Israel not so far from home

I work for an Israeli owned company with our HQ in Tel Aviv. I talk to my Israeli folks almost daily for one reason or another. I’ve met some in person when they’ve come out here for sales conferences or projects. We've gone to lunch, hugged, kissed cheek to cheek.  Shown each other pictures of our kids, told stories, laughed. 

Last week when this war with Gaza started I was on a conference call with Israel.  I was remotely working on one Dawn's computer in test mode so her emails came thru to my side. Emails saying that "we" bombed Gaza.  I did not receive those same emails here in the US.  I wasn't on that distribution list.  It was odd to see those emails flashing in front of me while I worked to run the testing I needed to finish. 

We also have several Israeli’s here in our Sunnyvale office who have either been transferred here or are visiting.

The situation over there is very close to home is what I’m saying.

Monday I emailed someone in our IT department who handles Oracle issues for us on a regularly basis. I've met him during a visit here. He's a really nice person. His name is Guy.  Guy is fast to fix problems. I've worked here for almost 1 and 1/2 years and he's the 'guy' to go to, literally.  Thankfully our group figured out the problem on our own so we told him to ignore.

He still responded. “I'm on RD (Reserve Duty) anyway, so I couldn't really help...
No clue when I'll be back. Will inform you once I do.”

Yikes!

I replied to him to "STAY SAFE.  Hoping this ends quickly and safely for all of you."

He just replied to me this morning

"Thanks, doing my best."

I feel like this war is not so far from home.

November Update

I need to update this thing or I'll forget simple things.

Paula has started babysitting for 20 month old twins who live around the block from us. Boy/girl twins. The mom or dad or both are always home. Paula is more of a mothers helper right now but she wants to be able to babysit them and other kids alone some day. She gets paid but not much, although money does make her feel like it’s a real job. In December she’s signed up for a Red Cross babysitting class in Palo Alto from 9am-6pm. That’s a long class. The list of what they get taught is lengthy.


Volleyball started up again at school. There are two 5th/6th grade teams and the one she was on last year (coach) she did not get on this year. This time her team has a lot of new players and although they can hold their own for awhile, they end up losing in the end. She’s discouraged.

For Halloween she dressed up in 80’s clothes. Some from the Halloween super store and some from Goodwill and Walgreens. She wears the legwarmers quite frequently. She may bring them back in style. Heh.

Parents at school asked me if I had those clothes lying around. Ha! I actually did have the black shirt buckle in my hope chest. I just could not throw it out. Good thing! 

Paula's grades are very good also. Almost all A's.  During parent teacher conferences we were surprised to learn she gets distracted easily in class.  Yet she has A's so the teacher is not sure what to make of the two.  Paula is working on paying more attention. 

Shawna is doing really well in school. She also has almost all A's.  Her teacher started the year tutoring her then said she no longer needs it.  She's all caught up from summers lack of reading.  Not that we didn't try to get her to read, she just refused most of the time to pick up a book.  She does better when a teacher makes her read, apparently. 

Volleyball is happening for her too. She's loving her first year. I really like her coach, who has a scheduled movie night for the team. We got her new sneakers yesterday with white soles for the gym.  A new rule or old rule, I'm not sure. She wanted to test them out by jogging but I don't job. haha Todd took her to the school by our house for her to run around. 

This past weekend Paula went to two different sleepovers so Shawna and I got to pal around. We watched Soul Surfer together on the couch.  She's a snuggler that girl. Love my Shawna time. 

Todd turns 45 in a couple days. I'm throwing him a birthday party with our close friends.  I wanted to invite more people than we are but I started to hyperventilate. Thankfully he wanted something smaller.  For Christmas maybe we'll have a big one, who knows.

Alrighty, I'm off to go dress shopping at Macy's for my company holiday party coming up in a couple weeks. 

Trick-or-Treat

                                                                    Halloween 2012



Leaving on a jet plane

Tomorrow Todd and I head out to Cabo for a weeks vacation sans kids. My mom is arriving today to stay with them all next week.  Todd is texting me now saying the suitcase is already at maximum capacity with the booze we're taking so I guess I don't get to bring any clothes. Heh.  I'm sure he'd love THAT. 

We're going to Playa Grande Resort where we have a timeshare. Last year we had to skip the vacation due to my new job and all.  No vacation time plus I was covering for someone on maternity leave.

I'm looking forward to getting away.  Wishing the temps weren't going to be 91 though.  I'd prefer 80's.  It's not as fun laying out in 91 degrees for a weeks time. 

