Camping Out

We've had a pretty standard week...kids have gone to camp/daycare, David has gone to work and I've gone to school. Simon loved going to Super Star Boy Camp and was sad that today was the last day. Tuesday was "Pajama Day" and he went in PJ's and they had set up a big giant camping tent in the living room. Apparently they "camped out" and were told a ghost story which Simon told me wasn't scary for him but it freaked out Chaim so much that he wanted to go home. Poor kid!!
On Tuesday morning, the cable guy came to install our cable. We were supposed to get cable, internet and phone all though the cable company, HOT, but when I called Bezeq (the phone company) to cancel my phone/internet with them, they informed me that I have a contract through July 2009. Oops. When they said that I remembered when I signed up with them being annoyed that the minimum option was to sign up for 2 years since we had only planned to be here for a year. So in the end we just got cable from HOT, but I think I'm going to pay the fee to cancel Bezeq and switch everything because it will save me money in the end. I just need to confirm that I don't have to sign up for 10 years!! For a country that is constantly on the brink of destruction by all of our "friendly" neighbors, you would think that they would allow you to sign up for things by the month, but everything requires 2, 3 or more year commitments!!
Anyway, because of the novelty of finally having cable, Simon and I spent the afternoon in front of the tv while Eli napped. We switched off between HOP (the kids' channel) and Nickelodeon (which has some shows in English and some in Hebrew. Rugrats, for example, is in English, but Spongebob becomes "Bob-Sfog" (sfog means sponge) and speaks Hebrew).
By the time Eli woke up, I had to get out of the house, so we met Lauren, Asher and Meirav in the park across the street from our apartment. Everyone was having fun until Simon announced: "I need to make a doody. But then after I want to come back to the park. So just leave Eli here and we'll come right back." Instead, we took Eli with us along with the Sachses and we all went to our apartment and the kids ate dinner and played more.
On Wednesday morning at some point, I heard Simon yelling at Eli "no, Eli, we don't do that!" Then Simon came and told me that Eli took his comforter and his pillow outside on the porch. Next thing I know, I hear lots of giggling and then Simon yells to me "come look at us, see what we are doing!" They had both taken everything from their beds and made themselves beds on the porch. It was very cute and I took a couple of pictures that I'll post tomorrow.
Today, Eli and I went to pick up Simon and Chaim from their last day of camp. They came to the car with a huge bag of candy, most of which they ate during the 6 minute car ride to Chaim's house. Simon shared with Eli and by the time we got home, Eli's entire face and hands were covered in chocolate and he was holding an unopened lollipop that he really wanted me to open. I told him he has to take a nap first and Simon very nicely said to him "here, Eli, I'm going to put your lollipop right here on the table and it will wait for you for after your nap." Eli did not want to hear any of that and he kept saying "mo more n'night...mo more naps...lollipop!!!!!" But then he did go to sleep and he slept for 3 hours.
Natalie came over with Yishai, Kovi and Shayna. The boys played so nicely and set up a very elaborate car race thing-a-ma-jig with every Hot Wheels set that we have. Shayna came with me to Eli's room to wake him up eventually and he was very happy to see her.
Then they left, David came home and I took Simon to Playball. Before the kids went to bed, they were sitting on the couch with David watching videos on YouTube. Eli clearly felt very important being included but then he got bored and he said "b'bye...n'night" so I put him to bed. Simon went to bed shortly after that and both kids were sound asleep when Natan came to babysit. David and I went out with Katie and Dan (our real Israeli friends who lived across the hall from us in our old building)--we went to Japanika which is a new sushi restaurant that opened in Ra'anana a couple of months ago and always has a line out the door. We had to wait, but it was worth it and the food was great. Surprisingly, the desserts were the best part. I've never been to a Japanese restaurant with good dessert, but we had amazing belgian chocolate mousse and some other really good chocolate thing.
Now I'm going to bed while my idiot-husband stays up until 2am to watch the Bears game online. It only STARTS at 2am our time...some say loyal fan, but I say he's crazy! I guess I'll be waking up with the kids in the morning.