Our string of fantastical events started yesterday afternoon, when I finally convinced Raphaela to take a nap so I could rest as well. Unfortunately, at some point during the day when I hadn't noticed, Raphaela had unplugged the clock in my room, and three hours later, I woke up not knowing that in fact it was 5:30 pm, the holiday had already come in, and we had less than 30 minutes to bathe and get dressed, and walk to seder.
Raphaela rejected the elaborate princess dress I had bought for her, and with so little time I did not argue. As many other parents have told me, you have to pick your battles, and that point, any dress with tights would do.
Predictably, that half hour included trying to convince Harry to come inside the house before we left. He gets somehow injured every Pessach, and I was not going to risk it again this year.
TO THE STROLLER, BATMAN! Having no time to feed Raphaela proper food, her pre-seder snack consisted of potato chips, which she ate while I pushed the stroller up the hills of Jerusalem. We were joining a family who live near Talpiyot, honestly a fair distance from our house, and we walked in what felt like 40 years through the desert; despite my abject fear of tardiness, we stopped along the way several times to wish well to friends also walking along the street.
Apparently I am in better shape than I imagined - ANOTHER MIRACLE!* - and we made it in record time; though before seder I did borrow some deodorant from one of the teenagers in the house.
The hostess and her family welcomed us and both Raphaela and I genuinely enjoyed ourselves. There was just the right ratio of talking, singing and eating, and children of all ages in the house. My daughter the fashionista and the early-onset teenager was especially fascinated by the "big girls" and their extensive nail polish collection.
Raphaela stayed awake, charming and alert the entire night. Exhausted and with a wet stroller (don't ask), we arrived home around one am, and MIRACLE OF MIRACLES, for the first time in my daughter's life, we slept in. Amazingly, the child who has woken up between 5-5:30 am since her birth, agreed to stay in bed until glorious ten o'clock.
Truly, the Prophet Elijah brought blessings last night at seder.
* Reference: the Monty Python Classic, Life of Brian
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