We'll hopefully get some free activities by listening to more timeshare spiels.  They have an entire system down in Cabo where you get free activities or resort credit just for spending a couple hours of your time with them.  Even your own resort will give you activities for NOT listening to some other resort spiel. The game of timeshares down there is crazy but Todd and I have almost fully mastered the plays. 

Obviously since we have a timeshare or two the spiels sometimes work.  Luckily for us we're too poor to buy anymore.  Heh.  This time around I want someone to offer us a swim with the dolphins again.  Todd and I did that many years ago and it was the BEST feeling ever. If you ever get the chance to swim with dolphins take it.  You won't regret it once. 

Kid wise volleyball just started up again. There is drama though which sucks. There are two teams this year for Paula's grade.  Actually, there are 5th and 6th grade combined becasue not enough 5th graders for their own team and too many 6th grade girls to fit on one team.  The powers that be didn't divide the teams equally off the start, which has caused parents and the players to be quite upset.  Paula especially is sad because she didn't get her favorite coach and most of her classmates/friends are on the other team.  We were told last night the diocese has required the board to divided the teams up again.  This is the result of parent complains I'm sure.  We're hoping for the best.

Volleyball is Paula's favorite sport and she literally wanted to quit when all this happened. I want her to be happy.  I'm not opposed to her making new friends and there is nothing wrong with different coaching syles.  What irks me are the parents who could have prevented this issue from happening in the first place.  I think that's what bothers me the most.   My family didn't make the "cut".  We're not part of the "click" that was chosen to stay together. 

There are league guidelines to follow for a two team split but they didn't follow those guidelines.  On purpose.  Even with the caveat "these teams are not set in stone" is not enough to make me, and some other parents, feel better. 

Shawna's team has zero drama.  Thank God.  This is her first year playing and she's sooo excited.   I watched practice last night and she had fun bumping the ball.  She bumped too hard a few times causing the ball to flyyyy over the court.    

Both girls have colds right now.  Paula's seems to be the worst of the two.  We all received flu shots last week.  They probably got sick from the doctors office who administered the flu shot.  I swear, as youngsters, any time we went for a well-check visit the child would be sick a few days later.  Never failed.  Germs germs germs. 

Todd and I hoped we wouldn't get sick before the trip.  I'm still hoping.  Thankfully Mexico has pharmacy's where you can get everything under the son without a doctors Rx. You can buy Viagra right over the counter. We don't and won't but you can.  Penicillans too.  My nurse friend warned me though that their products might not all be kosher.

Looking forward to hopefully releasing some baby tortoises into the ocean.  This resort has nests on their beach protected by fencing. The resort patrons get to release the babies after hatching.  I did it 2 years ago.  So awesome.






 

9/11 Remembered

My first child was 6 months and 3 days old when Good Morning America showed the planes crashing through the world trade centers. I didn’t really know what any of it meant at the time.


Terrorists were people who lived far away. Once in awhile they held a plane at gunpoint hoping to free one of their people from prison. I truly never gave them a second thought until that day.



I didn’t know if I should go to work or not. For one thing, I’d just came back to work from maternity leave. I didn’t have any vacation days left.

I didn’t know if I should risk taking my baby to daycare. Would she be safe? Would bombs start falling from the sky? How out of control could this terrorist problem become? I live in the Bay Area.

San Francisco is only 45 minutes from my house. By way the crow flies that’s not very far. Still, I felt I had enough distance between a major city and my home to not panic. I was scared. I was uncertain.

But I wouldn’t panic.



I took a chance. I took Paula to daycare and drove into work. The roads weren’t as busy as they’d normally be.

I turned on the AM radio to listen to news coverage on the event while I drove. How could this happen? Planes hijacked, crashing into buildings. On purpose.



All my coworkers were talking about the event. People were in a daze. Shocked. The lunch room TV was on while people huddled in the room watching the news. By this time the buildings had not collapsed yet. That would come later.

One coworker had tears in her eyes as she said. “All those people. All those people.” That stayed with me.



Not much work was being done. To be productive was impossible. All you could do was watch the news, talk to your work friends, call your family members.

They let us go home early.


I drove to my child, gave her a huge hug. I took her home and watched the rest of the day unfold on the TV. Buildings collapsed, dust/ash everywhere. People running. People missing.

What would all this mean for my future. For my child’s future?



Did we lose freedom that day?

Rollins tubing

What my family did in June 2012

What my family did in June 2012

 

Went to my cousin's wedding in Sparks, NV.  The weather was hot but windy. Visiting with my mom's side of the family is one of my favorite things to do always. 

Went to Southern California to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. Super fun!! Highly recommened.

Visited Disneyland and California Adventure

Visited with my mom who came down to stay with us for a week.

Visited my friend Jill's house. The girls held one of her pigeon's which is always fun.