tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76493353388611983852024-03-05T04:30:12.658-08:00yairush abroadAbout the big adventures of a little boy, his baby brother, and his family far away from the place called homeJeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-32874022961170793832009-02-27T23:35:00.001-08:002009-02-27T23:42:15.566-08:00Mr. Charming"Mommy..." The little man blows a kiss onto my cheek. "Your eyes are beautiful." "Really? Thank you, sweetie." "I mean the color." Gestures toward my eye shadow. "It's beautiful." Another tender kiss. "I also like your hair. I like it best if you do it this way." Pulls my hair back. "You mean a pony tail?" "Yes. A pony tail. I don't want you to cut it short again. Ever!" "We'll see about that." "Mommy?" Another kiss lands on my cheek. "Your ohrringe are beautiful, too." "You mean my earrings?" "Your earrings, yes. I like them. And your necklace, too. Actually everything. I like everything about you." Keep going, sweetie, keep going... "Tell me, honey. Do you also kiss the girls at school like that?" "Yessss..." "Who?" "Talia." "Only Talia?" "And Naomi. Naomi T." Says a 4-year-old. Does charm increase with age?Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-73028452636329739812009-01-19T09:03:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:08:40.095-08:005 months and bloomingI have to get this out of my system because I am so excited: Yonatan learned to roll over form his tummy to his back this weekend (not really early, I know, but now he got the trick). AND his first tooth just cut through his gums, and I can already see (but not feel yet) the second one right beside it! (Whoever said you'd be less proud/attentive the second time around was clearly WRONG!) My guess is he wanted to wait for his brother's and dad's return from Israel for bigger impact. Well, it worked!Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-73184636206983944192009-01-06T10:15:00.001-08:002009-01-06T23:08:17.315-08:00Still aroundI am sitting at work listening to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galgalatz">Galgalatz</a>, and my heart goes out to the many people suffering from this impossible, cruel war. I have no words, only tears. As a mother, I am wondering: what will it be like in 20 years' time, when my boys are old enough to join the army?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucE42wJFsqq7jgi82rcZgk6HFR3pu8syHpaSLCvDm373tnuFDGnC3XuQ4gv843HKGIDi97mm6fQjtrUMbZmXcXp2RbgHp3IkUzag3uzHmZ5xyrp2ghxynctkQM8oio9ydRWaAL8-ll7lj/s1600-h/yair_und_yonatan.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucE42wJFsqq7jgi82rcZgk6HFR3pu8syHpaSLCvDm373tnuFDGnC3XuQ4gv843HKGIDi97mm6fQjtrUMbZmXcXp2RbgHp3IkUzag3uzHmZ5xyrp2ghxynctkQM8oio9ydRWaAL8-ll7lj/s400/yair_und_yonatan.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288246124399453314" /></a><br />Btw, the angel baby in the picture is our latest addition to the family: Yonatan, August 17, 2008.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-60169607966978988992008-01-30T21:16:00.000-08:002008-01-30T21:39:48.657-08:00Back to routineCall it laziness, call it writer's block, call it whatever you want -- I just couldn't write these last few weeks. I guess there were too many things we had to deal with. Germany, Israel, all of a sudden a job offer, the flight back, a hectic week of getting-back-to-routine, and then my first day at work on Monday.<br /><br />I started at a company in Oakland, which is really close by. My manager agreed to flexible hours, organized a laptop for me, and is besides also a really sweet person. A good manager too, for all I can say after three days. It's tough at the moment though, it always is when you start a new job. At work, my head is spinning from information overkill. I am also having a hard time getting up in the mornings. It didn't really help either that my alarm clock decided not to go off today at 5:45.<br /><br />Yair stays in school now until 3:30pm. Sometimes he naps after lunch, sometimes he doesn't, but he's taking it all really well. He's happy and sweet when I come to pick him up. He's such a good boy. "Where is mommy? Has she gone to work?" he asks in the mornings when he wakes up and finds me gone. No crying, no complaining. Today at dinner, he asked me: "Mommy, how was school today?" I:"It was nice. I slept on my mat next to Adi." He (rolling his eyes, laughing): "Mommy! You didn't go to school! You went to work!"