Starting the (Last) Year

We have been moving forward in this school year. The first full week of school took Sam and the entire eighth grade to Wales for a week with Outward Bound. Sam had a great time with parts of it, survived other parts of it, got to stay in a cabin with friends, and felt like a leader in the hiking section. She came back and said "do you know there are families that don't go hiking on the weekend??" I was really proud of her, as this pushed her boundaries in a lot of ways - and she's not always a fan of pushing those boundaries.

Matt has gone to South Africa, Boston, Angola and Gabon - he traveled for three weeks of September, with some interesting places and meetings.

Sam has been going for riding lessons each weekend, and she loves it. We found a stable that we can get to in about a half hour early in the am (but it takes an hour to drive back later!) AND she can get there by tube on her own! This past weekend, she went from the tube all the way to a birthday party in Central London - like 40 minutes journey, including an 8 minute walk, on her own. Who is this independent child? I love it.

Elie had a SUPER rough two weeks. He started feeling unwell on Sunday 8th Sept, went to school the next day and came home super unwell, then had a fever that went up to 103 or 104 everyday for 10 days. He also developed a super awful cough. Thursday that first week we went to urgent care, and they said it isn't covid, it isn't strep and it isn't pneumonia, so it's just a virus. Just wait. By Saturday, he was on his fifth day of SUPER high fever and now lethargic and not eating. We went to urgent care, but they wouldn't see him and made us go to A&E (he had low oxygen, and they said that goes directly to A&E). A&E said they have no idea what it is, but started him on antibiotics, hoping it would hit some infection. But he didn't get better. Monday we went to a highly recommended pediatrician who said that he would test for a bunch of viruses, and if it's not one of those viruses, then it's probably mycoplasma (which I sort of remember from our time in Singapore, but it's not part of our regular life!). It wasn't one of those viruses, so by Tuesday evening, we were able to change the antibiotics to Zithromax, which is the only antibiotic that attacks mycoplasma, which apparently has no cell walls. One he got on that med, he was so much better, but he didn't bounce back, like kids usually do. He had to build his strength back, and he had a terrible cough. He was able to go to school on Friday, so he ended up missing eight days of school, the musical audition workshop and all three audition sessions. Ugh, but we were glad he got better, and he was able to try out by himself and got a (small but great) part in the show. He said he caught up on the school work in one day - which is suspect but great!

Koby's been great - he's had some amazing lines lately, which I should probably write down, but most of them are inappropriate, so I won't write them down here. Koby also had a nasty cut that grew and grew, and by the time the dermatologist could see us, it was huge and nasty. Turns out his impetigo from the summer didn't go away, and it got in this cut and took control. It was nasty. He went on antibiotics and had a bunch of other bizarre treatments - quite a routine everyday.

The day that Elie started feeling sick, my parents arrived from a nine day trip in Iceland. My dad showed up with a fever and sore throat, and a quick covid test showed a SUPER POSITIVE, so we got him an airbnb before he even came in our house. My mom stayed with us and hung out for the week, and she cared for Elie a lot (he said she took very good care of him and never forgot anything he asked for). While we had originally all planned to go see Fiddler on the Roof in Regents park, in the end, Sam and Elie couldn't go (Sam also had a day with a fever), and I had to leave at halftime, because Elie was SO sick. Other than that, we didn't do too much with my parents - it was mostly just a sick visit!

My dad stayed on, which was so super nice, since Elie was still sick, and he wasn't well enough for me to go do stuff and leave him alone for more than a few minutes. Man is it selfish, but I got to run and play tennis and pickleball, and go for dinner with a friend who was in town from Singapore, and all of that helped me stay sane during a lot of sick stuff while Matt was away! Thank you, dad!

I got convinced to try to Women Run the World running club, associated with the school. They run M-W-F and train for a half marathon in the spring. I have LOVED it! I can't believe what my body can do! I have run everyday that I could (today I had Koby's music share, and it was painful to miss!), and it's so great to run with people. I run with the group running ten minute miles, and they're so so nice, and I love seeing London this way. We have run to Borough Market, Notting Hill, Shoreditch, all over! It's the best. I feel really proud of myself - and don't feel proud of much these days (lack of work...parenting isn't the most rewarding...).

We also spent a weekend in the Cotswolds at this AMAZING house with five other families. There were 17 kids!! It was a lot, but all in all, it was so so wonderful.

