America!

Koby was well enough to fly (barely!). Sam was well enough to fly! They were both on antibiotics, and I was a wee bit stressed. We flew to Boston the day after school got out (no school for THREE weeks!), and we had the loveliest visit with our old life. It fully nourished my soul, and probably everyone else in the family too, but they don't use that kind of language. 

We got to spend quality time with VERY few people, but it was so so so nice to see people we love and who love us. Sam had great time with their friends and even went to a dance for Jewish middle schoolers our first night there - new experience! We were so grateful to have Nancy and David's (cousin) house to jet lag at, by ourselves, because they were in Florida and double extra grateful to have their cars as well. They live (not by accident) just over a mile from our house in Newton. 

The World Cup final was obviously a highlight and luckily ended minutes before the time we had arranged for the kids' friends to come to Week's Field, outside our house there, to meet up, so they could see everyone. I was so busy catching up with friends that I didn't watch the final - after watching nearly every other possible game up to then, but Sarah Grafman or the best World Cup final in history? Sarah Grafman hands down.

It was soooooo amazing to see the kids' friends (and my friends!) appearing from all angles as they approached the park. We LOVED seeing everyone. The kids were so so happy. 

We are so grateful to Sarah and Dave and Caroline and Brennan (and obviously Nancy and David) who hosted us much of the weekend and grateful even more for the friendships that felt sooooo good to reconnect. 

Night one of hanukkah with the Caseys. Planned with the Behrs too, but Covid kept that party outside - this was later :) 

The kids were allowed to visit recess (Koby and Elie) and lunch (Sam) at their schools, so they saw even more friends. It was definitely awkward at first, but they were so happy once they got into talking to friends. The boys stayed after school to play on the playground with friends.

 

Elie and his friends climbed the spider web. Elie misses his friend Andy so much but we aren't sure how to keep in touch with him. He was so so happy to talk to him again.

We got to see Nancy and David on Monday night, and then we left super early on Tuesday. Way too short, but so packed with so much love.

Night two of hanukkah with Nancy and David. Not the flatteriest of photos, but nice to remember!

In a carefully choreographed plan, we took an uber from the airport in Detroit to Matt's parents' house, had a nice lunch with them, and then borrowed a car (our Rogue that they generously "bought" from us because Matt wants it back when we come back to the US) to drive about four hours to Jer's newish house in Elk Rapids, northern Michigan, where we met up with him and my parents. 

Jer's house miraculously and comfortably held us all (Matt and I on a full futon in the same room as Koby on a full aerobed, Elie on Jer's floor on a thermarest, Sam on my parents' floor on a thermarest). We had a quick, lovely evening of delicious pizza and hanukkah. 

Night three of hanukkah with Jer, mom and dad. Why can't elie ever look normal in a photo?

Wednesday we woke up for the second morning in a row VERY early (though we were still jet lagged, so prob would have woken up anyway?) and drove to Nubs Nob to ski. The boys each had a lesson starting at 9. I grew up going to Nubs on school holidays with my family. We went to other "mountains" in the area too, but Nubs was our favorite. 

(Mom- trigger warning in this paragraph if you want to skip to the next and the photo too. sorry)

The last time I (and I think all of us?) was there was the last time we all saw Kenny. We went on a family trip up north over winter break 2003/4, and we skied there. Kenny snowboarded. I left that trip and flew to DC where I promptly got on a plane with a bunch of GW students to lead a Birthright trip to Israel. A few days into the trip, 2nd January, I learned that he had died over new years. Definitely weird to go back to Nubs with that memory but also ok to move forward and enjoy it as a fully grown adult with my kids. Thanks dad for this pic from that trip.

The boys were SO happy to be back on skis. We had "made" them all learn to ski last year, and the boys really loved it (Sam less so), and I felt bad then ripping them off to England - though hopefully we will make it to some cool European skiing if I can stomach the price next year. We had a great day skiing together, though Matt and I were FREEZING. It was the first time in my (kids') life that they were pushing to keep going on something outside, and I wanted to stop. Matt was done basically after lunch, but I pushed on until I couldn't feel my toes. 