<br /><br />So yes. We're back.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-85516276334520223812007-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:002007-12-06T20:28:08.227-08:00I know...it's been quite a while. There's been so much going on I don't even know where to start. Shabbat dinner at our place with all the other MBA Israelis: 14 adults and six kids. Get-together at a friend's house with a real Christmas tree. Birthday party for Ariel, the expecting father from next door. Chanukka party at Libby's, with lots of delicious, home-made souvganiot, levivot (here better known as latkes), and other anti-diet dishes. Christmas shopping for my family. Interviewing with different agents and companies. One of them is a company that just got bought up by Symantec. That really made me smile. They are looking for a short-term contractor to finish up their upgrade guides, but because of our travel plans I am not an ideal candidate. However, the hiring manager mentioned they might need some help move their docs over to the new Symantec template after the release, and she would like to work with someone who is familiar with the process. Besides, I have an interview with the Tech Pubs Manager at PayPal next week. They don't have a current opening, but an interesting position for which I could be a great fit may open up at the beginning of next year, and she wants to meet me. So there's hope, it seems.<br /><br />Yair throws off his diapers every day when we get home from school to put on the Spiderman underwear we bought him last week. He's usually doing fine for a couple of hours but then gets distracted and wets his pants. It has been like this for about a week and a half without any progress. He's not completely ready yet, I guess. But the time will come, I know that much.<br /><br />He is still struggling with the new language. The other day at bedtime, he said to me: "Mama, I don't like kids who speak English." His German is fluent by now. Ever since August, he has been making progress at an incredible speed, without me asking him to make an effort. And because he is suddenly able to express himself without any problems in German, he grabs the phone from me whenever he realizes it's someone from Germany. Finally, he is ready to speak to my family. I guess that will be the best Christmas present of all. But English is still an issue -- and why shouldn't it. It takes time, even though I think he understands already quite a lot. Today we were listening to an interactive story of Dora the Explorer on the Internet, and when Dora shouted "Watch out!" he looked at me and translated for me. That was really cute. He also says "Done!" when he finishes something in school, and there are lots of other little words, phrases, and sentences he already knows. Exactly how many, we cannot know.<br /><br />Oh, and I am beginning to feel really bad about the emails I owe people. I can't seem to find the time. Funny, isn't it, now that I am <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> working. Just know that I am not <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> in touch on purpose. Soon we will be in Israel for three weeks, and we will have to meet, so please plan with it!Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-2163395344237410572007-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:002007-11-26T00:31:51.892-08:00SpidermanAfter 800 miles, turkey, pumpkin pie, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and a glimpse at the smoke of the Malibu wildfires, we are back on Jackson Street. Yair shook hands with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, met Spiderman (though he was deeply disappointed by the fact that his all-time favorite spoke English, not Hebrew like the <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> Spiderman), pocketed clothes and toys, swept leaves in the backyard, bravely endured endless hours on the road, and made new friends.<br /><br />And since Spiderman remains popular, Yair got himself yet another present today: Spiderman panties. His first. Panties, that is. What an incentive! He spent his first two hours ever without diapers, going potty three times. An incredible success. The hard part came afterwards, when he insisted on going to sleep without a diaper, too. There was much crying, screaming, ranting, clamoring until he finally caved in. To be continued tomorrow... After school.