a ball. maybe he'll grow up to be a top chef winner or even an iron chef winner. who knows? only time will tell.

i haven't worked all week. it looks like my home companion gig fell through. another case of no money. why she hired and led me on, when she really didn't have the financing, is annoying. once again, i find myself without an added income. that's life in the middle east, i guess. you just got to hang in there!