Friday Morning

it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of zefat.  the little kids are with me.  all four kids officially moved back downstairs on wednesday night.   the big kids took a mini vacation and were away for 3 nights.  i had the grandson and the sephardi clan took the granddaughter.  i spent a fortune keeping him satisfied.  his appetite for spending is enormous for a soon to be 5 year old.  perhaps it is on par with the habits of his father.  my son straightened out the downstairs all by himself while his wife was at work.  he did the floors too.  i had the kids with me while he scrubbed away.  the kids naturally were excited to see their mother after 4 nights.

i bought each of the kids a new back pack for gan.  the cost was around $70.  it was my prerogative as their grandma.  the daughter-in-law was in love with the 'hello kitty' bag.  i guess i scored.  i don't remember hearing a thank you.. my hearing isn't as good as it once was.  i think i inherited the hearing loss from my mom. anyway, it is a bit of an adjustment to being alone again on my floor.  i say alone, but i'm not exactly alone yet.  i've had the both kids with me since thursday.   next week after they return to gan, i will be alone all morning long.  my grandson definitely missed sleeping with me.  we've been bed mates for a month.

i made the shabbat meals yesterday while the kids played and watched television.  i only need to make a couple of salads today.  i'm nearly out of mayonnaise and don't see myself dragging the kids with me to the supermarket.  it's still hot outside.  i was nearly dead last night.  i couldn't walk or get out of bed.  i fell asleep as soon as the kids went to town with their mom.  i drank two breezes so i might have been intoxicated.  i doubt it.  i was simply worn out.  i also baked a cheesecake that no one has sampled yet.  i'm staying away from this sort of thing right now.  i've managed not to eat ice cream all week long.  i haven't loss an ounce but i keep on trying.

i got chewed out this morning for opening up a milk.  apparently, one was already opened.  i didn't see it.  i looked for it too.  it seems as if my eyesight is going almost as fast as the hearing.  gee whiz!  i didn't remind my son of all the toothpaste and liquid soap and shampoo that his kids wasted for fun.  i took the higher road.  big kids are a pain in the neck.  in my case, a pain in my back.  i wonder if i will be stuck picking up the kids next week. both gans are in this neighborhood this year.  the little one's gan is a few doors down and the bigger one's is about a 7 minute walk up the street.  how cozy!

i have an appointment on monday in tel aviv to do my bi annual pet scan..  i sure hope i'm still cancer free.  i don't really have any signs of being sick but i didn't have any idea that i had a brain tumor, either.  whatever will be will be.  i'm a bit fatalistic.  i will have the clinic send me there in a taxi and i'll bus it home. i hope it will be quiet in tel aviv.  i understand that we are still being bombed in the south.  i am so isolated from the world at times. we, in the north, have been so blessed with quiet.  i haven't left zefat in months.

the granddaughter is watching 'dora' and the boy is playing with his new "woody' doll.  he is obsessed with 'toy story' dolls.  the latest doll cost his parents $30.  disney sure knew what they were doing.  he expects me to buy a 'mr. potato head' for his birthday next week.  i wonder what the daughter-in-law expects me to make for the party.  i'm really not up to making lasagna.  i wanted to buy him a new bicycle for his birthday. maybe we can go half and half.  i usually end up paying for the entire thing.  i bought 4 new plastic chairs for the downstairs.  we lost a few this summer.  i also need to buy a new cover for the  pool.  it was also a casualty of the summer. i don't know if i should buy it now or wait until next summer.  by buying it now it's like i' staking a place in the future.  does  that make any sense?