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-90772481416688560592007-11-22T05:37:00.000-08:002007-11-22T05:39:28.487-08:00Happy ThanksgivingWe are driving down to Los Angeles today, to visit relatives over Thanksgiving.<br /><br />This week has been a bit hectic, with Yair being sick and me having another job interview on the phone yesterday. But we are now up for the drive.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-28875199723758383842007-11-15T23:25:00.000-08:002007-11-15T23:52:32.920-08:00No newson the job front. I'm still waiting. I guess telecommuting is not an option, so maybe this first opportunity passed me by. With a little bit of luck, I may get another interview shortly, but this time, I am <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> going to open my mouth again.<br /><br />Meanwhile, time is passing by rather uneventful. Today's highlight: An information session on potty training at the Family Resource Center, conducted by an 80-year-old former nursery school teacher. She was lovely. So sweet. Conclusion: <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't train. Wait.</span> I am relaxed, at least about this chapter.<br /><br />Have I mentioned Yair's imaginary friends, Meshek, Kakas, and Yaram? He's talking to them all the time. In his room. Under the shower. "Why are you crying? What? Don't cry! Mommy will be here soon." It's hilarious.<br /><br />Tonight our smoke detectors went off. That was hilarious too. It scared the wits out of Yair, who came running to me, screaming. I started counting but eventually called the number for emergency maintenance, and within an hour someone showed up and shut off the noise. Right in time for me to get settled in front of the television, for a chapter of <span style="font-style: italic;">Grey's Anatomy</span>. Now that Yair falls asleep by himself (at times comforted by his indispensable Winnie-the-Pooh phone), this <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> an option.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-31815816540840423772007-11-09T14:39:00.001-08:002007-11-09T14:55:09.836-08:00Just when you least expect it...The phone rings. You answer in a rather stroppy way because really, you cannot take another of these commercial calls that usually come in around lunch time. Donate for fire fighters. Help in the war on drugs. Keep our children off the street. And that's just when the hiring manager of the company you interviewed with is on the line, all friendly, seemingly smiling, because guess what?! She really likes you and would want you to join her team, there are just a few little issues to get out of the way beforehand. Such as the distance. How would I feel about driving 50 miles every day? Telecommuting about twice a week? Well, well. Not really common at this company. People show up in the office every day. Hard to manage someone remotely. But you know what? "Let me think about it for a while." When we hang up, I realize that I haven't mentioned I would also like a reduction in hours. Can't do it otherwise. How many hours are we talking about anyway? 40? What about 30? 32? OK, 34 at the most. When I call her back, the mail box greets me. No one home. Is she gone for the weekend? I leave her a message asking to call me back. And now I'm waiting... Should I let this opportunity pass by? Or grab it with both hands to see what comes out of it?<br /><br />What did I write yesterday? I only wanted to get accepted? Well. <span style="font-style: italic;">I got accepted!!!</span>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-73778723234213848452007-11-08T23:17:00.000-08:002007-11-08T23:49:12.782-08:00Fender benderAnd another nuisance. Three weeks ago, this woman bumped into my car. I was returning from school, with Yair sitting in the back, just taking a turn to drive into our parking space. She was backing out of hers, not checking her mirrors or looking over her shoulder (<span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> just passed my driving test yesterday) when she crashed into my car's passenger side.<br /><br />Grumpy, she got out of her vehicle, asked if "the baby" was hurt, then walked back to her Nissan Pathfinder to jot down her details on a piece of paper. She shortly apologized for not having her business card with her -- they had just stolen her wallet the night before.