Great Expectasia: Springtime

Since my last post, we haven't had anything dramatic - just life. Weekends are busy with Saturday am baseball for the boys and I have been reading torah when I can, and Sam comes with me (sometimes). Sometimes Sam's bnai mitzvah class meets Saturday am. Saturday afternoon Sam has pony club, and I found a wonderful tennis class at Hyde Park at the same time, so I drop Sam, walk over there, play for 2 hours and then walk back and get Sam. Sunday mornings the kids have cheder (Hebrew school) or baseball, and then we're free. It has also been birthday party central - squeezing them all in before school ends next week. Since my last post the kids have had five birthday parties and a bat mitzvah.

Each of the kids also had a spring concert. Sam's was with violin and voice, and the boys were mostly singing but also with instruments here and there. They were all super fun to watch and impressive.

I have been doing physio for my back. I feel like I'm getting stronger, but I'm still in so much pain. Ugh.

My parents were supposed to be here from 19 May until 1 June, but because of my mom's broken arm, they did not come.

Koby turned eight! He had a birthday party with 8 friends at a climbing/high ropes course in Battersea Park. He and his friends had a blast. I was super annoyed, because there was a kid in front of them - and you cannot pass - who got freaked out and wouldn't move forward. FOR FORTY MINUTES. These 7/8 year olds all stayed in one spot high above the earth waiting for her to move. They only got to do part of the course, because they ran out of time and we had pizza and cake and kids getting picked up! Bummer, but kids are so "it was fun!" so it was fine.

Koby was a bit of a tyrant on his birthday. He knew exactly what he wanted - chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and breakfast in bed (I did not allow the choc chips in bed, but he got a rain check on the breakfast in bed). Then he wanted to play baseball at the park and then stay home all day and not do anything or go anywhere. Then he wanted to go to a pub near us for dinner. And he wanted a chocolate cake. He was happy in the end and told anyone who would listen that it was his birthday - and he asked if they got him a present.

Sam had the opportunity to go to a three day international theater festival with middle schoolers from seven international schools around the world (mostly Europe and Africa). They were so excited to learn more about theater and meet kids, but unfortunately it wasn't great for them. They claim it was poorly planned, and they seem to not have gotten much out of it. Bummer.

The boys, Matt and I went to our first cricket match (Sam was at the theater festival). We learned how it works - finally! Somehow we made it through Singapore without figuring it out. It was hard to understand from reading, and watching along with lots of explanation from our friends Holly and Jeff (and EVERYONE on all sides of us - they were all so kind!) really helped. We had a great time. It came down to the last two balls/bowls. The team we were rooting for (Surrey) did not win.

Memorial Day we took the train to Brighton - just to get out of London and check out a new place. We walked all over, ate great fish and chips and ice cream, shopped and enjoyed the cute city.

I had been working on a great course for Harvard online, and I finished. It launches in the fall. Teaming for Healthcare Professionals (or maybe Innovations in Teamwork for Healthcare? I will link to it when it comes out. It is an awesome course. I learned so much).

Matt and I went to Pickleball together. It's so fun. And we left our kids to babysit themselves. They each had responsibilities for themselves - no one was in charge - and it worked.

Sam went to their first friend's bat mitzvah! They and their friends had a blast. Mazal tov, Zoe!

The kids go with their classes to Canon's Park. Here Koby was drawing a specific blade of grass. His buddy drew a specific clover in the grass. They then had to find the exact one (in the whole park...) that their buddy drew.

Elie, Koby and I went to the British Museum on a half day or day off (they had a LOT in May). This is the original Rosetta Stone

We were walking to the tube in the SUPER WIND and rain. We didn't blow away.

Checking out iphone cases at the Apple Store. We turned around and all of our kids were playing games on some random iphones. Oops - not enough supervision.

Regent Street area. We went out for a wander to Chinatown one day

This is so weird. A whole line of clothes that look like tallises (Jewish prayer shawls)

Koby's concert

Boys reading with matt

Koby and I had a half day together while Sam was at school and Elie was at a birthday party. He chose the Imperial War Museum and then lunch at the pub where we watched the Michigan football games. Then bubble tea. This was in the alley where the pub is - Leake St. It's a character from Phineus and Pherb or something similar.