The car has been great - once we got it fixed (a lot...). Last week there were a few days that were SUPER rainy, and I couldn't be more grateful to not walk all over town in the cold rain. I would rather sit in traffic any day than that - I think I just ran out of patience for it. It's really nice to be able to drive somewhere quickly, drop of Elie at robotics, pick up a kid at a playdate, drive to football - truly life changing.

hosting two rosh hashana dinners and no super huge pot!

we brought koby's friend to watch the michigan game at the pub on saturday. they sit and read on the tube

fitch. sam loved riding him

sam on fitch. it's gorgeous out there

in the cotswolds

the gardens at the house we were at

the back garden. amazing

all of us at the top of the hike (minus 3 who didn't join for the hike)

playing games in the old house

my new shirt! inspired by Susie!

when elie came out of seclusion, he and koby had so much to catch up on! they played so many games so quickly

sam got papa to play video games!

when my dad arrived :( covid test on table

we went to columbia rd flower market one sunday, and koby was drawn to the hydes. grandma's dad worked with animal skins, so we think it might be genetic

first beigel (sp!?) shop in the UK

koby chose these dahlias. they were sooooo gorgeous

friends! they're the best.

our running group went to shoreditch. amazing street art there.

and the italian gardens at hyde park

elie had a bake sale with two friends before he got sick. they baked everything and did a great job managing the sale!

End of the Summer

Too many things for one post, but here we go:

The End of the Summer, including Dorset

Returning to School

The Devastating Situation in Israel

Since my last post, I returned to Newton to pick up Koby, and he had decided he wanted to stay at camp for the whole month. Elie had planned to stay for a month unless it was a terrible fit. Add to my amazingly selfish summer - I had three days to myself in Newton, got to see friends, cousins and do anything I wanted. Then to Michigan, where I picked up Sam from her 2.5 weeks at amazing JCC Ranch Camp in Colorado. She had the best time. 

Sam got a weekend in Stratford (theater - two Shakespeare plays - I couldn't handle that...) with my in-laws, and had a great time. I got an amazing long weekend near Boulder with one of my favorite people, Eve, whom I met when we were juniors abroad at Hebrew U, and then we spent a year together at Pardes. We have kept in touch since, but we only saw each other very briefly in New York circa 2005 and Newton when her husband ran the Boston Marathon when I was heavily preggo with Koby, in 2015. It was such a gift. 

Sam and I then had a few more days in Michigan before we headed to Boston for a few days of visiting friends, cousins and animals, and then we (I - Sam slept in) picked up the boys from their amazing experience at Bauercrest. Lots of laundry, visiting folks and enjoying Boston, and then back to London (with some crazy health situations happening for family in the States - tricky decisions about whether we go, stay, or what).

Everyone was so happy to be back in London and with their things, instruments, dress up, books, etc. We had a day or so to chill and then we were off to the south coast, Isle of Portland, just south of Weymouth, in Dorset. We hiked, we rode horses and we played a lot of games. It was a loooooot of driving for an eh trip. We realized we have been to most of the most amazing places in England, so driving 6 hours (long weekend - looooots of traffic) for a 80% amazing place wasn't a great decision, but we enjoyed it overall. 

Kids started school last Wednesday, and they were all so happy to go back. Sam is super excited about the classes she is taking - especially Musical Theater, where they put on a show, and they also go see Hadestown (see previous post - thank goodness we don't have to take her!), and Explore London. This class will take Sam to all the places the boys and I have gone and she has stayed home in her dark room alone instead: The Transport Museum. Tate Modern. V&A. Borough Market. A million of the places we have loved and she hasn't been to (so she just hates us - not exploring London. Good to know). 

Elie is excited to be in advisory with three of his besties, though he doesn't have great friends (yet) in his other classes, so he was a bit nervous, but I think he'll be great. He loves all of his teachers. Fifth grade at ASL is middle school, and it's a slow transition. They have advisory, and then they have a color group that they go together with to all of their core classes. They start with no homework, then they add math, then another subject at a time, with a maximum of about 45 minutes a day. He is loving it so far.

Koby LOVES his teacher. He seems to be an awesome guy who really listens to the kids. Koby is excited to go to school for the first time in a long while. I'm so happy for him.

I am having my usual return from summer as a trailing spouse experience. I get everyone all set up to succeed!! And then I have nothing going on. I need work. I reached out to Democrats Abroad a few weeks ago. I heard back with a survey last week and haven't heard back yet. I'd love to help save democracy. Also I'd be happy to do other work. I am trying to play tennis as much as I can. I am playing pickleball on Tuesday nights. I even tried to running club yesterday (I ran to Big Ben!). As long as the weather is nice, I'm ok, and I do have things in my diary, so it's 1000% better than the first year, or even the second year.

Finally, yesterday was Kenny's birthday. He would have been 44 (WHATTT???). And with that on my mind, I watched the funeral of Hersh. Somehow I really had hope he would return, and it's truly so so devastating that we now know he won't. When I saw the news on Saturday morning, I felt so hopeless. It's so sad for his family - and he reminds me a lot of Kenny: always learning about the other side, pushing his parents and everyone around him, dying at 23, though obviously a whole lot more politically around his being a hostage - but it's also so so hopeless for Israel. The country has tried to unite around the government and the response to Oct 7, but it's too much. If it's true that Hersh and the other 5 were killed because the IDF got too close to them, as is being reported, that is the worst thing ever. Not only couldn't the IDF manage to save them, but somehow they got them killed, directly. It feels so crazy to blame Israel for terrorists' activities, and it's insane that Hamas can just take people and get away with it, but there has to be a better way. It's just too sad. And it's impossible - and getting more impossible by the moment - to imagine a way forward. 