<br /><br />To keep it short: I have been in touch with the insurance on an almost daily basis ever since. At least three times I retold the story, provided all the details, even faxed over a drawing of the accident. On Friday, the appraiser finally came to assess the damage. Then yesterday it turned out they haven't even decided on liability! And why is that? Because Mrs. Neighbor claims I was backing up too! I am still too stunned to actually stay calm. This is outraging. She is either blind or bold. I suppose she is both.<br /><br />By tomorrow, the insurance will close its investigation and make a decision. I don't have any proof. I just hope the pictures of the damage clearly explain who hit whom, which force actually impacted on which car. Clearly, with a damage on the passenger side, I cannot really be the one to blame. Or can I?Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-53450517903524371782007-11-08T22:08:00.000-08:002007-11-08T22:38:51.485-08:00DownhillDid I mention that the interviews went great on Monday? Considering the fact they were my first interviews on American soil. But that was that. No follow-up phone call. No e-mail. And believe me, I wrote really fine thank-you notes to all the interviewers. Maybe not by the book, but surely individual.<br /><br />I could tell myself that I don't really care. Because, after all, I'm generally convinced everything happens for a reason, and for the better. If they decided not to take me on, then at least I don't have to burden my days with two-hour drives in both directions. It makes life so much easier.<br /><br />But the truth is: I do mind. Not because I wanted to hit the road so badly, but because I wanted to get accepted. Because now, I have to start all over again. Read the ads, write the cover letters, investigate who's the hiring manager, follow up if company X received my application. Over and over again. Who has power for that?<br /><br />So for the time being, I'm keeping to books (just finished <span style="font-style: italic;">The Kite Runner</span> and, finally! started the last <span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter</span>) and housekeeping. And to the sweetest little boy on earth. No ambitions. I need a few days to put myself together again and dig myself out of the hole. But then I am going to tackle this job thing. Maybe all I really need to do is pass along my friend's line to potential employers, in case of doubt: "It's Jeanne, just hire her at her conditions :-)."Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-47213617680664201042007-11-06T23:13:00.000-08:002007-11-06T23:14:43.851-08:00Addendum: Halloween in pictures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5TAHyvTOn-fiCAEzPQC3gf0Zh-aEBQthPPtC9nJCV1lRwTtdzk7cztNJg5qgT9jYDmdS4JaRXxc2qAl_ltJ56iZZr5jHNj7FM9wa7DasRDlrepbeaO0BdAztqofrgmv-ghj280xM2Xu-/s1600-h/IMG_3194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5TAHyvTOn-fiCAEzPQC3gf0Zh-aEBQthPPtC9nJCV1lRwTtdzk7cztNJg5qgT9jYDmdS4JaRXxc2qAl_ltJ56iZZr5jHNj7FM9wa7DasRDlrepbeaO0BdAztqofrgmv-ghj280xM2Xu-/s320/IMG_3194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129989646532008386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsamvb23shJqetm-9eYvyXAeg_E5M8JvRI3OPs2ors4X92zNyzM2t4bLBwSt1EZUO-P8oHryHM4MZSSo6uGqrteRGOluD9B0H3dnqLSD6ZjtARFw6RlqRcvNEK4GEbfLoSoazyKOHS0gO/s1600-h/IMG_3200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsamvb23shJqetm-9eYvyXAeg_E5M8JvRI3OPs2ors4X92zNyzM2t4bLBwSt1EZUO-P8oHryHM4MZSSo6uGqrteRGOluD9B0H3dnqLSD6ZjtARFw6RlqRcvNEK4GEbfLoSoazyKOHS0gO/s320/IMG_3200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129989753906190802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EtK48uQNTIzVOtGxrExoKm86xtCUq5o0zylgcaAqdGH_riX7UPi0UTPhhxnxksqBd7ldMpUYg5r8duhq7SaM-ZKtHRfZAS1wDwegmnUe6feHcYI1KWanyuMVunYE58pGAc_gtMXZh-ro/s1600-h/IMG_3203.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EtK48uQNTIzVOtGxrExoKm86xtCUq5o0zylgcaAqdGH_riX7UPi0UTPhhxnxksqBd7ldMpUYg5r8duhq7SaM-ZKtHRfZAS1wDwegmnUe6feHcYI1KWanyuMVunYE58pGAc_gtMXZh-ro/s320/IMG_3203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129992348066437602" border="0" /></a>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-82465170258885263282007-11-04T00:13:00.001-07:002007-11-04T00:30:08.580-07:00My first interviewYou may be wondering why it has been so quiet around us ever since Halloween. The reason is that I am preparing myself for a day of interviews on Monday, with a company in Sunnyvale. That's far, yes, but I am totally excited. I'm also scared of what I may get myself into, but I'll think about that later. So please keep your fingers crossed for me!!!