Purim 2016

When I was single, Purim held little appeal for me, though I did try to wear a creative costume each year.  When you have children, in Israel, the holiday of Purim (officially one day long) lasts close to two weeks, and the joy and anticipation of the kids is infectious.

On the first day of the month, the school had a Purim Opening Ceremony. There was Pajamas Day and No-Homework Day, and You-Don't-Have-To-Wear-A-School-Uniform Day.  In past years in nursery and kindergarten, the menu included Clown Day, Silly Hat Day, Kings and Queens Day, and the like.

Today, however, the Purim Carnival and Costume Festival takes place.  Raphaela woke up at 5:30 am out of pure excitement.

It is a half day of school with the promise of no academic activity whatsoever.  Pizza for breakfast, and a roaming popcorn stand!  Among their classmates, the exchanging of Mishloach Manot, traditional Purim junk food gift baskets.

To top it all off, this afternoon Raphaela and a friend of hers will be hosting a six and a half birthday party. Both girls were born at the beginning of the school year during the Jewish holidays, and did not have a private party because it was school vacation and the start of the school year, when the girls didn't really know each other and hadn't coalesced as a group.

Raphaela, of course, chose to dress up as Queen Elsa from Frozen, despite my protestations that it was one of the least original costumes out there.  She carefully put on her gown this morning, her crown, some eye shadow, an Elsa ring and an Anna bracelet.  Raphaela was bedecked and bejeweled.

When I suggested some faux sparkly earrings as well, she scowled at me, horrified at my apparent lack of fashion sense, and said, "Really Mommy, it is too much. That's over the top!"

Needless to say, the halls of a Raphaela's school felt like a Disney princess convention.

Snowpocalypse, February

First there was the three days of sand storms and mud rain, with the desert and the clouds blotting out the Jerusalem skyline, and the sun...that little white dot in the sky.

 

 

Meanwhile, in Boston where my Bubby and Zaide live, they have thus far gotten close to nine feet of snow.  My grandfather has to climb onto the roof to shovel, so the ceiling doesn't cave in.  That sounds dangerous.



 

 

Then last night, after thunder and lightning, Jerusalem got eight inches of snow, and it is still coming down.  No school today!

 

So we stayed home today and watched Disney's "Frozen." 

Hakunah Matata

Today I pulled Raphaela out of Kindergarten in the middle of the day, to take her to her First Grade interview.  Raphaela had fun with it, I was a nervous wreck; unable to eat anything this morning because of the nausea, it was like the SATs  and my Chiropractic boards all over again.  (I stop eating when I am under stress.)

How did the interview and testing go? I don't know, since I was not sitting in the room with her.  The teacher who administered the meeting was all aglow afterwards, "Your daughter is lovely, it was such a pleasure," though I would hope that she is kind to all parents who go through this process. I have to have faith in my daughter that she represented herself well and honestly, and I have to trust the Universe that this will play out as it is meant to, for the best benefit of my child in the short and long run.

Raphaela seemed to quite enjoy exploring the school premises and peeking in on the classes and the music rooms and the art activities.

Or to quote my wise aunt, "When she is 20, she will be sitting in some therapist's office blaming you for everything that went wrong and right in her life anyway."

Apparently in approximately one and a half months I will hear from the school, whether or not Raphaela made the cut.  Then I have until April/May to make a final decision regarding repeating Kindergarten for "one more year of play," or moving onto the big leagues.

When I got home, I wrote a brief thank you note to the school, because politeness cannot be counted against you;  a habit learned from my grandmother, after whom Raphaela is named.

Raphaela has lately become obsessed with the Disney movie, The Lion King, and I have taken it upon myself - so I don't go insane and so I can start sleeping again - the philosophy of "Hakunah Matata."  When I start feeling anxious or start worrying about a process that for now is completely out of my hands, "Hakunah Matata!" Or to quote another Disney movie, "Let it go..."