Jojo pulls at the Karmiel Dance Festival

In case anyone was wondering why it’s been so quiet on here, don’t worry, it’s just been a busy few weeks. Husband jetted off to France for 2 weeks, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Luckily Israelis are very understanding about Absent Husbands, what with 12.5 percent of the population doing miluim [reserve duty] at any one time. Then I have been working in a Top Secret Project deep into the nights, as doing anything on a computer with 2 small children ambling about is nigh on impossible. Yaron got up and walked before his 10 month anniversary, then promptly came dowm with a nasty ear infection the next morning. His fever was so high we actually took him to the Karmiel emergency doc [STILL NO HOSPITAL??? in this one-horse town] and he is now on a strong and extended dose of The Pink Stuff. It smells like strawberries but he hates it, poor thing. Probably wishes he had just kept quiet about the ear pain.

Anyway things have calmed down somewhat and almost a year has rolled around since our aliyah, so this week is Dance festival week again. Jojo went on his FIRST EVER fairground ride yesterday, a moment which I will never forget. It was a small ride with little cars that went round and round about 10 feet off the ground. I was the proudest mummy ever watching him on that thing. I was praying he wouldn’t cry as it took off and craning my neck trying to see his reaction. After a moments uncertainty his face lit up, and he was all smiles and pointing out the scenery to the blonde and brunette in the front seat. He seems to have inherited his parents love for rides, thankfully. Later, we managed to see the big dancing display for the festival, complete with the mayors speech. A very patriotic hodge podge of dancing which was a little cheesey, but also kind of special. They played songs which we had never heard of, and it seemed only those over 50 were singing along merrily. Still, pretty amazing to be singing the hatikvah in the amphitheater with thousands and thousands of people.

We also took the kids down to the hip-hop competition which was great fun, very high standard. I thought I was fairly up-to-speed with hip hop as I go to a class and know a few songs, but old age seems to have crept up on me. You know its bad when you find yourself commenting to your Husband and 12 year old niece “those girls are far to young to be dressed/dancing like that!” [yikes] and the prize for the oldest fart goes to ME> Seriously, they were barely scraping 15/16 and dressed in metallic sports bras with teeny shorts and backcombed hair, shaking their booty. There was a crowd of teenage boys next to me positively salivating. I couldn’t help wondering how the dads were feeling. Proud? In shock?? who knows.

Meanwhile Jojo got taken off by Husband for an ice cream and that was when he picked up [or rather he was pounced on] by his first chayelet [girl soldier]. And yes she had a gun. She insisted on having a picture with him so we decided to do the same [see below]. She even let him kiss her with his face covered in ice cream. A real goer. Yaron was a total hip-hop baby, zooming round the floor and getting into the music, and attracting lots of attention from teenage girls with flicky hair and makeup. He is too young to understand mummy’s rule though. No girlfriends til he’s 30. Especially not the ones wearing skimpier shorts than mummy…