<br /><br />Ooops, I haven't put up the Halloween pics yet. I'll do it after Monday, I promise. I haven't even looked at them myself yet. Oh oh, spaghettios... Yair's new favorite, picked up from his teacher. His English is improving daily: "Trashy town" (a story they read every day), "put the toys away" (part of a song they sing when cleaning up), "one, two, three, four, five," and "Mr. Donkey" (probably also picked up from a story, but I'm not sure).<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="DE"></span>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-23960697777040575082007-10-31T20:58:00.000-07:002007-10-31T21:06:16.732-07:00Happy HalloweenToday's the night of all nights. Disguised as Captain Hook, Yair proceeded from house to house. Trick-or-treating. In the end, his pumpkin was full to the brim, his fingers sticky from all the lollipops he had had to test-lick, and his head so heavy and tired that he fell asleep on daddy's shoulder on the way back home. It was nice but not spooky. Pictures will follow.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-65091906738912635272007-10-31T00:45:00.000-07:002007-10-31T21:06:31.622-07:00The first jolt... and I missed it.<br /><br />Shortly after 8 p.m., my student calls, all excited. "Did you feel the earthquake?" Which earthquake? No idea. What is he talking about? I was getting the little man ready for bed. Stunned, my student shouts: "What do you mean, you didn't feel it? The whole building was shaking!" Really?<br /><br />A few minutes later, a chat message pops up on my computer screen. Anke from around the corner. "Hi Jeanne! Was this your first earthquake in the Bay Area?" Well... maybe I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> miss something?<br /><br />I switch on the television. KRON TV is broadcasting a special news program. About an earthquake in the Bay Area. Magnitude: 5.6. Now <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> convinces me something was going on beyond my perception. But honestly -- I don't mind having missed it.<br /><br />May earthquakes always pass us by unnoticed...Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-23426901177216180932007-10-28T00:13:00.000-07:002007-10-28T00:44:09.720-07:00Job-hunting at HalloweenToday I plunged head over heals into job-hunting. Bought a file for my portfolio, cotton fiber paper to print my resume on, business card paper to print the business cards I designed. My resume is polished, my cover letter more or less in order. And in the afternoon, at a birthday party Yair was invited to, I made my first attempt at networking my way to a job, after learning that only about 20% of all open positions are actually advertised. One of the mothers turned out to be a Harvard-graduate who, for years, has been working for a consulting company in San Francisco. This company, it turns out, also gets requests for technical writing contracts. Now I am to enter my profile into their system and let the girl's mother know when I am done. She is Senior Vice President and General Manager. One of them. That's one step forward then, isn't it?<br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>miss the easy, simple way of sending out your resume to a bunch of companies within 15 minutes, the way it is done in Israel. Here, finding a job is real work. It could be a full-time occupation if you wanted to. It is strongly recommended that you call up the companies after sending your application to affirm your interest in the position and improve your chances of your resume at least getting looked at. Better yet, <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> sending your application, call the company and find out who is the hiring manager. Then address your cover letter to him (or her). <span style="font-style: italic;">And</span> call again afterwards to make sure it went through.