Back to images that aren't organized. Sorry. 

Cool to see this on our table. Paper Planes. They found us an LGBTQish book to donate.

dahlias on my run with the running club yesterday. 

saturday afternoon fun. it was my 3rd time, 

so I sat in a terrible seat and listened. everyone else loved it. koby hasn't stopped listening to it since.

while i was in the US, our next door neighbors stayed with Matt for ten days! He loved hanging out with them.

Sam at Stratford with Bubbie and Zaydie

Cat Cafe. Sam's dream.

I know one person in Boulder. I ran into her on the street. Unbelievable. 

Also while I was in the US, Matt went to see his good friends from the Peace Corps in their new post in Kosovo.

When we got back, we had a great date with Newton friends at Dishoom. Earlier that day I got to see my ultimate favorite musical, A Chorus Line. 

my totally normal family

me on Mystique. She was nice.

matt took amazing photos of snails. we saw SOOOOO many snails.

 

we are the luckiest to have the best cousins in Newton, and they take us in when we visit. this was THREE times this summer that I/we stayed with them. And we are a LOT. My mornings there are the best. tea, kindle on the porch. And Susie nearly always brings us the most amazing flowers to enjoy. Man I love that porch and those cousins.

Sam, my dad, mom and I went for a few rides in MI in my parents' neighborhood.

more rides.

visit with cousins in michigan! we were down two kids, but they made do.

eve in boulder. not the best weather or view, but we had the best time and conversations.

the best

and beer!

at an outdoor concert in the little town we stayed in

a day in ann arbor with sam. the museum. the diag. pizza bob's with jill and family.

we visited natick community farm, and our friend Jen, who is one of the farmers there. jen even organized for sam to help out for a few hours one day.

one of our visits to the farm was with sarah, charlotte, benjamin and sam's friend! photo credit: Sarah

photo credit: Sarah

more flowers on the porch. but these were from the farm - susie didn't like their color combo. i thought they were beautiful.

canoeing with sarah on the charles! what a relaxing morning.

jesse came to our house in london when he was there for a few months, to tell the boys about bauercrest. elie was in before jesse came, but after, koby also wanted to go. jesse then babysat for the boys a few times. and it turned out that jesse had two weeks in koby's cabin! koby loved him.

harry is from manchester! maybe we will go see him! they loved him.

at the lake (which, unlike ramah, is not the center of focus of the camp)

sam looking through the boys' yearbook. on the porch. photo credit: david

visiting the caseys. man we love them all. including hubble (pictured)

laundry. organizing stuff to leave in sarah's basement for a year. and the most generous cousins who loaned their dining room for a few days.

ticket to ride with charlotte and benjamin! photo credit: sarah

so great to see these guys in person. photo credit: sarah

they love each other so much

everyone had one big bag to schlep through the airport. each was the 50 lbs max. how does it always work out that way?

cathedral in winchester, at a dinner stop on the way to Dorset. so. much. driving. but a beautiful town.

snails!

sam makes friends with animals everywhere.

the only way she's happy on hikes is when she is listening to audiobooks. it's a compromise we have all accepted.

these horses were so friendly. they ran over to the kids.

koby has worn a bauercrest shirt just about everyday since camp

making friends with all of the dogs on the hike

so windy. lots of sea gulls. and bees. not the most relaxing lunch.

i went on a hike on my own, when everyone else wanted to stay at home in the afternoon of a beautiful day. it was pretty. and windy.

part of it was in a sculpture park in an old quarry of portland stone

view from the start of the hike. our air bnb was in that little town. we were on the isle of portland.

view from our air bnb

hike the next day near weymouth

was this before or after sam pushed koby into an electric fence?

picturesque. i think elie took this

sam wanted to ride horses. so we did. well, elie, sam and i did. 

koby wanted to go to the DDay Centre, so we did (koby and I). it was so cool. you could go on/in the vehicles and pick up all of the weapons 

bazooka -for real

backpack, helmet and rifle that those who fought on DDay wore/had with them, when they jumped off the boats. many (all?) of the boats that came from england to Omaha Beach left where were were in Castleton.

favorite chair at the air bnb

first day of school. she was so mad i wouldn't let her wear the tiny outfit she preferred. she wouldn't say bye. 12 year old girls. stress.

she came back for a photo "for the grandparents"

first day of school 2024!

ASL doesn't allow smartphones on campus for middle or lower school kids. this is requiring us to create new routines. the first day of school i got a call from the 8th grade aid: Hi Mrs Hildebrandt. Sam wants to know if your offer to meet her and a friend after school to take them for ice cream still stands.

I think either Sam or Elie will take this Nokia phone each day. And we will have to be in touch less! AAAHHHH!!!