Edging Closer to the End

Next week Gan officially ends and camp begins, the end of Kindergarten and the transition towards First Grade.  Already this week, both mine and Raphaela's schedule feels stuffed to the gills, though this is normal for this time of the year.

On Monday Raphaela had an eye doctor's appointment, she was very eager to know if/when she will no longer need glasses for her astigmatism, even while she doesn't seem to mind wearing them.  We don't yet have that answer, and will have to wait for her follow-up appointment in August.

On Tuesday, Raphaela perfomed in the end-of-the-year ballet recital.  The final number was a tribute to Frozen, every little girl's obsession, and the teacher had the brilliant idea to bring in sparkly glitter as a snow substitute.  She obviously didn't think it through to its most obvious conclusion:  after the dance, when the girls were expected to be cute and composed and disciplined ballerinas, they began rolling around and generally frolicking in the glitter, recycling it as many times as they could to throw it onto their teacher and the parents. As a parent I loved watching the sheer uncontained joy of these children, but I can understand why the teacher may have felt differently, as she held her head in her hands and sighed loudly.

On Wednesday I attended the semi-annual meeting of the Israeli Chiropractors, with attendance breaking all sorts of records.  The program had substance (it rocked!), we all got to network, learn new skills and refresh old ones, and celebrate the rebirth of our professional society.  Thankfully I was able to arrange an after-school play date for Raphaela, so I did not have to rush home or feel guilty for engaging in an adult conference.

On Thursday evening, Raphaela graduated from Kindergarten after a play based upon the concept of "Small Gifts," a famous Israeli song by Rami Kleinstein.  Each song said thank you for some small but beautiful aspect of life, like the Shabbat and the blessing of a Jewish country, and the gift of friendship.  What struck me the most was the tableau of these 34 children standing in front of the parents, looking so grown up and so big;  wondering how that happened and where the time went.

At one point the Head Teacher addressed the children, and quite frankly, scared the parents with an apocalyptic picture of real school, saying "No more fun, no more sand boxes and playgrounds...I wish you children luck!"

On Friday, the 18th anniversary of my Aliyah to Israel, Raphaela won third place in a photo contest sponsored by the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, in a group of beautifully crafted pictures taken by 11-14 year olds, and my daughter.  What better way to celebrate my life in Israel, and what better way to go into the weekend and collapse...