<br /><br />All the while, Shai is supposedly enjoying himself at his first Halloween party in San Francisco. Don't ask how he left the house. He put on one of my pajamas. Did I mention it's his first Halloween party? I tried to tell him that Halloween is different from Purim, in a sense. Aren't you supposed to wear something scary, or spooky, or extramundane? But for lack of a real costume, he wanted to be creative... I, for one, would have skipped the party.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-15503914554673517802007-10-26T00:50:00.000-07:002007-10-26T01:18:15.068-07:00For all those poor peopleout there who are wasting <span style="font-style: italic;">hours</span> to get the abc player and Fox on Demand player (both based on move networks software) run properly in Firefox on Windows Vista: The problem is that the player is not compatible with Firefox 2.0.0.8 for Vista. Here's the solution (<span style="font-style: italic;">so </span>simple, really!):<br /><ol><li>Browse to your \Program Files\Mozilla Firefox folder.</li><li>Right-click the file firefox.exe and select <span style="font-weight: bold;">Properties</span>.</li><li>In the Properties window, on the Compatibility tab, select the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Run this program in compatibility mode for</span> check box, and then select <span style="font-weight: bold;">Windows XP (Service Pack 2)</span> from the list.</li><li>Click <span style="font-weight: bold;">OK</span> and restart Firefox.</li></ol>Oh, and don't forget to pause Internet security protection at least for the time the data is loading. It works like a dream.<br /><br />Now that I wasted a whole day on solving this issue (as if I didn't have anything else to do), I can retreat to the realm of dreams. I guess that's the technical writer in me. I should <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>go look for a job.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-32334280254979735172007-10-23T23:45:00.001-07:002007-10-23T23:47:56.812-07:00Yosemite impressionsAs promised...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRbluOmVjyC3-iirgBnQvHU9xYkoRCvn0ldWOP7At0PL_-kTB7-cm4l7MM-6UWEmqBAn-rwPHVKfPawjw0FiB4KW-TenIlRniqnuo-NflQzrPRjJel_lxrtdaXjjrr4eSNK1AnmhWcayk/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRbluOmVjyC3-iirgBnQvHU9xYkoRCvn0ldWOP7At0PL_-kTB7-cm4l7MM-6UWEmqBAn-rwPHVKfPawjw0FiB4KW-TenIlRniqnuo-NflQzrPRjJel_lxrtdaXjjrr4eSNK1AnmhWcayk/s320/collage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124790850840601602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkfV4A3CrJOJTcHz_mRME8TxvDegUSAn4tO1hCos1a1dLWOoQXo9pkYk9j6FqOkhkGtqC-4QqHnuW4OmGO_TfWWsU0JCjImfpNrRvXmQq9fKqOM_ozhATSf2TtXN84dn0TyvTSvvuT5BR/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkfV4A3CrJOJTcHz_mRME8TxvDegUSAn4tO1hCos1a1dLWOoQXo9pkYk9j6FqOkhkGtqC-4QqHnuW4OmGO_TfWWsU0JCjImfpNrRvXmQq9fKqOM_ozhATSf2TtXN84dn0TyvTSvvuT5BR/s320/collage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124790936739947538" /></a>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-27714938810943841102007-10-23T23:04:00.000-07:002007-10-23T23:25:16.134-07:00Pajama party?Two weeks ago, Back-to-School Night was on. Because Shai had a long day at University, we decided to test if Yair was ready for his first pajama party at Yuval's house. And while Yuval's mother and I mingled with the other parents at school (who probably had more convenient babysitting arrangements), Yuval's dad was left in charge of the kids. If he did a good job? See for yourself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwdYR5_RUIGWwET1ihqZs1NyR30qDlpfTAYgq7a83zngrb4AHC4UAZOKN5ZxVcUV1e_Tez6wkFznYKcZwSPScEtJntFnjuahyMfvAATvkYcvuQCOGyO2-vYM3BswCqRR00n-RdXU0uIAY/s1600-h/Oct+11+2007+075.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwdYR5_RUIGWwET1ihqZs1NyR30qDlpfTAYgq7a83zngrb4AHC4UAZOKN5ZxVcUV1e_Tez6wkFznYKcZwSPScEtJntFnjuahyMfvAATvkYcvuQCOGyO2-vYM3BswCqRR00n-RdXU0uIAY/s320/Oct+11+2007+075.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124783201503847378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1LwRHCzd6RMCWE1Oee-dGqXGDb1Xbf_lWheZa3DG83cKVka-h28JfYnbBjgndvY3eRuj38rBCGxgEF093eM992czMQU1ljJu7ifyKdzoSHiyM2milmUNlBaj5kX90INzJ7O6thEuQK2M/s1600-h/Oct+11+2007+076.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1LwRHCzd6RMCWE1Oee-dGqXGDb1Xbf_lWheZa3DG83cKVka-h28JfYnbBjgndvY3eRuj38rBCGxgEF093eM992czMQU1ljJu7ifyKdzoSHiyM2milmUNlBaj5kX90INzJ7O6thEuQK2M/s320/Oct+11+2007+076.