‘Scuse the quiet period. MILs visiting.

In case you wondered why its been a bit quiet on this blog lately, I should tell you the Mother-in-Law is visiting at the moment.  So we have had a bit of er, tidying up to do.  Hem-hem.  I mean, not that my house isn’t usually tidy but you know what I mean…

So it’s been rather nice having a bit of help, being able to put my feet up a bit.  I could get used to this. Jojo is running around the house repeating “Grunma, grunma” non-stop.  Camps outside the toilet when she goes in waiting for her.  Only trouble is when she goes he will be a bit miffed, although he may remember that his parents are usually the light of his life.  I wonder when this lovely stage ends… is it when I have to start telling him to make his bed and do his homework??

Jojo is also rather delighted with his new gift.  A stuffed Gruffalo, famous for his memorable appearance in “The Gruffalo” and “The Gruffalo’s Child”.  He now takes it all over the house with him.  This would ordinarily be fine, but try sharing your bed with 3 men and a Gruffalo.  I suppose I should be grateful it’s stuffed.

Mummy group number 2 took place this morning.  All going swimmingly except for the usual teething problems of a) new mums being rubbish at getting to things in general and b) Israelis can NEVER get anywhere on time.  I cannot believe that after a lifetime of being known as a Late Person (people usually have to give me a personalised time for an event, generally about half an hour earlier than real time) but I am actually starting to get irritated by lateness… turns out I am more English than I thought I was.  Perhaps it’s just a result of having kids.

In other news, Husband is starting to get REALLY fed up with ulpan.  Has started to resemble me as a child on a sunday morning.  Always had a different excuse not to go to cheder I did.  Even went to the trouble of inventing diseases.  Anyway I wake up every morning wondering what today’s excuse will be.  I shouldn’t be too harsh though, he does have a learning difficulty and it turns out the first session of the morning is very long with no change in pace.  I don’t really see the point of this as the human brain cant focus on more than 45 mins at a time and starts to discard things it learned at the beginning of a session.  No idea who’s bright idea it is to keep human beings sitting still for so long.  I am a little disappointed, as I thought Israel poured a lot of resources into it’s ulpan programmes.  Turns out they do, but only if you live in one of the major cities.  They aren’t fussed if the rest of the country speak like farmers.

Possibly why this country now has so many farmers.

Anyway cleaning lady turns up last week (you may remember her as being the one whohelpfully informed me I have a dirty house) and leaves after only 2 hours, “er, where you going?” I asked her.  “Off to my sons school” she infors me, “he won an award.”  Yes you did tell me that and you said you were pushed for time but not that you were leaving early!! Of all the weeks to pick, the one before the MIL arrives.  Anyway turns out there is an Arab festival this week.  Eid al-Adha.  Or something.  Sounded like she was clearing her throat.  They dress up in finery, celebrate and slaughter animals.  Only in their case they actually eat the animals.  And what do we do in our religion to commemorate animal sacrifice?  Stand still and pray for even longer.  Fabulous.  Sometimes I think I am in the wrong religion.  And we wonder why Islam is the fastest growing religion in the west.  And east.  And probably north and south too.