Quick comment to note that skiing at Nubs Nob was pretty similar to skiing at Pat's Peak in New Hampshire. Pat's Peak is NOT full east coast Vermont mountain skiing. It's family friendly, slow, easy, accessible, and Nubs' runs were SLIGHTLY shorter, but not much. It was better than I remember. In my head skiing in Michigan was hills and ice. I think compared to Colorado that's true, but compared to family-friendly tiny NH mountain, it was comparable.

After skiing we went to Mark and Paula's (Aunt and Uncle) house on Walloon and got to have dinner with them and Eric. Sam had spent a lovely day with my parents and Jer - and mostly with Mark, Paula and Eric as well, having lunch and going for a long hike in the snow. We all met up for a delicious and super nice dinner together.

Night four with Mark, Paula, Eric, Jer, my parents and of course Bailey the dog

We had planned on spending the next day in the snow and eating good food and leaving Friday, but a blizzard slightly messed with those plans and we decided we should leave right after lunch to be able to make it back to Southeast Michigan before it got too bad. We had a beautiful walk in the Maplehurst woods, though at any given moment, at least one of my children was lying in the snow and reluctant to move forward. We made it through.

Elie and Koby were struggling by the end after wasting so much energy throwing themselves all over the place at the start of the hike. We didn't bring water, but I suggested they eat a little bit of snow since they were "sooooooooooo thirsty". The snow was not new, but they survived.

always at least one on the ground

We drove back downstate and had a very low key and lovely blizzard and visit with Matt's parents. We had meant to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with his brothers and sister in law, but again, stupid blizzard, we facetimed instead. There were LOTS of games played (Catan the most and Splendor as a top second with chess close behind), movies watched, cupcakes baked, LOTS of great time with Bubbie and Zaydie. The kids each had a sleepover night at my parents' house as well, so we sort of went back and forth and snuck in a few visits with cousins and grandma along the way.

Night five with Bubbie and Zaydie

Night seven for me and Koby with Papa and Savta

visit with grandma. (I was coughing but fairly certain it wasn't covid, hence the mask)

Elie playing chess with Harrison, his second cousin whom he hadn't yet super engaged with thanks to the pandemic and a slight age difference. They all played super nicely together

I was also grateful to be able to attend Rifchu, my grandma's sister-in-law's funeral. Rifchu was a regular part of my life growing up, but obviously less so as I left Detroit and so did she. She was from Czechoslovakia, like my grandma, but a different part, and also was in Auschwitz and Bergen Belzen, like my grandma. She met my grandma's brother, Gershon, after liberation, and Gershon really took care of (or "on" as they would say) them together until my grandma found my grandpa. Gershon went on the boat to American before Rifchu, because she was pregnant, and after he was born in a DP camp, my grandma ended up going on the boat with Rifchu and her baby, Al and then then taking the train with them to Michigan. Rifchu lived a LOOOOONG life - she was at least 101 when she died, but she lied about her age, so no one is quite sure. What I remember most about her is her super warm smile and her delicious cheese pastries. Since I have spent so many years abroad I have missed a lot of funerals and weddings and life moments, and when I am able to be with family, I am so grateful to go. What a life.

Then, on 28 December, in the afternoon, we flew back to London. Turns out an overnight flight to London with kids SUCKS when you're not in business class. Ha ha - I know...but it's true. NO ONE slept a wink, so we got back at 7 in the morning, and we had ONE DAY turnaround before our trip to Morocco. We were leaving our house the next morning at 8am. Kids all passed out in the early afternoon, and when we woke them up to go out and walk around they were EVIL - other than Sam. Sam was lovely. Sam and I had a wonderful walk around Oxford Street to see the lights go on and look at all of the holiday shopping that we weren't going to do. Boys were awful. But we survived. Again.

three kids sprawled on three couches

When we got back to England the border agents were on strike. If you are above 12 years old, you can use these automatic machines, but for some reason the line was SOOOOOOOO Backed up. They had to turn off the electronic walkways, because there were thousands of people down multiple hallways just waiting. I don't know why. But magically, if you had children under 12, you could just walk past it all and go to the family line. Bonus. Ten minutes and boom. Trains were on strike too, but luckily not the Heathrow Express. We made it home. Unpacked. And repacked.