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124785220138476530" border="0" /></a>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-79123316813653421202007-10-23T00:32:00.001-07:002007-10-23T00:37:04.590-07:00English lessonBefore I forget, I need to document Yair's progress in English. This morning, while romping through our room, he shouted: "Ima, there's a pig!" (There was none!) And later today, when doing the dishes (one of his favorites lately), he handed me a clean bowl saying "This one is ready." I think that was the first time he used English intentionally and in the right context. I'm impressed.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-6928860552049934442007-10-22T23:55:00.000-07:002007-10-23T23:52:43.976-07:00Scenic weekendWe got back from Yosemite all exhausted, but we had a great time although we didn't get to see any black bears, mountain lions, or snakes. And the only scary spider that crossed my way was pinned to the wall in the Cafe of the lodge we were staying at. That one really freaked me out though -- it looked exactly (well, for me) like a tarantula, and I wasn't aware until then that this kind of species is native in this region. I was told it is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> poisonous and that the ones to look out for are the black widows. "If you can't see where you put your hand, then don't put it," someone told me. He added that he hadn't seen any in the dorms or cabins yet. That was to <span style="font-style: italic;">comfort</span> me. Nice try.<br /><br />The first day we walked the 5 miles around Mirror Lake, which had completely dried up over the summer. That's called a seasonal lake. It's not that we had expected a lot of water; we knew that fall is not the best season to visit if your mind is set to torrents and waterfalls. But a bit. A tiny bit. Well, not here. Instead, we encouraged Yair to dig a whole in the remaining sandbox, but he didn't feel like it.<br /><br />The second day we set out to climb all the way up to Vernal Falls. This time, we were prepared to see only a very thin, very modest waterfall, and that's what we got. But beautiful nonetheless. The Muir Trail was closed for maintenance, so we had to follow a detour, which took us disproportionately longer than we had expected. Which is why we left Yosemite much later than we had planned. Which is why we got home much later than intended. Which is why Shai had to spend the rest of the night preparing for the first day of the new semester. But then, that's nothing new to us. We never manage to leave on time. We are always late. And we had a great time, so why complain?<br /><br />I'll put up a few pictures tomorrow.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-27560990958940691942007-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:002007-10-18T23:00:36.748-07:00Something to write aboutThis post is dedicated to those of you who complain that posting only once a week is unacceptable. From now on, I'll do my best to stop by once a day. But I can't promise. Tomorrow, for example, we're driving down to Yosemite for the weekend, so don't expect anything until, most probably, Monday. But then at least I'll have something to write about.<br /><br />Yair dropped another English line today: "Wash your hands!" He usually connects phrases with specific situations at school. When I ask him "What does 'wash your hands' mean?", he wouldn't know. But when I inquire about when Elaine/Nicole/Lilly uses this sentence, he responds: "When we need to wash our hands." Curious, how the brain works. I'm completely fascinated by the way kids acquire languages.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-21945017326402614832007-10-17T19:45:00.000-07:002007-10-18T10:11:48.242-07:00Catching upAgain time is running and I can't find the time to write. Even without a job, work is piling up on my desk and the list of errands to run is getting longer each day. Sometimes I'm rushing around all day long, without even sitting down for a cup of coffee. This way, I passed my written driving exam yesterday with excellence. Now I have another three weeks to go until the behind-the-wheel road test. I'm quite optimistic I'll pass that one, too. It's my third driving test, after all. Germany. Israel. United States. I am convinced though that this is going to be my last one.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Yair's English is catching up. "What's your name? What's your name?" he kept asking me today. "What does that mean?" I asked back. He didn't seem to know. The other day at lunch, he asked me: "You want to eat?" This time, he knew the meaning. According to Elaine, his class's head teacher, he already understands quite a lot.<br /><br />Besides, I am suspecting he has fallen in love for the first time. He is in denial, but he keeps talking about Rachel, with a real American accent. "Ima, you are Rachel!" he tells me, sometimes the first thing in the morning. Rachel is a sweet little girl with special charm. Her mother is from Cambodia.<br /><br />Oh, and Yair has started to skip his lunch-time nap. It's on and off. If he falls asleep in the car on the way back home from school -- fine. Otherwise, there's no way I can get him to nap at home. I don't really mind because that way, he's sound asleep by 7:45 at night. Like today. That's why I'm off now to enjoy my evening.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-45899085251717279632007-10-11T21:26:00.000-07:002007-10-11T21:45:18.190-07:00Surprisein my mail box. Unsuspecting, I open the inconspicuous, white envelope addressed to me. Probably they need more documents. Proof of expenses. Maybe an appointment for fingerprinting, like my French friend received.<br /><br />Then my fingers feel a thin, rectangular card the size of a credit card. I hold my breath. It can't be, impossible. Only a month has passed since I sent in the application! Now impatient, I unfold the single sheet of paper -- and there it is: my work authorization!<br /><br />Happy as I am, now I no longer have any excuses to stay at home. Or have I?<br /><br />Over the last few weeks, I have already sent out a few applications. I have even gotten in touch with a friend of the father of one of the kids at Yair's school, who is a technical writer and willing to get me in touch with people who may be able to help me track down some work. But now I should gear up and get more serious about finding a job. I should. I will.<br /><br />At my own pace.Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7649335338861198385.post-82968979851409142382007-10-06T23:42:00.000-07:002007-10-07T00:16:26.128-07:00Perfect dayTime is passing by quickly now. How could I ever think I would get bored within a few weeks' time (those of you who told me I wouldn't, you were so right!)?<br /><br />Autumn is here, and the nights are getting chilly. The mornings, too. The trees, though not as pretty as in New England or Germany at this time of the year, are slowly changing their color.<br /><br />Today, Shai took a break from school, books, and studying, and we left early, heading north for wine tastings in Napa Valley.<br />Spotless blue sky.<br />Beautiful scenery.<br />Delicious wine.<br />Sweet laughter.<br />Nothing to add but pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYpSQ7v2KA1G_dz-VGWTJaevXzGx_LbrFO8jupB8w8SANQp_IRhewk3J2oizFUut5ieamzddOuyVw52hjpDQ8xAIlxvTQRXEZ8LP_ca4MLL5qkx-WS07qY_04vMEJ9h-d7YGrG5s5Sq0G/s1600-h/napa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYpSQ7v2KA1G_dz-VGWTJaevXzGx_LbrFO8jupB8w8SANQp_IRhewk3J2oizFUut5ieamzddOuyVw52hjpDQ8xAIlxvTQRXEZ8LP_ca4MLL5qkx-WS07qY_04vMEJ9h-d7YGrG5s5Sq0G/s320/napa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118483918999691154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When Yair fell asleep by himself at night, waiving me good-bye when I left his room, after a few rounds of tight hugs and wet kisses, it was the perfect ending of a perfect day. No more impatiently lying or sitting beside him waiting for him to fall asleep. An unexpected but much hoped for present: I've got my nights back without trading in closeness and confidence. Thank you!<br /><br />As a treat, here's last week's favorite picture, taken in Fairyland, Oakland.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr4FJ2854cN5_JjOn7P8SNG2eCsMBRRuLzkSHAEaR2kecRIJFRnAwcumoXYKBN6TTOWAscbXfee02KmDt7cV0BF26CO8rCZfNbAD6MqjOrxc7tApPwMgQzfQfVs6vVXkKTwtpc9QYyJOp/s1600-h/IMG_3054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr4FJ2854cN5_JjOn7P8SNG2eCsMBRRuLzkSHAEaR2kecRIJFRnAwcumoXYKBN6TTOWAscbXfee02KmDt7cV0BF26CO8rCZfNbAD6MqjOrxc7tApPwMgQzfQfVs6vVXkKTwtpc9QYyJOp/s320/IMG_3054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118487788765224866" border="0" /></a>Jeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145785813693361989noreply@blogger.com0